Review of House of Bamboo

I haven't yet seen 'Street w No Name,' but will soon - can't imagine that it holds a candle to this film though. I really love the Hitchcockian elements, esp. the bullet-riddled climax in a very public place. Some really exquisite shots, sometimes tracking back with a character, revealing more and more background. A beautiful overhead shot, also Hitchcock-inspired, when Robert Ryan's gang boss discovers the truth about one of his gang, and then immediately a really interesting entrance by him into the billiards room where rest of his gang is waiting for orders. He could really compose effective wide-screen images. The development of Ryan's character is thoroughly satisfying in its psychological detail - Fuller takes full advantage of Ryan's intimidating persona, as well as his intelligence and charisma. I also really appreciated the respect Fuller had for Japanese culture, not at all colonialist. And his dealing with 'inter-racial' romance has just the right subtlety of touch. I've been a Wenders-inspired fan of Sam Fuller for quite a few years now, and this will surely become one of my favorite Fuller movies.