Cart 0
Red Peony Gambler I-III (Limited Edition Slipcover BLU-RAY)
Red Peony Gambler I-III (Limited Edition Slipcover BLU-RAY)
Red Peony Gambler I-III (Limited Edition Slipcover BLU-RAY)

Red Peony Gambler I-III (Limited Edition Slipcover BLU-RAY)

Shipping calculated at checkout.

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.

directed by: Kosaku Yamashita, Norifumi Suzuki, Tai Kato
starring: Junko Fuji, Ken Takakura, Tomisaburo Wakayama, Kyosuke Machida, Michitaro Mizushima, Kanjuro Arashi, Teruo Ishiyama, Bunta Sugawara, Koji Tsuruta
1968 - 1970 / 291 min (combined) / 2.35:1 / Japanese DTS-HD MA 1.0

Additional info:

  • Region A 3-disc Blu-ray
  • New video essays on Red Peony 1 & 2 by TokyoScope author Patrick Macias
  • Video introduction to Red Peony 3 by director Alex Cox (Repo Man)
  • New audio commentary on Red Peony 3 by Chris Poggiali These Fist Break Bricks) and John Charles (The Hong Kong Filmography, 1977-1997)
    • Booklet with new essay by Mark Schilling (The Yakuza Movie Book)
    • English subtitles

    Set during the Meiji era, Red Peony Gambler stars Fuji as Ryuko Yano, the daughter of a gambler. When her father is murdered, Ryuko takes on a new name derived from the crimson flower tattooed on her shoulder – “Oryu, the Red Peony” – and sets out for revenge. Then, in Red Peony Gambler 2: Gambler’s Obligation, Oryu falls in with a group of yakuza attempting to monopolise the silk trade. When machinations within the gang lead to a betrayal, the Red Peony takes action. Finally, in Red Peony Gambler 3: The Flower Cards Game, Oryu meets a pair of star-crossed lovers as she becomes embroiled in a conflict between rival yakuza clans.

    Fuji would go on to play the Red Peony five more times, cementing the character as the archetype for many of the vengeful women to follow in Japanese cinema and beyond. These early entries in the Red Peony Gambler series are presented here for the first time ever on Blu-ray from brand new restorations of the original film elements by Toei.

    SPECIAL EDITION TWO-DISC BLU-RAY FEATURES:

    • Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju) [First print run of 2000 copies only]
    • 1080p HD presentation of all three films from restorations of the original film elements supplied by Toei
    • Original Japanese audio tracks (uncompressed LPCM mono)
    • Brand new audio commentary tracks on all three films
    • Tony Rayns on Red Peony Gambler – brand new interview with critic and Asian cinema expert Tony Rayns
    • Trailers
    • PLUS: A collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Jennifer Coates (Making Icons: Repetition and the Female Image in Japanese Cinema, 1945–1964) and Joe Hickinbottom