An introductory guide into the world of Seijun Suzuki films

Last month, Japanese director Seijun Suzuki died at the age of 93. The man most famously behind 1967's Branded to Kill (as well as 39 other films he created for film studio, Nikkatsu, at the time) was an important film figure, primarily in the '50s and '60s, creating a brand that actor and fan Connor Jessup calls "wild surrealist, absurdist pop-art gangster films." 

If you've never heard of Suzuki or his work, fear not. On today's show, we asked Jessup to list some of the director's essential cuts, the films that will act as a gateway into the fun world of Suzuki films. Below are Jessup's picks. 

Branded to Kill (1967)

"This was commonly thought of as his masterpiece. Branded to Kill was actually the last film he made for Nikkatsu and he got fired immediately afterwards. The studios had been telling him for years to reel it in and this was the most absurd film he had ever made. The film is in black and white but it's maybe the most colourful thing I've ever seen." 

Tokyo Drifter (1966)

"Suzuki is like Willy Wonka: every scene here has an many colours as you can possibly fit into it."

Fighting Elegy (1966)

"His second last movie at Nikkatsu is a little weird, it's a bit of an outlier. It's the most direct he has ever gotten to a comment on the rise of militarism in Japan. Also, it's a wonderful satire about the Japanese military and fascism."

— Produced by Elaine Chau