MINBO—OR THE GENTLE ART OF JAPANESE EXTORTION Movie Review

Minbo No Onna
The Gangster's Moll
The Anti-Extortion Woman

The Japanese mobsters known as yakuza are known for shakedowns and general intimidation of businesses. In Juzo Itami's 1992 Minbo—or the Gentle Art of Japanese Extortion, a group of obnoxious, ill-mannered yakuza enjoy congregating at a plush hotel, much to the detriment of business and much to the consternation of the management. Finally, the hotel bosses decide to hire a specialist they've heard of—a tough, hardball-playing female lawyer (Nobuko Miyamoto) who's become an expert at the new cottage industry of driving out yakuza. Miyamoto (Mrs. Itami) is completely captivating as the industrious yakuzo-chaser; her schemes are often hilarious, and though it's clear from the start that the criminals have met their match, they won't go easily. Miyamoto became a specialist of sorts herself, playing a similar role here to that of the irrepressible tax collector in Itami's A Taxing Woman. Japan loves her too, and they made Minbo a smash hit at home. The yakuza weren't as pleased, however—they didn't like being made fun of, and consequently attacked Itami after the film's release, sending him to the hospital with multiple stab wounds. He recovered, but tragically fell victim to suicide in 1997.

NEXT STOP … A Taxing Woman, A Taxing Woman's Return, Tampopo

1992 123m/C IP Nobuko Miyamoto, Akira Takarada, Takehiro Murata, Yasuo Daichi, Hideji Otaki; D: Juzo Itami; W: Juzo Itami; C: Yonezo Maeda; M: Toshiyuki Honda. VHS HMV