The Life of a Horsetrader (1951)

This early gem starring the great Mifune Toshiro tells the tale of Katakana Yonetaro aka "The Shark," a rough-and-tumble horse trader in Japan's rugged northernmost territory of Hokkaddo.. always ready to drink, fight, gamble and chase women he falls victim to a crooked game with loaded dice. This little-known film captures the wild ways of early Japan after the fall of the shogunate when men had only their own strengths and skills to rely on. A brilliant yet tragic tale that can now be told.