Red Peony Gambler I - III

Produced during the heyday of ninkyo eiga (chivalrous yakuza films), the seminal Red Peony Gambler series has had a lasting influence on cult cinema. The illustrious Junko Fuji stars as the beautiful and badass Oryu, the eponymous and benevolent female gambler who uses her incredible might for right. In the series’ premiere she rambles into town searching for her father’s killer with a wallet left at the crime scene as her only clue. At a card game she meets a kindred spirit, the noble and handsome yakuza Katagiri (Ken Takakura) and soon they are a force to be reckoned with. Part 2 finds Oryu under the arm of the kind gang boss of a silk farming town. When ruthless loan sharks encroach and their treachery leads to murder, it is Oryu’s sworn duty to exact justice. Maestro of Japanese cinema Tai Kato simultaneously satiates and transcends genre tropes in his masterful direction of the celebrated third film in the series. From its classically melodramatic opening set piece involving an oncoming train, the stage is set for a visually rich tale of good versus evil.