{{Infobox film | name = Outlaw: Gangster VIP | image = Gangster-vip-poster.jpg | alt = | caption = Theatrical release poster | native_name = <!--(for non-English films: film's name in its native language)--> | director = [[Toshio Masuda (director)|Toshio Masuda]] | producer = <!-- or: |producers = --> | writer = <!-- or: |writers = --> | screenplay = {{plainlist|*Kaneo Ikegami *Reiji Kubota}} | story = Goro Fujita{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=177}} | based_on = <!-- {{based on|title of the original work|writer of the original work}} --> | starring = {{plainlist|*[[Tetsuya Watari]] *[[Chieko Matsubara]] *[[Tatsuya Fuji]]}} | narrator = <!-- or: |narrators = --> | music = [[Naozumi Yamamoto]]{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=177}} | cinematography = [[Kurataro Takamura]]{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=177}} | editing = | studio = [[Nikkatsu]]{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=177}} | distributor = Nikkatsu | released = {{film date|1968|1|13|Japan}} | runtime = 93 minutes | country = Japan | language = Japanese | budget = | gross = <!--(please use condensed and rounded values, e.g. "£11.6 million" not "£11,586,221")--> }} {{nihongo|'''''Outlaw: Gangster VIP'''''|「無頼」より 大幹部|''Burai yori daikanbu''|lead=yes}} is a 1968 Japanese [[crime film]] directed by [[Toshio Masuda (director)|Toshio Masuda]]. The film stars [[Tetsuya Watari]] who plays Goro, a gangster who was sent to prison for three years for stabbing a hitman ([[Machida Kyosuke]]) who belonged to the rival gang called the Aokis. On his release from prison, Goro finds out his gang is in decline and learns that the hitman he stabbed is still alive.
==Production== ''Outlaw: Gangster VIP'' is based on the writings of Goro Fujita, an ex-gangster who wrote the novel the film was based on.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://intl.nikkatsu.com/sales/154.html|publisher=[[Nikkatsu]]|title="Outlaw" Gangster VIP|access-date=January 15, 2016}}</ref> The film was the first in a six-part series of films based on Goro Fujita's character.<ref name="fantasia" />
==Release== The film was released in Japan on January 13, 1968.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=177}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nikkatsu.com/movie/21030.html|publisher=[[Nikkatsu]]|title=「無頼」より 大幹部|language=Japanese|access-date=August 31, 2016}}</ref> The film was released by Toho International in an English-subtitled version in the United States in May 1968.{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=177}}
''Outlaw: Gangster VIP'' was shown at the Udine [[Far East Festival]] in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fareastfilm.com/easyne2/eng/archive/gangster-vip.aspx?IDLYT=15535|title=Gangster VIP|access-date=January 15, 2016|last=Schilling|first=Mark|publisher=[[Far East Festival]]}}</ref> The film had its Canadian premier at the [[Fantasia Film Festival]] on July 14, 2008.<ref name="fantasia">{{cite web|url=http://fantasiafestival.com/2008/en/films/film_detail.php?id=20|publisher=[[Fantasia Film Festival]]|title=Gangster VIP|access-date=January 15, 2016|last=Schilling|first=Mark}}</ref>
''Outlaw: Gangster VIP'' was released by [[Arrow Films|Arrow Video]] on Blu-ray and DVD in 2016 as part of a box set of the entire series.<ref name="Arrow">{{cite web|url=http://www.arrowfilms.co.uk/shop/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=679|publisher=[[Arrow Films]]|title=Outlaw: Gangster VIP Collection Dual Format DVD & Blu-ray|access-date=January 15, 2016}}</ref>
==Reception== Jasper Sharp of [[Midnight Eye]] stated, "Toshio Masuda didn't make the flashiest of works at Nikkatsu, but he made solid, reliable movies with great characters and well-crafted plots that always keep the viewer on their toes. Gangster VIP is a far more mature and serious film than most of Nikkatsu's akushun films from the 60s, benefiting from some great acting, especially from its lead Watari (Tokyo Drifter), and the poignant final scenes will stick in one's mind for a long time after the film is over."<ref name="sharp">{{cite web|url=http://old.midnighteye.com/reviews/round-up_016.shtml#gangster-vip|publisher=[[Midnight Eye]]|title=Nikkatsu Action special|access-date=January 15, 2016|last=Sharp|first=Jasper}}</ref>
