NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Freaktana A Major Disappointment

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Ortiz Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

st-shot Stealing scenes on Main St. in LA and set decorating with things from home Sam Fuller puts together a mildly suspenseful thriller involving a stripper, tai kwon doe and the underlying theme of racial bias in The Crimson Kimona. The acting is a touch wooden but the dynamic between detectives played by Glenn Corbett and James Shigeta is filled with unexpected twists and questions about perception that Fuller blends firmly into the mix.Stripper Sugar Torch is gunned down in uniform on the streets of LA by an unknown assailant. Detective team Charlie Bancroft and Joe Kojaqu are assigned to the case with both falling for Christine (Joanna Shaw) an artist involved in the investigation and also a target. As the case proceeds a rift between Bancroft and Kojagu over Christine with inferences of bigotry takes center stage. Kimono has Fuller's usual threadbare set and design look (supplemented by some nifty camera movement) where all expenses are spared but it is his his pulpish sensibility and provocative script addressing the spectra of inherent racism in society then coupling it to the solving of the murder to bring about its denouement that keeps the film taut most of the way.

Spikeopath The Crimson Kimono is written, produced and directed by Samuel Fuller. It stars Glenn Corbett, James Shigeta, Victoria Shaw & Anna Lee. Cinematographer is Sam Leavitt and the music is by Harry Sukman. Plot is about two L.A. cops, Joe Kojaku (Shigeta) & Charlie Bancroft (Corbett), deep friends of a different race, bonded by blood who met during the Korean War. When stripper Sugar Torch (Gloria Pall) is shot and killed, the two men's investigation sees them follow a painting to the artist who painted it, Christine Downes (Shaw). It's the start of a love triangle that could have far reaching consequences for not only the investigation, but also Joe, Charlie & Christine.1959 saw the release of Douglas Sirk's Imitation of Life, a much talked about movie, that whilst splitting the critics down the middle, was none the less the fourth biggest earner at the box office that year. Sirk's film, amongst other things, had a racially charged thread in it that gave it some added potency. The Crimson Kimono also had a racially charged thread running thru it, but Samuel Fuller's film, it seems, slipped under the radar. Now of course in the modern era of film, Sam Fuller is often name checked by the likes Scorsese & Tarantino as being an influence, while the French New Wavers were quick to laud him as a stylistic influence too. The Crimson Kimono is far from being Fuller's best work, but it is unmistakably a Fuller movie, and one that is a must see for those of a noir/hard-boiled persuasion.Fuller has managed to put a murder mystery at the core of his film and wrap around it a tale of inter-racial tolerance, jealousy and sexual confusion: set deliciously to the backdrops of an urban part of L.A. and the more cosmopolitan Little Tokyo. As he weaves his vision together, never once hitting the viewer over the head with its messages, Fuller neatly plays around with his camera. Up close and personal to his actors, sweeping alongside for walk sequences and scatter-gun shooting for his action scenes (a Kendo fight is an action high point). It's thoughtful film making, the camera puts us in with the story and no scene is wasted, it's all relative, particularly as tensions start to rise between the two best friends and the case starts to unfold.The principal actors are not big names, but all are very credible, and the lack of star power actually benefits the piece by keeping the narrative grounded. While the supporting Anna Lee (How Green Was My Valley) as an alcoholic mother figure type is a joy to watch. Sam Leavitt's (Anatomy of a Murder/The Defiant Ones) photography has it just right, the black & white has a stark look for the street exteriors and the interior focus has that hue of character importance about it. Harry Sukman's music is also worthy of mentioning, blending jazzy beats with oriental flavors, it's well in keeping with the nature of the story.Although there's no cop out in the finale, in fact it's an important and affecting finish as regards the characters, the murder mystery angle close down is a little unfulfilling in context to the mood that has overall been built up. But it's no deal breaker and doesn't detract from what a very good movie The Crimson Kimono is. 8/10

Michael_Elliott Crimson Kimono, The (1959) *** (out of 4) Extremely impressive drama about two detectives, one American (Glenn Corbett) and the other Japanese (James Shigeta), who start an investigation to a stripper's death but the only lead happens to be a woman (Victoria Shaw) who painted a portrait of the dead woman. After an attempt on her life she moves in with the two detectives and sure enough both fall in love with her, which complicates solving the case as well as their friendship. When you go into a film like this you expect the typical Fuller touches including the realism and of course the style that's pretty much 100% Fuller. What really caught me off guard was how well the director handled the race issues as well as the love triangle going on. There's no doubt that the first half of this movie is a mystery but the second half really takes on a life of its own and in the end this is an impressive little gem that manages to tackle quite a bit in its short 80-minute running time. I think the key to both portions of the film is the performance by Shaw who is downright marvelous in her role. I was really shocked to see how few films she made in her career but her performance here is very impressive and certainly one hard to forget. I thought every second of her time on the screen was perfect as she managed to be very good in the parts where she's the object of love but also during the scenes where she's pretty much just a lonely painter who gets caught up in this murder. Shaw was so perfect that you have no problem believing that these two men would both fall for her. Corbett and Shigeta are both terrific in their roles as well but it's Shigeta that really stands out. A large portion of the film deals with the different cultures and I thought Shigeta did a wonderful job showing the drama in his life that was causing him to "not know who he is." The scene where he pretty much breaks down and confesses what he thought his partner meant in terms to a racial gesture was perfectly handled. The murder investigation was a pretty good one and we get some classic Fuller touches in the dark streets where there's something appearing around every corner. The early investigation was quite fun to watch, although I'm not too sure how good the actual pay-off is, although it does perfectly sum up the racial ideas in the film. THE CRIMSON KIMONO is best known for its mystery and use of karate but I think its message about race, culture and love is its greatest strengths.

dougdoepke Slickly done 90 minutes from self-described "primitive" Sam Fuller. A few trademark blaring close-ups do appear, but otherwise it's a surprisingly restrained technique from one of that era's quirkier film-makers. Racial themes predominate in many of Fuller's works but this one may be his most explicit. The murder case functions mainly as a hat on which to hang the racial triangle. Cutting edge at the time, I suspect the film has since lost impact because of loosening racial barriers. Nonetheless, when Shigeta engages Shaw in an erotic lip-lock, we know WWII is definitely over.The cast is excellent, particularly Shigeta and Corbett whose buddy scenes are both natural and rather touching. The beauteous Shaw also plays well as the conflicted white woman, along with Barbara Hayden in a nicely turned role as the uncooperative young mother. However, Anna Lee as the alcohol swilling artist strikes me as a misfire, much too contrived and obvious. The film benefits greatly from the location photography, highlighting an LA downtown usually bypassed by glamor-drenched Hollywood.In dealing with the racial theme, the movie brings up an interesting angle. Namely, how to distinguish a normal human emotion from a culturally based racial prejudice. Shigeta interprets Corbett's jealous reaction as an act of prejudice rather than a normal jealous response to Shaw's preference for the Nisei over the white man. There's an interesting ambiguity here, worthy of deeper development, even though the script deals earnestly with the question.Fuller injects considerable local color into the proceedings, including an exotic Kendo competition with traditional ritual and the annual Little Tokyo parade that serves as an interesting backdrop. Fuller at his most typical, however, occurs early on when half-dressed stripper Sugar Torch flees down the street of LA's skid row, dodging shabby pedestrians, but ultimately to no avail. It's a luridly compelling few minutes. Still and all, the movie lacks the film-maker's customary tightness, meandering too much to produce the kind of impact that I expect he hoped for. Nonetheless, that ambiguity between emotion and prejudice remains as relevant now as it was then.