Aa Bakudan
1964 / 95m - Japan
Comedy, Musical
3.0*/5.0*
Oh Bomb poster

Watches

May 03, 2021

3.0*/5.0*

A high-energy comedy with strong musical and theatrical influences. It's very different from the other Okamoto films I've seen so far, it also made me realize I haven't seen too many overt classic Japanese comedies yet. Clearly I've been missing out, as this is way better than his more serious efforts.

After serving time in jail, Ona (an oldskool Yakuza boss) is finally allowed to rejoin society. The world has changed while he was away, nobody cared to inform Ona though. When he returns to his former gang, he discovers it was turned into a company, with no more room for him there.

The plot isn't too exciting, Okamoto's directorial interventions are. The way he plays with different styles and influences, alternates between different forms of comedy and keeps on reinventing his own film is simply wonderful. I didn't really care for the bland black and white cinematography, Yûnosuke Itô is a bit much and not everything works equally well, but Oh Bomb is definitely worth seeking out if you love a director who dares to take a risk.