zetes For a long while, this seemed like it was going to be one of Sam Fuller's best movies. The direction is great and the story and characters interesting. Unfortunately, it gets bogged down by a silly love triangle plot and starts to fall apart a bit. It is interesting that the romance in question is an interracial one - it was actually the selling point of the movie if you look at the poster! - but it never really works. The film follows two detectives in L.A., Glenn Corbett and James Shigeta, who are investigating the case of a slain stripper. One of their leads is a painting of the girl in a crimson kimono, done by an artist named Chris. They quickly discover that Chris is actually a woman (Victoria Shaw), and she helps them with their case. Corbett immediately takes a liking to her, and she returns his affection at first. But after an afternoon spent hanging out with Shigeta, she's in love with him. This is quite daring, but then the film starts to focus on nothing but the romantic entanglement for the last third of the film. About five minutes before the end, it feels like Fuller snaps out of it and says, "Crap, we forgot about the plot!" and throws together a reasonably satisfying finale. It's definitely a good film, though, when all is said and done.

Spikeopath The Crimson Kimono is written, produced and directed by Samuel Fuller. It stars Glenn Corbett, James Shigeta, Victoria Shaw & Anna Lee. Cinematographer is Sam Leavitt and the music is by Harry Sukman. Plot is about two L.A. cops, Joe Kojaku (Shigeta) & Charlie Bancroft (Corbett), deep friends of a different race, bonded by blood who met during the Korean War. When stripper Sugar Torch (Gloria Pall) is shot and killed, the two men's investigation sees them follow a painting to the artist who painted it, Christine Downes (Shaw). It's the start of a love triangle that could have far reaching consequences for not only the investigation, but also Joe, Charlie & Christine.1959 saw the release of Douglas Sirk's Imitation of Life, a much talked about movie, that whilst splitting the critics down the middle, was none the less the fourth biggest earner at the box office that year. Sirk's film, amongst other things, had a racially charged thread in it that gave it some added potency. The Crimson Kimono also had a racially charged thread running thru it, but Samuel Fuller's film, it seems, slipped under the radar. Now of course in the modern era of film, Sam Fuller is often name checked by the likes Scorsese & Tarantino as being an influence, while the French New Wavers were quick to laud him as a stylistic influence too. The Crimson Kimono is far from being Fuller's best work, but it is unmistakably a Fuller movie, and one that is a must see for those of a noir/hard-boiled persuasion.Fuller has managed to put a murder mystery at the core of his film and wrap around it a tale of inter-racial tolerance, jealousy and sexual confusion: set deliciously to the backdrops of an urban part of L.A. and the more cosmopolitan Little Tokyo. As he weaves his vision together, never once hitting the viewer over the head with its messages, Fuller neatly plays around with his camera. Up close and personal to his actors, sweeping alongside for walk sequences and scatter-gun shooting for his action scenes (a Kendo fight is an action high point). It's thoughtful film making, the camera puts us in with the story and no scene is wasted, it's all relative, particularly as tensions start to rise between the two best friends and the case starts to unfold.The principal actors are not big names, but all are very credible, and the lack of star power actually benefits the piece by keeping the narrative grounded. While the supporting Anna Lee (How Green Was My Valley) as an alcoholic mother figure type is a joy to watch. Sam Leavitt's (Anatomy of a Murder/The Defiant Ones) photography has it just right, the black & white has a stark look for the street exteriors and the interior focus has that hue of character importance about it. Harry Sukman's music is also worthy of mentioning, blending jazzy beats with oriental flavors, it's well in keeping with the nature of the story.Although there's no cop out in the finale, in fact it's an important and affecting finish as regards the characters, the murder mystery angle close down is a little unfulfilling in context to the mood that has overall been built up. But it's no deal breaker and doesn't detract from what a very good movie The Crimson Kimono is. 8/10

MartinHafer Maybe it's just me, but only a short time into this film I was already wondering just WHO acts like these characters?! For instance, there is a stripper (sugar Torch) who was planning a classy(?) striptease act where she would dress as a Japanese woman in a crimson kimono and two men would fight over her--one with a kitana (Japanese sword) and the other using his bare hands and karate. Another woman is a bohemian painter who talks in a very broad style and throws beer on canvases and seems a bit like Maynard G. Krebs. So, at the onset I was taken out of the moment because the film was trying too hard to be different. While director Sam Fuller's films usually excel at realism, this one just didn't quite make it. It's a shame, as I've loved many of his films and from this point on, it would be hard to sell me on THE CRIMSON KIMONO.The film begins with some maniac chasing Sugar Torch out of the theater after she finishes her act. She is gunned down in the middle of the street AND the killer takes the time to shoot a painting of her in the kimono in the throat that is in the dressing room. Two police detectives, Glenn Corbett and James Shigeta are sent in to investigate this murder in the Japanese section of Los Angeles. Naturally, with the bullet in the painting they think that there is something more to it. It's even MORE so when someone tries to shoot the artist ("Chris") next--though HOW the killer could have missed when he shot at her is beyond me.Now I noticed that some call this movie an example of Film Noir. However, I really didn't see that. Part of this was because the music was heavy on violins and sounded more akin to the soundtrack from PEYTON PLACE, the camera angles and darkness of typical Noir is missing and the characters are just too pretty--particularly the men, Shigeta and Corbett. When I think Noir, I think snappier and grittier dialog and ugly guys like John Ireland, Edmond O'Brien or Broderick Crawford. Plus, there is an interracial love interest that I liked...but it just didn't seem like Noir. Noir is NOT just a cop film but a style and attitude this one lacked--not that it was badly directed or produced. At heart, it's much more of a romance film.As for the interracial love interest, BOTH cops fall for Chris (the woman painter; had it been some other Chris, this might have been REAAAALLLY interesting and daring). And, Chris is feeling very strong feelings towards Shigeta. Eventually, the two men come to blows over this woman during a kendo match. Shigeta is convinced that his partner is a racist, though he seems to be reading something into his partner's (and long-time friend) thoughts and actions. However, Corbett is feeling normal jealousy...and still cares about his friend deeply. And, it turns out that the motivation for the killing early in the film is related, in a way, with Shigeta's struggle.Overall, despite a very rough beginning and it being incorrectly labeled 'Noir', the movie turned out to be pretty good and daring for its interracial love story. Yes, it had been done before in movies such as SAYONARA, but it was still a tough sell in 1959. Well worth seeing.

a666333 This movie, though flawed is definitely worth seeing. Definitely the love triangle overtakes the murder in significance. That is OK in itself but it means that the details of the murder are dealt with and wrapped up rather sloppily. At least another 10 minutes or so could have rounded things out much better. They seemed in a hurry to make their points. Also, I will never buy into the movie habit which sees so many people fall seriously in love in a few hours of real time.The cinematography works well in black and white and delivers a good feel. The race relations theme was bravely and openly addressed. Placing the East Asian man as a real romantic force, as opposed to a menace or threat, was still adventurous at the time for Hollywood. (East Asian women, on the other hand, had been well established as legitimate love interests) Hollywood seemed to have been very interested in making James Shigeta into a star male lead. He was given a number of lead roles in the late 50s/early 60s but then they pushed him off into supporting roles. I can see why. It was a chore to come up with plausible roles for him that the public of the day would buy into. More fundamentally, he struggled at time with his delivery. Here, both he and Corbett are forced to deliver a good bit of overdone jargon. Corbett, who was never a big star nonetheless handles it better than Shigeta. He didn't deliver with the kind of strength that a lead role generally requires.