The Flower and the Angry Waves

Seijun Suzuki directed this great-looking adventure set in early 1900s Tokyo. Akira Kobayashi stars as a coal-miner who leads a rebellion against a nasty tyrant. Tamio Kawaji stands out in a flamboyantly villainous turn in a cast including Chieko Matsubara and Osamu Takizawa. The impressive set design by Itsuo Kimura and above-average production values make this one of the more enjoyable films to come out of Nikkatsu Studios at the time, even if Suzuki's normally distinctive style seems somewhat muted by the traditional storyline.