Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageAfraid to Die (1960)
Director: Yasuzo Masumura
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Masumura has a niche alongside Seijun Suzuki as an anomalous figure from the last decade of Japan's studio system. A cosmopolitan intellectual who studied at Rome's Centro Sperimentale, he worked as a studio hack but made the odd gem, usually focusing on resistance to conformity in Japanese society. This proto-generic yakuza thriller is scrappily plotted and lacks drive, although its mise-en-scène is often rather beautiful. The lasting interest is that Daiei Co. put it together as a vehicle for the novelist Mishima, who shows off his pecs in the role of Asahina: a leather-clad hood fresh out of jail torn between finishing the botched job that earned him time and going to ground with his new plaything (Wakao), who luckily doesn't mind getting slapped around. The travails of her labour activist brother (Kawasaki) provide the main subplot. Incidental pleasures include a hitman known as Masa the Asthmatic, and seeing Takashi Shimura (star of Ikiru and other Kurosawa movies) as a tattooed godfather. Nagisa Oshima was Masumura's first critical champion but recanted after seeing this, disgusted by the indulgence of Mishima's macho fantasies.Author: TR
Cast & crew
Director: Yasuzo Masumura
Producer: Masaichi Nagata
Cast: Yukio Mishima, Ayako Wakao, Eiji Funakoshi, Keizo Kawasaki, Takashi Shimura, Jun Neagari, Yoshie Mizutani full cast
Genre(s): Thrillers
Duration: 97 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
London Children's Film Festival
Read our exclusive reviews of films playing at the 2009 London Children’s Film Festival
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Michael Haneke discusses 'The White Ribbon'
Dave Calhoun met with Michael Haneke in Munich to mull over the details of his Palme d'Or winner, 'The White Ribbon'
Ten inspirations behind 'Avatar'?
Time Out ponders the influences behind James Cameron's anticipated space-opera on the basis of the trailer
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now