Blackmail Is My Life (Kyokatsu koso Waga Jinsei)

THIS MOVIE IS BASED ON FICTION AND IS NOT MODELED ON ACTUAL FACTS.

What can I say? It was a beautiful day.

This is my hideout, but it's not just mine alone.

These are my partners.

Seki, originally a yakuza. I've known him the longest.

Noguchi, used to be a boxer, nicknamed "Zero."

And Otoki, who never really did anything, but she's pretty sexy, and single.

Our business? You'll find out later.

Hey, Shun, that thing with the call girl, it should be coming down today.

Find out where and when they're meeting, and it will be ours.

We already got the call.

00 p.m. NATSUKO

Welcome.

Is she home yet?

Not yet, but she asked for you to wait for her here.

I hate being kept waiting, but what the hell.

I don't need to worry about saving face. Not with her.

Those stupid-ass salaried-types-- I'll show them.

"Excuse me, sir. What is your profession?"

I'm a blackmailer.

"What's that you say?"

Blackmail, I said. Blackmail!

BLACKMAIL IS MY LIFE

Screenplay: FUMIO KONAMI NORIO OSADA, HIROO MATSUDA

Cinematography: KEIJI MARUYAMA Music: HAJIME KABURAGI

There are three rules to blackmail.

Don't make any new friends.

Don't push too hard.

Never hit up the same mark twice.

That's right!

Our work is going so well. What an amazing world we live in.

The prettier something looks on the outside...

the more revolting it is on the inside.

Our clients don't even feel the pinch. What a great age we live in!

Outstanding economic growth. It's incredible!

Starring

HIROKI MATSUKATA, TOMOMI SATO

SHINJIRO EBARA, YUSUKE KAWAZU RYOHEI UCHIDA

HIDEO MUROTA AKI RAJO, ERIKO SONO

KENJIRO ISHIYAMA, YOKO MIHARA

SHIGERU AMACHI, TETSURO TANBA

Directed by KINJI FUKASAKU

- Here you are. - Thank you.

- Is that all fan mail? - Yes.

"My Dear Darling, Miss Natsuko Mizuhara...

I dream of you every night."

"We were born to be together.

I've thought about this a lot...

and I believe we should get married."

What an idiot!

Natsuko Mizuhara is my woman!

Get up, you lazy rat!

Get up or get out.

All you do is sleep all day. I don't ever want to see your face again.

Get out of here!

It's been three months since you showed up here penniless.

At first I thought you were cute, but I've had enough.

All you do is lie around all day. You don't pay rent or help with expenses.

It's all on me, and I'm sick of it!

I was in a slump in those days.

I was living like a fool. It was a ridiculous period for me.

- Hold on a second. I didn't do any-- - Shut up!

Hello?

Yeah, it's me.

What's that? You found their angle.

A blackmail scheme using call girls.

Got it. I'm on my way.

I'd like to wait for you, baby, but I gotta go to work.

It's tough being a man sometimes.

Here we go.

That stack looks like a million.

Punk!

I was having a rough day.

I broke up with my girlfriend Mami.

Maybe that was the start of my bad luck.

I was already in a bad mood, and the club was hopping that night.

- Hey, man. Can you fill in for me? - Are you kidding? I'm busy too.

I've got a headache and a fever. Please, I'm begging you.

You whiner.

How many today?

Three dozen.

Isn't that too much?

These customers wouldn't know the taste of real scotch anyway.

We'd be wasting it on them.

Hey, you!

Take this and keep your mouth shut.

I already heard you. I can't promise to keep quiet.

That was a stupid thing to say.

You're a fool. Think about it.

As long as there are liquor stores...

there will be guys like us selling them liquor.

- I don't have anything against you guys. - Shut up and listen!

Whatever kind of fake booze we sell here, as long as everyone's happy, who cares?

It's got nothing to do with a punk like you. Got it?

You understand me, punk? Answer me!

That dumb ass. Where the hell is he going?

Yakuza, huh? Pretty lousy partner.

Why's that?

Shut up. If we screw this up, they'll cut us into pieces.

Let 'em try.

They could kill one of us...

but there are four of us...

so they'll suffer, too.

First of all, those guys are a bunch of crooks making phony liquor.

If we can get in on that, we can make some money.

A hundred thousand yen or so.

A hundred thousand. Not too shabby.

Let's do it.

Okay, shall we give it a go?

Shun, is that all right with you?

Of course. Why would that be a problem?

What are you doing?

Look at this guy! Look at him!

Calm down!

What are you doing? I'm calling the cops.

Great. Let's call the cops.

Let's get it all out in the open.

Here, I'll call them myself!

Wait! Calm down. Let's talk this over calmly.

All right, pops.

How much you gonna charge me to punch your face in...

till it's like my brother's here?

Your brother? I didn't know...

Answer me!

Is it gonna cost me ten grand?

We're just poor folk. We'll be paying for the next ten years!

- Five... - 500,000 yen?

One hundred thousand! Please, let it go at that. That's the best I can do.

All right.

But first you're gonna make a phone call for us.

To whom?

To that bastard you're buying liquor from.

Call him. Tell him we want a meeting with the boss.

So it's you guys trying to blackmail me now, huh?

No, we're just trying to get the money to pay his hospital bills.

I don't want any trouble.

I don't want to be bothered with this bullshit.

I'll give you 100,000. That should be sufficient.

Yes, sir. That should be...

Take the money.

Get out of here. If I ever see your face again...

I'll kill you.

How'd it go?

We were pretty pleased with that money.

We were so innocent back in those days.

Faster, idiot!

Watch this!

Anyway, that's how we got started in our little blackmail business.

Tons of people out there, so many it makes me sick.

If you put all their money together, how much would there be?

- A million! - A hundred million!

- A billion! - Are you crazy? That much?

In any case, it would be a lot.

Looks like they're having fun.

Even though they haven't done anything great.

Everyone has a secret weakness somewhere...

something they don't want anyone to find out about.

Prey on their weaknesses. This will be fun!

That's the best way for us to make some money.

Blackmail, huh?

Not a bad business, eh?

So this is their safe house.

Looks like a secret clubhouse.

Hey, Seki.

I got it.

Welcome, sir.

Your name and business, please.

I am Koji Seki, chairman of Seki Motors.

May I have your phone number, please?

- What, don't you believe me? - Club rules.

422-5151.

Just a moment, please.

Hello, Seki Motors.

Is the chairman there, please?

He's out right now. Who's calling, please?

Thank you for waiting. This way, please.

Let's take that off.

What a pig!

That tickles.

What the hell? I don't care if they film it!

Shit, he's made a fool of me!

Oh, there you are.

Sorry to make you come all the way out here.

Here you are. Just as I suspected, a lowlife.

Don't move.

What the hell!

Who the hell are you?

Who, me? Surely you remember my face.

After all, you're the one who came after me!

So what are you gonna do about it?

You're coming with us.

You don't know who you're dealing with here.

Punks like you--

What do you expect from a bunch of punks?

Keep your mouth shut. You're coming with us.

Let's go!

Step on it!

Get out of the car.

What are you going to do with me?

Just cut you up.