House of Bamboo | | Cast : | Robert Ryan, Robert Stack | | Director : | Samuel Fuller | | Studio : | Fox Home Entertainme | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | July 01, 1955 | | DVD Released Date : | June 07, 2005 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Spanish (Dubbed) | | Audience Rating : | NR (Not Rated) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | August 01, 2005 | | Summary | Ginza Showdown | Content
 | Shot on location, adapted and directed by Sam Fuller, "House of Bamboo", is a terrific film from the 50's. Robert Stack is the lead and he's wooden, as always but, Robert Ryan more then makes up for it portraying a calculating mob boss who likes to run his outfit the way he learned in the U.S. Army, a principaled ,unprincipled murderer and thief. Great shots of Japan and a compelling narrative. A very good film transfer, done by Fox, make this a worthwhile purchase for fans of mid century crime tales. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 30, 2005 | | Summary | Robert Ryan is Magnificent! | Content
| If you are a fan of crime drama, this one is must-have for your collection. The film has great acting, a perfect setting in post-war Tokyo, and can truly claim to have an all-star cast (with Robert Ryan in one of his best roles). Also a major plus is the commentary track, which provides valuable insights into the screenplay and making of the movie. House of Bamboo is also one of the rare film noir releases to be made in color during the classic years of the genre (1941-1958). Even after several viewings, there are small nuances that one notices for the first fime. A Samuel Fuller masterpiece not to be missed. |
| Rating | | | Date | July 08, 2005 | | Summary | Not Sam Fuller's best work | Content
| Because this was an early widescreen CinemaScope film, Sam Fuller included a lot of wide shots to show off his location, Japan, and also take advantage of the new format. But he should have used more close shots. You'll find that it's tougher to engage with a film shot like this, and it has far less emotional impact. Another problem is Robert Stack -- he can't really act and is not enjoyable to watch. Robert Ryan is excellent, however, as he usually is and well worth watching. But, overall, the film is less than satisfying. It probably intrigued audiences when first released, but it doesn't hold up today. Buy it only if you're a big Robert Ryan fan. It's not by a long shot Sam Fuller's best work. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 15, 2005 | | Summary | Flawed, But With An Excellent Robert Ryan Performance | Content
| I was expecting a lot more from this movie than I got. On one level it's a fairly taut crime drama that takes place in Tokyo in the mid-Fifties. On the other hand, it has a lot of tough guy cliche dialogue and a performance by Robert Stack that is just not good. The story line is simple, but look out for spoilers ahead.
Sandy Dawson (Robert Ryan) heads up a gang of ex-servicemen in Tokyo who pull off robberies with military precision and complete ruthlessness. If anyone gets wounded, he's killed right then. The U.S. Army and the Japanese police join forces to crack the gang. They send in a ringer, Eddie Spanier (Robert Stack), to infiltrate the gang. Spanier is a false identity; he's actually an Army crime investigator. What follows is the story of Dawson's operation and how it works, and of Spanier gradually gaining Dawson's trust. The climax pits the two against against each other when Dawson at last learns of Spanier's real job.
The movie was shot in Tokyo and looks great. Anyone who has spent time there will recognize a number of locations. (One false note is when Samuel Fuller cuts to a scene that was actually filmed in Kamakura at the Great Buddha and at the Hachiman shrine.) Robert Ryan and, in a smaller role, Cameron Mitchell as Griff, his second in command, do first-rate jobs, especially Ryan. Sandy Dawson is a dangerous man, superficially polite and solicitous, but not far below the surface is a big ego, a streak of cruelty and what could be a hint of homoerotic feelings for Spanier. This isn't stressed, but it explains Dawson's actions concerning Spanier, and his intensity when he finds he has been betrayed. Dawson is also just a bit off. His last dialogue with a silent Griff is not that of a man who is in total command of his marbles. Ryan dominates the movie. Unfortunately, the movie is about the efforts to catch Ryan's character, and these efforts center on Robert Stack's character. Stack just isn't a good enough actor. Sam Fuller evidently wanted Stack to play Eddie Spanier like a real tough guy, but Stack can't carry it off. He "acts" like a tough guy would walk and move. He "acts" the way a tough guy would speak and sound. It's phony from the first sentence out of Stack's mouth, and it undercuts the effectiveness of the story.
The romance scenes between Stack and Shirley Yamaguchi seem stilted and almost unnecessary, but Fuller pumps up the tension on the action sequences. The train robbery, the robbery at the cement factory and the set up for the robbery of the bank bus are well handled. And the showdown between Dawson and Spanier, with the Tokyo police, at a children's fun park high on top of a business building is great. On balance, however, House of Bamboo's strong points seem to me to be a nice performance by Robert Ryan and some great scenery. The DVD picture is first rate. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 19, 2005 | | Summary | One of the best Hollywood films ever made in Japan. | Content
| House of Bamboo is a film noir classic. Filmed entirely on location in Japan. Think Reservoir Dogs in Tokyo. (In fact, the scene in Reservoir Dogs where Steve Buscemi is running from the police is almost identical to the scene in House of Bamboo where Robert Stack and Robert Ryan are running from the police.) The dialog is incredible, ("Who's the Ichiban!, Kimona Girls etc) and the acting is great, especially Stack and Ryan. Shirley Yamaguchi was a major star in China and Japan and was later elected to the Japanese Diet and served on a UN Commision. The scene where Robert Ryan shoots his own man in the bathtub was shown in Minorty Report when Tom Cruise gets his eyes replaced.
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