Silent . Black and White . 100 minutes

Shochiku Kamata Studio

Written By
Yasujiro Ozu ('James Maki')
Ikeda Tadao

Cinematography
Atsuta Yuharu

Cast
Tanaka Kinuyo (Tokiko)
Oka Joji (Jyoji)
Mizukubo Sumiko (Kazuko)
Mitsui Hideo (Hiroshi)
Oushi Yumeko (Misako)
Takayama Yoshio (Senko)
Kaga Koji (Misawa)
Nanjo Yasuo (Okazaki, the President's Son)
Ry Chishu (Policeman)

Synopsis
Tokiko leads a double-life as an office typist and the mistress of a retired champion boxer and small-time ringleader named Jyoji. Hiroshi, a new recruit to the gang, hero worships Jyoji and neglects his studies. Hiroshi's sister Kazuko begs Jyoji to spare her brother from their shady dealings, but inadvertently casts a spell on Jyoji. After several reversals, Jyoji returns to Tokiko's arms. They decide to come clean, but not before pulling one last job to help Hiroshi and Kazuko.

Thoughts from Ozu
Another work with a yakuza theme since Walk Cheerfully. It's a melodrama.

Personal Thoughts and Comments
Dragnet Girl is a rare look at a more stylistic filmmaker at least in terms of the flashy methods he went about his techniques. Ozu has said he barely remembers ever making the film, but you get the sense that the entire cast and crew had a blast making it. This is Ozu's third and last film in the gangster genre (Walk Cheerfully and That Night's Wife being the others), and the influence of his love for old Hollywood films are very evident in style and substance. While Dragnet Girl may not be the most complex or definitive work of Ozu's remarkable career, it does mark a rare glimpse at his early Hollywood influences as well as his own roots that would develop into a master (certainly his use of visual objects as a form of emotional expression is evident here). As a genre film, Dragnet Girl is incredibly thrilling. It is unfortunate the musical score of the film has been lost as a jazzy score could certainly flow within the cool tone and atmosphere of the films nightclub/pool room/boxing gym. Cool is really a great word to describe this film and most specifically the lead performance by the great Kinuyo Tanaka. She is terrific here as the tough moll with a strong heart and moral character. Tanaka starred in several of Ozu's early silent films, but she became most remembered for her many collaborations with Kenji Mizoguchi, before she became the first woman director in Japanese cinema. Dragnet Girl is stylish and pulp filmmaking at it's best. While Ozu would go on to make more significant work in both the sound and silent eras, Dragnet Girl remains irresistibly inviting. Loaded with sweeping style (tracking shots, expressionistic lighting) Dragnet Girl is an effective mix of suspense, comedy, and melodrama within the conventions of a genre film. It is fun because this is a rare look at Ozu in an uncharacteristically "busy" mode of filmmaking, yet the perfect rhythm, master control of visual storytelling, and trademark visual motifs still make Dragnet Girl notably Ozu. Not his greatest silent work, but this is definitely a great one.