The defence The Big-Idea Head
“Form is the argument.”
Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.
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Tokyo Joe
Drama · Thriller · Crime · 1949
An American veteran returns to Tokyo to try to pick up the threads of his pre-World War II life there, but finds himself squeezed between criminals and the authorities.
Movie details
Tokyo Joe
“Bogart rips the Jap underworld apart over a blonde in a Tokyo hot spot !”
1949 Drama · Thriller · Crime 1h 28m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.1 / 10
Community rating
An American veteran returns to Tokyo to try to pick up the threads of his pre-World War II life there, but finds himself squeezed between criminals and the authorities.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Tokyo Joe?
For the defence
The Big-Idea Head
“You watch with your brain, not your gut.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Stuart Heisler
Written by
Cyril Hume · Bertram Millhauser · Steve Fisher
Humphrey Bogart
Colonel Joseph 'Joe' Barrett
Alexander Knox
Mark Landis
Florence Marly
Trina Pechinkov Landis
Sessue Hayakawa
Baron Kimura
Jerome Courtland
Danny
Gordon Jones
Idaho
Teru Shimada
Ito
Court is in session
Put Tokyo Joe on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Technique in search of a pulse.”
Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.