Set in 1954 , American-led gang pulls raid in Tokyo , Yokohama . There shows up an ex-GI as a potential victim or involvement suspected , as he appears wounded and as the prime suspect . Down-at-heel ex-serviceman Eddie Spannier (Robert Stack) arrives from the States to act as a covert agent to go undercover by infiltrating a ruthless gangster mob and whose job becomes more and more perilous . But Eddie isn't quite what he seems as he arranges to make contact with Sandy Dawson (Robert Ryan) , who is obviously running some sort of big operation , and his scheme is supported by acquaintance with Mariko (Yamaguchi) , the secret Japanese wife of the dead American . Working with his also undercover liaison , Eddie finds out evidences to incriminate Dawson , but his life is at risk from a mysterious informant who funnels inside information to the hoodlums . CinemaScope brings you the story Tokyo couldn't hide - Washington couldn't hold back! Tokyo Post-War Underworld!
The intriguing premise gets to satisfy completely , as an undercover agent meets a powerful gangster , and later he is invited to join his gang , however, he discovers also that somebody from the precinct is feeding the boss with classified information . This Noir thriller , being a remake to ¨The street with no name¨ (1948) , has breathtaking moments , including an explosive climax at a Tokyo attraction park . ¨House of Bamboo¨ offers all Samuel's key themes and motifs in a characteristic thriller form : dual identities , divided loyalties , unclear motives , violence , betrayal , doubtful identity and racial tensions . Part of it is due to Fuller's former job : War Correspondent , reporting from the front , leaving the spectator to fight out difficulties alongside the roles . Part of it is Fuller , the american tourist , shamelessly reducing Japan to stereotypes , the gorgeous sightseeing providing local colour with its monuments , giant sculptures , noisy streets , among others . This film has got awesome critics , in fact Jean Luc Godard used to think it was Fuller's best film . Main and support cast are frankly excellent . Robert Stack is acceptable as a lone American who inflitrates an extremely dangerous band . Robert Ryan gives a top-notch acting as the neurotic , shadowy mastermind who's building an organization along scientific lines . Support cast is frankly magnificent such as : Cameron Mitchell , Brad Dexter , Sessue Hayakawa , Harry Carey Jr. , Barry Coe , DeForest Kelley , John Doucette , Richard Loo , Robert Quarry , some of them appear uncredited and even Samuel Fuller's cameo .
The movie displays a colorful cinematography in CinemaScope and Technicolor by Joseph MacDonald , adding twisting local colour on his own ends . Cameraman MacDonald and Fuller himself schemed to get the best sightseeing by filming without permits, using hidden cameras to capture the flavor of urban life in Japan during the postwar reconstruction. This was Twentieth Century-Fox's fifth CinemaScope production in a relatively medium/short budget about $1.30 million . Thrilling and stirring musical score by the prolific Leigh Harline . In this picture Samuel Fuller proved his talent of vision and intelligence . Samuel Fuller was the youngest reporter ever to be in charge of the events section of the New York Journal. After having participated in the European battle theater in World War II, he directed some minor action productions for which he mostly wrote the scripts himself and which he also produced . His masterpiece was ¨Pick up on South Street¨ (1953) for 20th Century Fox, but at the end of the 1950s , he regained his independence from the production company and filmed many other movies of note, including the controversial ¨White Dog¨ (1982) . Fuller being especially known as filmmaker of such exploitation films as ¨Shock corridor¨ and ¨The naked kiss¨ . Fuller made various Western as ¨I shot Jesse James(49)¨, ¨The baron of Arizona (50)¨, ¨Run of the arrow¨ (56) , ¨Forty guns(58)¨, and ¨The meanest men in the West (76)¨ , but his most fluid and strongest work lies in his war films as ¨Steel helmet (51)¨ , ¨Fixed bayonets(52)¨, ¨Hell and high water (55)¨, ¨China gate (57)¨ , ¨Merrill's Marauders (62)¨ and ¨The Big Red One (80)¨. Being his best films : ¨Pick up on South Street¨(53) , ¨Underworld Usa¨(60) and ¨White Dog¨(82) . Rating : 7/10 Better than average . Worthwhile watching .
The intriguing premise gets to satisfy completely , as an undercover agent meets a powerful gangster , and later he is invited to join his gang , however, he discovers also that somebody from the precinct is feeding the boss with classified information . This Noir thriller , being a remake to ¨The street with no name¨ (1948) , has breathtaking moments , including an explosive climax at a Tokyo attraction park . ¨House of Bamboo¨ offers all Samuel's key themes and motifs in a characteristic thriller form : dual identities , divided loyalties , unclear motives , violence , betrayal , doubtful identity and racial tensions . Part of it is due to Fuller's former job : War Correspondent , reporting from the front , leaving the spectator to fight out difficulties alongside the roles . Part of it is Fuller , the american tourist , shamelessly reducing Japan to stereotypes , the gorgeous sightseeing providing local colour with its monuments , giant sculptures , noisy streets , among others . This film has got awesome critics , in fact Jean Luc Godard used to think it was Fuller's best film . Main and support cast are frankly excellent . Robert Stack is acceptable as a lone American who inflitrates an extremely dangerous band . Robert Ryan gives a top-notch acting as the neurotic , shadowy mastermind who's building an organization along scientific lines . Support cast is frankly magnificent such as : Cameron Mitchell , Brad Dexter , Sessue Hayakawa , Harry Carey Jr. , Barry Coe , DeForest Kelley , John Doucette , Richard Loo , Robert Quarry , some of them appear uncredited and even Samuel Fuller's cameo .
The movie displays a colorful cinematography in CinemaScope and Technicolor by Joseph MacDonald , adding twisting local colour on his own ends . Cameraman MacDonald and Fuller himself schemed to get the best sightseeing by filming without permits, using hidden cameras to capture the flavor of urban life in Japan during the postwar reconstruction. This was Twentieth Century-Fox's fifth CinemaScope production in a relatively medium/short budget about $1.30 million . Thrilling and stirring musical score by the prolific Leigh Harline . In this picture Samuel Fuller proved his talent of vision and intelligence . Samuel Fuller was the youngest reporter ever to be in charge of the events section of the New York Journal. After having participated in the European battle theater in World War II, he directed some minor action productions for which he mostly wrote the scripts himself and which he also produced . His masterpiece was ¨Pick up on South Street¨ (1953) for 20th Century Fox, but at the end of the 1950s , he regained his independence from the production company and filmed many other movies of note, including the controversial ¨White Dog¨ (1982) . Fuller being especially known as filmmaker of such exploitation films as ¨Shock corridor¨ and ¨The naked kiss¨ . Fuller made various Western as ¨I shot Jesse James(49)¨, ¨The baron of Arizona (50)¨, ¨Run of the arrow¨ (56) , ¨Forty guns(58)¨, and ¨The meanest men in the West (76)¨ , but his most fluid and strongest work lies in his war films as ¨Steel helmet (51)¨ , ¨Fixed bayonets(52)¨, ¨Hell and high water (55)¨, ¨China gate (57)¨ , ¨Merrill's Marauders (62)¨ and ¨The Big Red One (80)¨. Being his best films : ¨Pick up on South Street¨(53) , ¨Underworld Usa¨(60) and ¨White Dog¨(82) . Rating : 7/10 Better than average . Worthwhile watching .