Gamblers & Drifters

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As the Cold War intensified in the mid-1960s, a fictional secret agent captured audiences’ imagination across the world: MI6 agent 007, aka… James Bond. The success of Bond film adaptations such as Dr. No (1962) and Goldfinger (1964) sparked an international craze for spy films and TV series, all featuring suave protagonists and their trademark improbable gadgets, dangerous missions, and swanky casinos. In Japan, one studio found itself particularly well-placed to answer the demand for these films – action with an international flair, charismatic actors, modern glitz and mystery? Someone did all that before it was cool: Nikkatsu.

Nikkatsu’s star system started in earnest with the creation of the ‘Diamond Line’ (or Diamond Guys) in February 1960¹ – a line-up of the studio’s most profitable and popular actors including Kobayashi Akira, Shishido Jō, and Ishihara Yujiro, amongst others². By 1965, Kobayashi had transitioned from playing youthful guitar-wielding drifters to portraying stylish detectives and gamblers, only one step removed from the emerging spy genre protagonists. Over the next two years, Kobayashi would become Nikkatsu’s Bond-next-door, specialising in self-assured, worldly action heroes – sometimes on Interpol’s payroll, often between planes to exotic destinations, and always with a gadget or two in their back pocket.

Here are five of these films to enjoy, all presenting a different take on the spy formula – see individual Spy Scale charts for details!

• BASTARDS WITHOUT BORDERS (1965)
• THE DRAGON OF MACAO (1965)
• THE BLACK GAMBLER: LEFT HAND OF THE DEVIL (1966)
• BLACK TIGHT KILLERS (1966)
• THREE SECONDS BEFORE EXPLOSION (1967)

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SPY-O-METER

In 1965, Nikkatsu and Kobayashi went full 007 – sorry, Zéro Zéro Cinq (005) – for Bastards Without Borders (1965), the most faithful Bond homage… with a Nikkatsu twist.

After a Japanese gangster is found dead in Thailand with counterfeit dollars, Interpol agent Henmi Shinzuke (Kobayashi Akira), aka 005, must leave France and travel back to Japan to investigate. While diligently seducing every woman he meets, Henmi discovers that several of his acquaintances have links to a shady organisation involved in the crimes. Aided by numerous fancy gadgets, as well as Ken (Suzuki Yasushi), a follower picked up along the way³, Henmi must unravel the secrets behind the organisation and bring their leaders to justice.

Bastards Without Borders follows Bond codes to the letter: international locales (often using stills rather than locations), car chases, logic-defying gadgets, the womanising of allies and enemies alike, spy codes and tricks, silly humour and one-liners, and plenty of action scenes showing the hero swinging from chandeliers or escaping deadly confines with seconds to spare. But perhaps the most fun Nikkatsu twist to the formula is the Francophile 005, loving his Parisian life and never missing an opportunity to speak French (as well as English, when the occasion requires), going as far as accidentally addressing his audience in French before a breezy “Oh, pardon !”. Props to the translator and to Kobayashi for delivering the lines so naturally. Salut !

As with other Nikkatsu films of this era, Bastards Without Borders (1965) was remade by the Hong Kong Shaw Brothers studio under the name Interpol 009 (1967). The remake director is none other than… Nakahira Kō!

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SPY-O-METER

Released only one month after Bastards Without Borders (1965), The Dragon of Macao (1965) dips back into Nikkatsu’s noir roots to create a much more nuanced and serious take on the spy genre, while maintaining the usual Nikkatsu action and international touch (surfaced mostly through the protagonist’s murky background and fluency in English and Chinese). Setting aside the genre’s traditional womanising, one-liners, and gadgets (Big Lighter™ and fake exploding briefcase aside), the film focuses on diamond smuggling and domestic gangsters, with a touch of violence and even torture lending the film a much grittier edge.

A mysterious man (Kobayashi Akira) arrives in Yokohama with a briefcase full of dollars, and demands to buy the Himalayan Star diamond. After getting into a scuffle, the man identifies himself as Eisho Ryū from Macao (note: a wordplay on the meaning of Ryū / dragon), and immediately attracts the attention of the nefarious Pirate King of Tokyo Bay (Shishido Jō) – who just stole the diamond for himself. The two engage in a game of cat and mouse in which alliances are tested and double identities revealed to dramatic and disastrous effects.

With its crisp cinematography (giving an interesting glimpse into old dockland Yokohama) and use of creamy black & white, Dragon of Macao is a well-paced and elegant film, making full use of its jazzy soundtrack and smoky face-offs to imbue the film with a touch of continental melancholy. Bonus points for the final showdown, a clever chase through a warehouse with all the twists and turns you expect – and more. Class act.

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SPY-O-METER

In 1966, Nakahira Kō returned to the Black Gambler series with The Black Gambler: Left Hand of the Devil (1966). Perhaps inspired by the light-hearted Bastards Without Borders (1965), Nakahira discards the serious tone of his previous Black Gambler entry to make this gambling action comedy – complete with epic evil lairs, speedboat chases, and sneaky deadly weapons that fit right into the broader spy genre.

The far away country of Pandora sends three prodigy gamblers to Japan to take over the underworld, under the watchful eye of the ruthless Professor (Nitani Hideaki). They soon cross paths with returning hero Himuro Koji (Kobayashi Akira), who catches the attention of a Pandoran heiress – and of the Professor, determined to defeat him. But Himuro is no easy prey when it comes to assassination attempts and gambling games, and their struggle soon triggers explosive consequences that will take numerous lives and irrevocably change the fate of Pandora.

