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Exquisitely filmed Yakuza art film with a Melvillian aura of detached coolness. Even if I couldn't pick up the political allegory, the feeling of displacement is pervasive.

Cool visuals and mood, but the characters aren't developed enough for their internal conflicts to resonate with me. Couple that with a very aimless plot and you get a stylish movie with great moments that disappoints by being less than the sum of its parts.

Impeccable style and acting - with a form that fits somewhere between poetic realism and noir. Slow, difficult, and ultimately impressive work.

So I’m watching this thinking it is easily the slickest, coolest, most cavalier Noir to pierce the silver veneer. It’s only drawing aces and gutting social detachment in a way few arts can hope to. Already at high marks, my wife comes out from the other room and compliments the use of the Lament from Dido and Aeneas. The what? In her words: “The Lament abhors my fate, asking to remember me for why I was, but not my death. No trouble, death is a welcome guest.” I’m now convulsing in Noir bliss.

This film is Suave, sophisticated and beautifully shot from start to finish. On top of that it is cool. How cool you ask? Cooler than the north pole. Cooler than saturn. This gritty and nihilistic gangster film stands at the epitome of the film noir genre.

hapisten cikan nihilist yakuza anlamsiz hayatinda bayilirim belaya tarzi bir hatunla tanisinca, onun arzularini, merakini daha da ileri tasiyabilmek icin bildigi isleri yapmaya devam ediyor. sinamatografisi guclu, finali gayet ilginc, gizemini koruyan bir hikaye.

Flor Seca estreava há 60 anos no Japão. Filme de yakuza sim, mas full film noir. É bem peculiar porque não imaginamos um filme de yakuza assim, mas seguindo esse caminho torna-se obra-prima. Não por acaso é um dos 10 filmes favoritos do Michael Mann na Sight and Sound e ele manja dos paranauê. Box Versátil Cinema Yakuza Volume 1.

A movie that communicates more with images rather than words, it really captures city nightlife most beautifully, all painted in black-and-white tones. If for a moment it seems that it is the Yakuza that poses a danger, you soon learn that it is the doll-like eyes of Saeko that are truly dangerous. Incredibly poignant and mesmerizing.

The detached mood and noir-ish visuals make for a great late night, zone-out watch.

magnetic from start to finish, and Mariko Kaga shines.

A playground of exploration for Masahiro Shinoda. As a piece of art, it is flawless. Subtle and bold, captivating and reserved. There are few noirs that can compare with its flair for the dramatic lens -- possibly The 3rd Man. Yet, Pale Flower is more concerned with subtext than its ambiguous story and characters. Much of the characters are acted and left unsaid. It's the kind of film critics, analysts, and academics love because there is so much to latch onto and read into. It left me wanting.

This is a very tense movie without much happening and its all due to Masahiro Shinoda direction and the score. The film is well acted and Mariko Kaga was extremely captivating. I need to see more movies with her in them. Ryô Ikebe is another actor I want to get better acquainted with.

The chemistry between the two leads is difficult to pin down. Not exactly sexual nor romantic, at least in any common sense. It's more like codependency. It's an inexplicable aura, swaggering more like its European rather than Japanese contemporaries. The resemblance to Melville in particular has been duly noted. That sort of impenetrable stoicism is difficult and unexpected, just as Takemitsu's score is a rattling, jazz-punctuated dissonance. This is just about the coolest movie ever made.

Extremely cool and beautiful.

Like Melville without the inner life, if you have any use for it. Visually outstanding.

It's very stylish and sets up a lot of characters who could be interesting, but after they're established there's not much else. They simply drift through the film. Cinematography and sound are both top notch, but sometimes I found myself just drifting through the film as well.

Thick with noir atmosphere. The score is especially unusual. There's an existentialist vibe, more introspective moments than action. The problem is I never really got involved with these characters. Kaga has a few intriguing moments, but doesn't strike me as the irresistible femme fatale she's presented as. It ends up feeling like a lot of pointless drifting around. Overall I did like the film, especially its bold but restrained stylization. But I feel it won't stick with me for long.

In many ways a very good film. The music could actually be a bit overbearing, and seems less intent on fusing with the film than being a Takemitsu score for my taste. To some degree, a lot of the visual artfulness seems to cloak an underdeveloped idea, and that electric style is why this is so captivating from the very first scene.

Every shot is incredibly beautiful, but it is also thoroughly boring and ultimately unsatisfying.

Score based on distant memory.

Super cool yakuza drama.

Beautifully shot, Mariko Kaga is the key to the film, combining innocence, sexuality, vitality and a reckless abandon. Hence, she draws the men to her--men looking for some way to feel alive.