The Valiant Red Peony

This movie is very similar to a previous film made 3 years earlier called "The Cat Gambler" in which a young woman is seeking revenge among certain Yakuza gangs for the murder of her father. However, unlike the previous one this particular young woman named "Ryuko Yano" (Sumiko Fuji) is the daughter of a Yakuza boss and as a result doesn't need a mentor to help her navigate the dangerous world of the Yakuza. She is, however, quite skilled in the art of gambling with both dice and cards and uses that knowledge to her advantage. The problem is that she doesn't know the identity of the man who murdered her father and as a result she is at a huge disadvantage because of it. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was an interesting film which benefited from good performances by both Ken Takamura (as "Naoki Yatagiri") and the aforementioned Sumiko Fuji. Admittedly, the film leans very heavily upon Yakuza tradition and for that reason it may be difficult for some viewers to fully appreciate all of the subtleties but in any case I enjoyed this film and I have rated it accordingly. Above average.