‘A Family’ (2021) Divulges Into The Losses and Grievances Of Japanese Organized Crime
By: Raayaa Imthiyaz
Tags: Organized Crime, Movie, Netflix, Film Analysis, Japanese

Image via IMDb.

Contains spoilers.

A Family (otherwise known as Yakuza and The Family) follows the story of Kenji Yammamoto (Gō Ayano), who is adopted by the Japanese organized crime syndicate or yakuza, and his pledge to adhere to the family code, despite the ever-changing times. The film, released on Netflix in 2021, carries out over three decades of Kenji’s life in three separate acts, from the moment of his initiation into the crime syndicate, to his eventual expulsion. Though gang-oriented movies generally focus on an oversaturated amount of violence, revenge and bloodshed, A Family provides something beyond its fight scenes; a sense of humanity as Kenji attempts to uphold his allegiance to his boss while sacrificing himself at every turn.

The film begins in 1999, when Kenji finds himself at his father’s funeral after the latter passes away in an overdose. Vowing to never succumb to drugs, Kenji and his friends steal from a local dealer and disposes of his drugs, attracting the attention of a local crime boss, Hiroshi Shibasaki (Hiroshi Tachi). Seeing potential in the young boy, Shibasaki adopts Kenji, who soon rises up the ranks in the family. The film then skips to 2006, where after a territorial dispute with a rival gang that ends in murder, Kenji allows himself to take the blame for the crime instead of the original culprit -a lieutenant ranked higher than him. He is committed to a fourteen-year sentence in prison and released in 2019, where he has trouble reconnecting with former members of his organization due to the nation’s anti-yakuza regulations.

One of the most prominent themes highlighted in A Family is its discussion of defining what it means to become a man. Kenji -who grew up with an absent father who prioritised drugs over his wellbeing- learns from Shibasaki that honour and duty as well as his loyalty to his family is what contributes towards achieving his manhood. These values are considered the foundations of his relationships with the seniors of the organization, which are presented as being emotional connections as well. When an older member, Nakamura, gets promoted to a higher rank, Kenji displays his allegiance and support by providing gifts and drinks. Later when Nakamura goes against the words of their boss and commits murder against a rival gang member, Kenji is willing to take the fall, claiming that the organization needs his brother to protect them more than him.

The film also focuses heavily on the formation and development of male friendships and bonds as Kenji is presented to being attached to his subordinates as well. When one of his underlings die in an assassination attempt against Shibasaki, Kenji openly mourns the loss and weeps before his body. He also acts as a big brother to the younger members, joking with them and buying them drinks. These scenes highlight the fact that there is no hint of animosity or envy among Kenji and his brothers i.e. other members of the yakuza; instead he is shown as prideful of who they are and what they represent. In Kenji’s eyes, though they partake in criminal activities, they are still the people who saved his life and gave him a purpose thus, they cannot be considered wholly evil.

Image via IMDb.

Kenji’s relationships outside of the yakuza are also discussed within the movie, most notably his budding romantic interest in Yuka (Machiko Ono), a hostess at one of the clubs in Shibasaki’s district. Though their relationship was never formally recognized due to Kenji’s prison sentence, he is touched by her clear-cut kindness and her candid nature. While he struggles to convey his feelings to her properly, it is hinted that Yuka understands the grim reality of his life and her feelings for him are mutual. However, their relationship becomes fractured upon his return from prison as Yuka is shown to have had a daughter, who is clearly Kenji’s. She is apprehensive about letting him into their lives, particularly about letting her daughter know that her father was an ex-convict. Though Kenji and Yuka experience a brief period of reconciliation, their happiness is cut short when the public discovers their relationship which violates the anti-yakuza policies imposed in Japan. As a result, they are forced to move elsewhere, and Kenji is forced to let them go for their own sake.

Despite the many losses he faced during his time with the yakuza, Kenji remains strong-willed and consistent with carrying out his duties as a member, even after his sentence ends and most of their organization is dissolved. He discovers that Shibasaki is dying of cancer and in a moment of compassion, Shibasaki apologizes for not being a better father to Kenji and expels him from the yakuza, so that he may find a better life somewhere else. Following the death of his father, Kenji is conflicted with how to move on with his life. The anti-yakuza regulations prevented him from acquiring basic services from society, socializing with his former friends and ultimately made him an outcast. With the loss of his family as well as the new regulations regarding yakuza members in society, he reconsiders what it means to be a man and wonders whether there was any truth to maintaining honor and duty as he had done for the past decades.

In the movie’s final moments, Kenji learns that Tsubasa (Hayato Isomura), the rebellious son of one of the former members Shibasaki’s organization, is planning to murder the man behind his father’s death. Before he can strike however, Kenji has already executed him and avenged the man in his stead. Tsubasa, who has idolized Kenji as a child, finds this as part of the foreshadowed advice the older man had imparted on him years ago, which was to never follow in his footsteps. Soon after assassinating the man, Kenji is killed by a former friend seeking vengeance against him. While his death was predicted, Kenji still manages to abide by the values embedded in him and tearfully forgives his killer before passing away. The film comes to a profound close as Tsubasa meets Kenji’s daughter and indulges her on the story about the father she never knew.

A Family allows a glimpse into the world of Japanese organized crime without glorifying the power, machismo and senseless violence behind it. Instead, it stays true to its namesake and concentrates on Kenji’s life with his newfound family as well as the obligations and vulnerabilities that came along with it. It also emphasizes on the bygone days of the older generations due to the ever-changing times and how it is their responsibility to pave the way for youngsters instead of standing in their way. This is evident as even at his end, Kenji retains the values he learnt from Shibasaki and sacrifices himself to save Tsubasa’s future, hence maintaining his honor and doing his duty as a man. Though there was little room for character development due to the intense plot, A Family still succeeds in humanizing a group of misfits that continue to be ostracized today.