Nakahira’s relentless pace is at its best here in this carousel of tricksy card games, slapstick action scenes, and tense face-offs – beautifully framed and shot, and with plenty of ingenious details to take in. Kobayashi (sporting some wonderful burgundy & sparkling silver suits) returns as a charming rogue, able to leverage his comedic skills to great effect throughout the film. Meanwhile, bad guy Nitani and his goons are delightful as the cartoon comedy villains, evil laughs and unhinged monomaniac episodes included. Stylish, fun, and with just the right balance of action, tragedy and comedy, Black Gambler: Left Hand of the Devil is an excellent Nikkatsu vintage!

Interested in the pinball arcade depicted in the beginning of the film? Read more about it and the games it contains in this informative blog post: https://pinballnovice.blogspot.com/2021/11/exploring-arcade-in-aka-kuroi-tobakushi.html

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SPY-O-METER

Nikkatsu was looking for material for its next action piece when they hit the jackpot: ‘Triple Exposure’, a 1964 spy thriller novel by Tsuzuki Michio featuring an usual plot, a charismatic protagonist, and plenty of international elements – the perfect mix for a Nikkatsu Borderless Action film.

The reworked story introduces us to Hondo Daisuke (Kobayashi Akira), an English-speaking devil-may-care war photographer who falls for stewardess Sawanouchi Yoriko (Matsubara Chieko) on a plane back to Japan. Their first date is cut short when Yoriko is stalked by suspicious foreign men, and later kidnapped by a murderous ninja group dubbed ‘The Black Tight Killers’. Who are these factions who want Yoriko so badly, and why?

In Black Tight Killers, Hasebe channels mentors Suzuki’s colourful theatrics and Okamoto’s dark humour to create a vibrant pop gem, with stunning visuals and incredibly detailed sets that make Bond films look tame. Kobayashi lives up to his Dynamito Guy nickname by jumping on anyone or anything standing in his way with usual gusto, in between escaping increasingly creative attacks from enemies of all sides. On the opposite side, the charismatic Black Tight Killers eventually help reveal the real bad guys, and the story soon takes on a darker turn with hints of war crimes and cruelty. With this action-packed feast for the eyes, prepare to be thoroughly entertained – and remember never to rely on Hondo for protection!

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SPY-O-METER

By 1967, Nikkatsu’s fortunes were beginning to wane, as demonstrated by the chaos generated around their iconic 1967 release Branded to Kill. One year after the success of Black Tight Killers (1966)⁴ and in dire need of new films and more income, Nikkatsu gave the spy genre one more try with Three Seconds Before Explosion (1967) – with mixed results.

For more context on Branded to Kill (1967)’s fortunes – or lackthereof, check out: 5 Films to Explore Suzuki Seijun -> Branded to Kill (1967)

Meet Yabuki (Kobayashi Akira), a spy undergoing brutal training and whose next mission is to recover jewels about to fall out of official ownership. Yabuki, moulded into a ruthless and efficient spy, is stopped in his tracks by the one obstacle he didn’t expect: Yamawaki (Takahashi Hideki), a former spy friend whom he must now oppose to fulfil his mission. Torn between his professional conscience and the human drama unfolding around him, Yabuki infiltrates the enemy syndicate to bring a brutal conclusion to his mission, and to the jewels’ fate.

Based on a frankly nonsensical plot (international law specialists do not interact), Three Seconds Before Explosion is carried by the numerous set pieces and stunts performed by the ever-bouncy Kobayashi, and by the will they/won’t they rivalry between the old spy friends. But stripping away the humour, glamour, and clever plot twists seen in previous Nikkatsu spy films does not leave much for Three Seconds to Explosion to do right. By 1967, the spy genre was well trodden and in need of a boost of imagination that Nikkatsu found itself unable to conjure here, and the film is a clear step back (and last step) for the Nikkatsu spy genre. While not a highlight in Kobayashi’s career or Nikkatsu’s catalogue, Three Seconds Before Explosion is an interesting insight into the studio’s gradual decline and over-reliance on winning formulas, which would further precipitate the studio’s bad fortunes four years later.

Thankfully, Nikkatsu has also left behind many gems to enjoy – with or without an ice cold Martini!

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1. Shilling, Mark. No Borders No Limits: Nikkatsu Action Cinema. Fab Press, 2007. p. 17. ↩︎
2. In February 1960, the Diamond Line consisted of Ishihara Yujiro, Kobayashi Akira, Akagi Keiichiro, and Kōji Wada. After Akagi’s tragic death in 1961, Shishido Jō would be added to the line-up, updated to ‘New Diamond Line’. ↩︎
3. Amusingly, Ken calls Henmi ‘aniki’, a word often used in the Yakuza world to address a (usually senior/respected) brother. A smiliar in-joke appears in many films, including Kobayashi’s Tokyo Mighty Guy (1960) – to his character’s visible embarrassment. ↩︎
4. Nikkatsu considered the film a great success – as reported by: Hasebe, Yasuharu. Interview. Conducted by Chris D. for “Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film”, I.B. Taurus, 2005. p. 132 ↩︎

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