Japan, its culture and heritage have always been a source of fascination for Hollywood. The Yakuza is a thriller that plays upon the fact that the West at the time was still broadly ignorant of life in post war Japan. As a result, it makes an excellent setting for a story of revenge and honour with its vivid landscape and contrasting culture. This character driven movie encompasses all the best aspects of a mature Hollywood. There are many who consider the period between 1964 – 1976 to be a golden age of American film making. It’s an idea that I find myself hard pressed to argue with as The Yakuza is a prime example of quality film making from that era.