The Crimson Kimono (1959)

terrible... so disappointed.

Please don't spend money on this.

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

"The Crimson Kimono" is not one of Sam Fuller's better films, but leave it to Fuller to make a murder mystery thriller where the murder mystery becomes almost beside the point and the film instead becomes an examination of racial tension.That tension doesn't even play a role in the crime at the film's center. It's between the two detectives assigned to solving the murder. And this isn't a whites-being-racist-against-minorities film either. It's the Japanese American detective (played by James Shigeta) who has the problem, seeing racism against himself where it doesn't exist and not able to get past his own insecurities about his heritage. This quality more than anything else makes the film unique and very Fuller-esque, but in all other ways it's a bit of a disappointment. It only has moments of that ragged, off-kilter quality that make Fuller's best movies -- movies like "The Naked Kiss," "Shock Corridor" and "The Big Red One" -- so damn good.Grade: B-

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.

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.

After a stripper is shot dead, two LAPD officers investigate. Corbett and Shigeta, each making his film debut, play the cops. Corbett does OK, but Shigeta appears to be an unnatural actor; he looks like he is simply reading his lines. The murder investigation becomes secondary as the film focuses on the love triangle between the two cops and an artist, played by beautiful Australian actress Shaw. Fuller had a tendency to tackle social issues in his films and here it is the interracial romance between Japanese Shigeta and Shaw. Unfortunately, the romance is rather clumsily handled and the film goes off in too many different directions before abruptly wrapping things up too neatly.