THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (1978) aka Mottomo Kiken Na Yuugi

Mottomo Kiken Na Yuugi, The Most Dangerous Game (1978)
Directed by: Tôru Murakawa
Written by: Hideichi Nagahara
Starring: Asao Uchida, Bontarô Miake, Daigo Kusano, Ichirô Araki, Keiko Tasaka, Yûsaku Matsuda

THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (1978)
aka MOTTOMO KIKEN NA YUUGI
Directed by Tôru Murakawa
Japanese Language with English Subtitles
Released as part of GAME TRILOGY by Arrow Video

A spate of kidnappings of those in the financial industry rocks the city, especially when a hostage is murdered as a result. When Nobutaka Nanjo, one of the heads of Tonichi Electronics, is the latest to be kidnapped, his business partner Hyoe Kohinta hires an assassin by the name of Shohei Narumi to take out those responsible and rescue Nanjo single-handedly. With big money on the table, finding those responsible and serving them a slice of justice may not be as straightforward as it first seems.

Japanese crime thriller Mottomo Kiken Na Yuugi, known in English-speaking territories as THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME, isn’t your run-of-the-mill assassin thriller. For starters, our anti-hero Narumi, played by the charismatic Yûsaku Matsuda, isn’t what you’d usually expect for a trained killer. He’s a slouch, first seen losing a lot of money during games of mahjong with some associates. After he loses game after game and accuses the rest of them as cheaters, he gets beat up as a result and is forced to flee from the building. He appears anything but professional with his gambling problems and rock n roll visage of shoulder-length long hair and aviator sunglasses, but this is what brings the charm as well as his comedic attitude. He may not look the part on the surface, but, when push comes to shove, Narumi is handy with a gun and can take of himself in close quarter combat. He knows how to lure his opponents, knowing that every mobster prides himself on not being humiliated, so what better way to get one over on them than by accosting their mistresses. After all, a lot can be gleaned from sexual partners.

With a 50 million reward assured, Narumi is tasked with taking out Seishiro Adachi and his right-hand man Tadashi Igo, who Hyoe Kohintya and Dobashi from Tonichi Electronics suspect are behind the kidnappings. They believe the kidnappers are acting on behalf of Godai Conglomerate, a rival firm who were bidding for a Government air defence contract against Tonichi Electronics that was worth a fortune. So far, only one person has been killed by the kidnappers, one of the heads of Tonichi Electronics, and now that a second one has been taken hostage, they believe he may be killed too. Kohintya suspects the kidnapping of all the other people taken hostage over the weeks is merely a cover so that the entire board of Tonichi Electronics can be wiped out, leaving Godai Conglomerate to secure the air defence contract. With so much at stake, Narumi knows that trying to rescue Nanjo from the clutches of these hardened mobsters will be no mean feat.

Accentuated with a jazz and synth score, the film gives off film noir vibes as Narumi sneaks through darkened corridors taking out his opposition. The moody tone shifts, however, when we see him frolicking with naked ladies. Though these scenes are injected with humour, Narumi isn’t a likeable character where women are concerned. He smacks them about, forces himself on them, and even goes to the lengths of dangling one half naked off a balcony! Most women would be turned off from someone like this, but, as we see in the film, others clearly go with whoever they feel holds the most power and protection in the moment. Self preservation, if you will.

THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME is a quick tempo film and doesn’t waste much time in moving the story along. As a result, the hit jobs don’t feel as threatening as they should and feel a little rushed. With some of the action in the shadows, I also found it hard to see what was going on at times. Fortunately, this only affects the movie in a minor way with core of the screenplay geared towards the plot.

The driving force of the story is focused on lead character Narumi and is mostly told from his perspective as he tries to put together the pieces laid out in front of him. He’s no stranger to gambling debts and needs money, so the assassination job comes in at the right time for him. Just why Tonichi Electronics chose him in particular is never answered, but from what we see in Narumi’s apartment, as he equips himself with weapons and a holster, it’s not his first rodeo. I enjoyed how they made his character vulnerable, for he’s not without sustaining attacks himself. As far as assassins go, he’s no John Wick. We don’t know much about his history, but he seems proficient enough with a weapon and has the spatial awareness to perform against multiple attackers, which appears to be enough to get him by relatively unscathed. However, it’s his mind which is his most impressive weapon as he seems to be one step ahead of them in certain situations, and has a great way at knowing how his opponents think.

Though it embraces serious tones throughout the film, THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to its story. It entertains in its fun and relaxed attitude and doesn’t seem to take itself too seriously with its comic-book style, anti-hero assassin, and the inclusion of naked ladies here and there, be it in the flesh or from the titillating pin up poster in Narumi’s apartment. Yûsaku Matsuda gives a rich performance as the flawed assassin, and it is he who carries the bulk of the movie whilst the cunning plot coils around him.

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The Arrow Video GAME TRILOGY set features THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME with a selection of extras, including a 20 minute interview with director Tôru Murakawa who shares his experience of Western cinema, and the thoughts, ideas and process behind making THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME. He talks about various aspects of the movie, such as the music, as well as how lead star Yûsaku Matsuda approached the film. Other special features include the official theatrical trailer, 16-still image gallery, and an audio commentary with author and Temple of Shlock editor Chris Poggiali, and film producer and former film programmer for Asian film festival, Marc Walkow, who provide great insight and background into the film, production and its star.