==Cast== *[[Tetsuya Watari]] : Fujikawa Goro *[[Chieko Matsubara]] : Hashimoto Yukiko *Kayo Matsuo : Yumeko *[[Kaku Takashina]] *Sanae Kitabatake *[[Tamio Kawachi]] *[[Kyosuke Machida]] : Sugiyama Katsuhiko *Yoshiro Aoki : Ueno *[[Tatsuya Fuji]] : Suzuki *[[Mina Aoe]] : Singer *[[Mitsuo Hamada]] : Tsujikawa Takeo
==Sequels== ===''Outlaw: Gangster VIP 2 / 大幹部 無頼''=== Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkatsu.com/movie/21075.html |title=大幹部 無頼|publisher=Nikkatsu |access-date=19 March 2017}}</ref> *(Released date April 28, 1968) Directed by [[Keiichi Ozawa]] *[[Tetsuya Watari]] : Fujikawa Goro *[[Chieko Matsubara]] : Hashimoto Yukie *[[Ryōhei Uchida (actor)|Ryōhei Uchida]]; Kiuchi Tsuyoshi *[[Kunie Tanaka]] : Nemoto Katsuji *Akira Yamauchi : Kiuchi Ryusaku *[[Meiko Kaji|Masako Ota]] : Asami Keiko *[[Kayu Matsuo]] : Sugiyama Yumeko *[[Izumi Ashikawa]] : Suzuki Kikue *[[Hideaki Nitani]] : Asami Kosuke
===''Outlaw: Heartless / 無頼非情''=== Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkatsu.com/movie/21079.html |title=無頼非情 |publisher=Nikkatsu |access-date=19 March 2017}}</ref> *(Released date August 1, 1968) Directed by [[Mio Ezaki]] *[[Tetsuya Watari]] : Fujikawa Goro *[[Chieko Matsubara]] : Hashizume Keiko *Koji Wada : Sawada Kenji *[[Fumio Watanabe]] : Koga *[[Kaku Takashina]] : Hashizume *Ryoji Hayama : Sawada :Isao Tamagawa : Gohara
===''Outlaw: Goro the Assassin / 無頼 人切り五郎''=== Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkatsu.com/movie/21095.html |title=無頼 人切り五郎 |publisher=Nikkatsu |access-date=19 March 2017}}</ref> *(Released date November 2, 1968) Directed by [[Keiichi Ozawa]] *[[Tetsuya Watari]] : Fujikawa Goro *[[Chieko Matsubara]] : Isomura Yuki *[[Tatsuya Fuji]] : Hayashida Masahiko *[[Chitose Kobayashi]] : Hayashida Shinobu *Masahiko Tanimura : Yosaku *Asao Koike : Kaito Kensaku *Koji Nanbara : Makino Shouji
=== ''Outlaw: Black Dagger / 無頼 黒匕首''=== Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkatsu.com/movie/21105.html |title=無頼 黒匕首 |publisher=Nikkatsu |access-date=19 March 2017}}</ref> *(Released date December 28, 1968) Directed by [[Keiichi Ozawa]], screenplay by Kaneo Ikegami *[[Tetsuya Watari]] : Fujikawa Goro *[[Chieko Matsubara]] : Miura Fujiko / Yuri *[[Tamio Kawachi]] *[[Sanae Kitabatake]] : Takemiya Sayoko *[[Kunie Tanaka]] : Hongo Michio *[[Kaku Takashina]] : Igawa *[[Ichirō Nakatani]] : Miura Kensuke *[[Ryoji Hayama]] : Tsuruoka Tatsuzo *[[Shigeru Tsuyuguchi]] : Takemiya Kunimatsu
=== ''Outlaw: Kill! / 無頼 殺せ'' (1969) === Source:<ref name="Arrow"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nikkatsu.com/movie/21145.html |title=無頼 殺せ |publisher=Nikkatsu |access-date=19 March 2017}}</ref> *(Released date March 8, 1969) Directed by Keiichi Ozawa, screenplay by Hideichi Nagahara & Kaneo Ikegami *[[Tetsuya Watari]] : Fujikawa Goro *[[Chieko Matsubara]] : Asano Yumiko *[[Kōji Wada (actor)|Koji Wada]] : Uno Isao *[[Kenji Imai (actor)|Kenji Imai]] : Hirakawa Takamatsu *[[Eiji Gō]] : Hanai Tetsuji *[[Shinjirō Ehara]] : Moriyama Ken
==See also== *[[List of Japanese films of 1968]] *[[Takeo Kimura filmography]]{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=177}}
== References == ===Footnotes=== {{reflist}}
===Sources=== {{Refbegin}} * {{cite book |last=Galbraith IV |first=Stuart |title=The Japanese Filmography: 1900 through 1994 |publisher=McFarland |date=1996 |isbn=0-7864-0032-3 }} {{Refend}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|0062850}}
{{Toshio Masuda}} {{Keiichi Ozawa}}
[[Category:Japanese crime films]] [[Category:1968 crime films]] [[Category:Films directed by Toshio Masuda]] [[Category:Films directed by Keiichi Ozawa]] [[Category:Nikkatsu films]] [[Category:Yakuza films]] [[Category:1960s Japanese films]] [[Category:1968 Japanese-language films]]