Hanada (Joe Shishido) is the #3 Killer in Japan, a ruthless gunman hired to take out individuals with no questions asked. His cool demeanour is shaken when he meets the stunning femme-fatale Misako (Annu Mari) and he finds himself in the crosshairs of a shadowy organization involving the legendary #1 Killer. With kinetic action sequences and stylish direction, “Branded to Kill” captures an effortless cool, shifting gears from tense, emotional drama to violent shootouts and sensuous romance. The jazz score reflects this jaunty, off-beat, occasionally unpredictable tone.
“Branded to Kill” is a sleek thriller that wastes little time on exposition. We discover that Hanada is the #3 Killer through his conversation with a man charged with driving him and a client to Nagano, under Hanada’s protection. This ranking of the top 10 hitmen in the country is never fully explained, but adds and element of intrigue about both Hanada’s past and the oft-referenced, ghost-like, occupant of the numeber one position. Joe Shishido is stylishly stoic as the outsider, living on the fringes of society due to his job he spends the majority of his free-time either in bed with his wife or drinking. His relationship with Misako, built on lust for the dangerous beauty, is unbelievable but fascinating, the two drawn together by their closeness to death, reflecting the sex and death drives of humanity in their torrid affair.
Suzuki’s film is a straightforward action film on the surface, expending little energy in its sparse plot, which is largely immaterial. Instead we are treated to a viceral exploration of the human condition: lust, paranoia, anger, ego, and betrayal. Hanada’s calm exterior disguises a man who is in emotional turmoil. Likewise, Misako’s morbid fascination with dead butterflies and birds suggests a devastating awareness of the proximity and inevitability of death. Suzuki uses visual artistry, the pouring rain that lashes down on Misako, the final confrontation in a boxing ring, to draw out these deeper themes of human passion and weakness, and the inescapable fight for survival. Worth a watch for fans of noir thrillers, with fun action sequences and superb direction making for a fantastic experience.
