Branded to Kill is a 1967 Japanese black comedy and yakuza film directed by Seijun Suzuki and starring Joe Shishido, Koji Nanbara, Annu Mari and Mariko Ogawa. The story follows contract killer Goro Ha
Theatrical release poster
Hanada (right) demanding Misako buy him some rice. He uses the smell of boiling rice to achieve sexual arousal. Her apartment is decorated with dead butterflies which have been interpreted as symbolizing obsessive love.
After discovering he cannot bring himself to kill Misako, a dazed Hanada wanders the streets. Animated starlings, rain and butterflies mask the screen, accompanied by corresponding sound effects.
Joe Shishido was a Japanese actor recognizable for his intense, eccentric yakuza film roles. He appeared in some 300 films but is best known in the West for his performance in the cult film Branded to