桃色追杀令

　　吉村公三郎代表作，也是蘇珊．桑塔最喜愛的日本經典片之一。吉村愛向難度挑戰，喜歡實驗，討厭被歸類，是松竹的壞孩子，卻因此為日本電影開創出不少可能性。影片描寫日本戰後，末落貴族變賣大宅前舉行的最後一場舞會。吉村親歷這樣的一個舞會，他用所見所感，寫出一個個玲瓏浮凸的人物：戀棧風光的父親，目空一切的兒子，不肯放下身段的大女兒...道盡大時代的種種細碎。也是原節子代表作，這個洞悉世情的次女兒與父親起舞，成為全片焦點，也為時代作了精采的解讀。
　　World War II is over, and the once-prominent Anjo family has fallen on hard times. They must finally sell the family home - but not before one last ball to recapture their glory days. However, old secrets and high emotions threaten to turn the evening into tragedy. Proud patriarch Tadahiko (Takizawa) can barely keep his unruly offspring in check, and tries every last trick to keep the house where he has spent the happiest years of his life. In his darkest hour, daughter Atsuko (frequent Ozu heroine, Hara Setsuko) shows her beleaguered father the hard-won dignity in starting over.
　　SummerIFF 2007

　　江城柳家的大小姐柳诗涵因为柳家落败，而被迫嫁入冯家做妾，在冯家她遭遇了威严的婆婆，满腹心计的大少奶奶和人不人鬼不鬼的大少爷。不仅如此，她的同父异母的妹妹碧城也进了冯家做了丫鬟，更让她意想不到的是，在冯家她竟然还遇见了被她自己亲手抛弃的初恋情人冯佑堂，而冯佑堂原来竟是冯家流落在外的二少爷。
　　放下仇恨，其实比你自己想象的要简单，当你决定放下一切，跨出那一步的时候，你就会发现外面的世界海阔天空。碧城没有回到柳家，而是选择了去上海求学，佑堂到底还是追上了诗涵，但诗涵拒绝了他愧疚的爱情，佑堂并没有放弃，因为他知道，他依然深爱着诗涵，并非因为其他。终于，精诚所至金石为开，三年后，诗涵又向他展开了双臂。

　　Umberto Lenzi is undoubtedly the king of Italian crime movies, but unfortunately; Syndicate Sadists is not the best examples of his work in this genre. Lenzi's crime flicks tend to be a cut above the rest because he makes films based on stories with a point, and they don't lack direction; but this film feels a bit too wayward to fully fit with the rest of his stuff. The film takes obvious influence from Sergio Leone's landmark western 'A Fistful of Dollars' (which in turn, took influence from Akira Kurosawa's landmark samurai flick Yojimbo), in that it features two warring families and a strong character at the centre. The crime that Lenzi focuses on is kidnapping, and we centre on a character called 'Rambo'. Rambo is dragged into the war between the two families after his brother is killed because of it. Rambo uses his brains and brawn to pit the two families against one another, in the hope of gaining revenge for his brother's death, rescuing a young boy that they've kidnapped, and ultimately letting the two sides destroy one another.
　　The film's biggest asset is undoubtedly Tomas Milian. Milian was put to great use by Lenzi in almost all of his crime thrillers. The range of characters he has played for Lenzi is immense, and this one is easily one of the coolest. The character is called Rambo, which immediately sprang to mind the popular Sylvester Stallone character - but for once, the Italians actually haven't stolen this name as Syndicate Sadists was released first! As usual, the film is wickedly entertaining, as we get to watch Milian get himself involved in the usual array of car chases, shootouts and brawls. Lenzi has got him riding a motorbike this time round, and every scene featuring it and Milian is a real standout! However, the film often feels like it doesn't really have anywhere to go, and this means that the running time is stretched out more than it should be. Compared to the crime films of other Italian directors, Syndicate Sadists is more than above average; but in relation to Lenzi crime flicks such as Almost Human and The Cynic, The Rat and The Fist - it doesn't stand tall as one of Lenzi's best. Still, if you're looking for ninety minutes of testosterone fuelled mayhem - Syndicate Sadists will suffice!