Biography

Along with director Teruo Ishii, Norifumi Suzuki was one of the prime instigators of outrageous, shocking cinema at Toei studios, starting in the late 1960s and continuing on up through the mid-1980s. The brother of production head, Koji Shundo, as well as the uncle of Red Peony Gambler star, Junko Fuji, Suzuki began as a screenwriter at Toei.

He penned numerous genre film scripts and, along with directors Tai Kato, Kosaku Yamashita and Shigehiro Ozawa, was considered an expert in writing always-seemingly-fresh variations on the ninkyo yakuza formula. He was behind many of the Red Peony screenplays as well as scenarios for the Kanto Street Peddlers Clan (Kanto Tekiya Ikka, 1969 – 1971) series with Bunta Sugawara (four-out-of-five of which he directed).

He was also creator of the extraordinarily successful Truck Drivers (Torakku Yaro, 1975 – 1979) action-comedy films starring Sugawara. But Suzuki is probably best known in the west for his politically-incorrect sex-shockers School Of The Holy Beasts (Sei Juu Gakuen, 1974) and Star Of David: Beauty Hunting (Dabide No Hoshi: Bishojo-gari, 1979).

Although School, with it’s weird, hybrid structure of equal doses Argento, de Sade and Sukeban elements, still retains its ability to disturb, it is Star Of David which remains his most transgressive and, to some, his most offensive picture. Sex & Fury and his Girl Boss and Terrifying Girls’ High School movies fall somewhere in between his more traditional yakuza efforts and these last two S&M extremes.

Indeed, Suzuki’s bad girl sagas are perfect examples of his schizophrenic nature as a director, offering up inspired visual brilliance, shocking juxtapositions and original variations on standard action formulas. Just as often, we get juvenile, clumsily-inserted comedy relief and haphazard transitions.

The only conclusion one can come to is that Suzuki could be a truly great filmmaker when he was in the mood. But one also gets the feeling that he didn’t really give a damn and was, apparently, not interested in ‘art’, only in having a few laughs and an undisciplined good time while sporadically throwing in startling situations and mindblowing visual pyrotechnics – just to remind us he could be great when he wanted.

Suzuki and his fellow “Pinky Violence” filmmakers followed the dictates of Toei honchos to push the envelope on acceptable cinematic sex and violence. For the most part, they accomplish this with such wild imagination and bravura style that even the kinkiest of tortures rises above trash culture boundaries into the heady world of genuine erotic art.

Suzuki and his collaborators quite often transcend cliché into the realm of archetype, forging an urban mythology of female warriors composed of society’s outcasts. And for these aforementioned virtues, these films will be remembered, and their reputations continue to grow.

©2006 - Chris D.

Selected Filmography:

A Man’s Showdown – Tattoo Of Two Kings (Otoko No Shobu – Nio No Irezumi, 1967)
Path Of Chivalry (Kyokaku-do, 1967)
Red Peony: Gambler's Obligation (Hibotan Bakuto - Isshuku Ippan, 1968)
Brotherhood’s Honor & Humanity – Loyalty Offering Conflict (Kyodai Jingi - Gyaku En No Sakazuki, 1968)
Kanto Street Peddlers Clan (Kanto Tekiya Ikka, 1969)
Kanto Street Peddlers Clan – Violent Loyalty (Kanto Tekiya Ikka – Goromentsu, 1969)
Kanto Street Peddlers Clan – Royal Temple Duel (Kanto Tekiya Ikka – Tenno Ushi No Ketto, 1970)
Kanto Street Peddlers Clan – Violent Fire Festival (Kanto Tekiya Ikka – Goromentsu Himatsuri, 1970)
Girl Boss Blues – Queen Bee’s Counterattack (Sukeban Buruusu – Mesubachi No Gyakushu, 1971)
Girl Boss Blues – Queen Bee’s Challenge (Sukeban Buruusu – Mesubachi No Chosen, 1972)
Tokugawa Sex Ban – Lustful Lord (Tokugawa Sekkusu Kinshi-rei – Shikijo Daimyo, 1972)
Girl Boss Guerilla (Sukeban Gerira, 1972)
Terrifying Girls’ High School - Women’s Violent Classroom (Kyofu Joshi Koko – Boryoku Kyoshitsu, 1972)
The Viper Brothers – Extortion Plot For 3,000,000 Yen (Mamushi No Kyodai – Kyokatsu San Oku-En, 1973)
Girl Boss (Sukeban, 1973)
Sex & Fury (Furyo Anego Den – Ino Shika Ocho aka Story Of A Bad Elder Sister – A Deer Amongst Wild Boars, 1973)
Terrifying Girls’ High School – Lynch Law Classroom (Kyofu Joshi Koko – Boko Rinchi Kyoshitsu, 1973)
School Of The Holy Beasts (Sei Ju Gakuen aka Convent Of The Holy Beasts, 1974)
The Killing Macine (Shorinji Kenpo, 1975)
The Erotimaniac Daimyo (1975)
Star Of David: Beauty Hunting (Dabide No Hoshi: Bishojo-gari, 1979)
Shogun’s Ninja (Ninja Bugeicho – Momocho Sandayu, 1980)
Roaring Fire (Hoero! Tekken, 1980)
Dolls Of The Shogunate’s Harem (Ooku Juhakkei, 1986)