Gun Number Zero (1959)
A lost pistol ignites a chain of crime in this lean, hard-boiled Japanese noir from Nikkatsu.
Gun Number Zero - Movie Information
- Original Title: 拳銃0号
- Release Year: 1959
- Directed by: Tokujirō Yamazaki
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Crime, Action
- Runtime: 53m
- Original Language: Japanese
- Spoken Languages: Japanese
- Release Date (Theatrical): April 28, 1959 (Japan)
- Alternative Titles: Kenjû 0 gô (JP)
- Production Companies: Nikkatsu Corporation
- Production Countries: Japan
Gun Number Zero - Plot
Eric, an American, arrives at an international tourist hotel and loses his self-defense Colt. It was Kudaira, a beggar, who discovered it, and immediately sold it to Matsuko - another pauper. Soon, the weapon that moves from hand to hand, becomes a tool of many crimes.
Gun Number Zero - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Tokujirō Yamazaki
Main Cast
- Tamio Kawachi
- Yoshiko Okano
- Mihoko Inagaki
- Keiichirō Akagi
- Joe Shishido
- Tōru Abe
- Kyōsuke Machida
- Yuko Minakaze
- Masumi Okada
- Jun Hamamura
Writers
- Nobuyoshi Terada
- Junichi Yoneya
- Masuo Maeda
Gun Number Zero - FAQs
What is Gun Number Zero about?
Gun Number Zero follows a lost American Colt pistol that changes hands among desperate people near a Tokyo tourist hotel. Beginning with a beggar who finds it and sells it, the weapon travels through the urban underworld, triggering a chain of crimes and moral downfall along the way.
Who directed Gun Number Zero?
Gun Number Zero was directed by Tokujirō Yamazaki, a filmmaker working within Nikkatsu's prolific mid-century genre output. The film is a compact crime picture released in 1959, showcasing the studio's interest in gritty, fast-paced urban storytelling during Japan's postwar era.
Who are the main actors in Gun Number Zero?
The film features Tamio Kawachi, Yoshiko Okano, Mihoko Inagaki, Keiichirō Akagi, Joe Shishido, Tōru Abe, Kyōsuke Machida, Yuko Minakaze, Masumi Okada, and Jun Hamamura. Joe Shishido, in particular, would go on to become one of Nikkatsu's most iconic action stars.
When was Gun Number Zero released?
Gun Number Zero was released on April 28, 1959, in Japan. It was produced by Nikkatsu Corporation, Japan's oldest film studio, during a period when the company was heavily investing in genre cinema, particularly crime and action films aimed at younger audiences.
How long is Gun Number Zero?
Gun Number Zero has a runtime of 53 minutes, making it a tightly constructed B-picture. Its brevity is characteristic of the supporting features Nikkatsu produced during this era, designed to deliver fast-paced genre entertainment without excess.
What genre is Gun Number Zero?
Gun Number Zero is a Crime and Action film. It belongs to the wave of Japanese B-movies produced by Nikkatsu in the late 1950s, blending hard-boiled crime narratives with postwar urban atmosphere, influenced in part by American noir and gangster cinema of the same period.
Is Gun Number Zero based on a true story?
Gun Number Zero does not appear to be based on a specific true story. It is an original crime drama scripted by Nobuyoshi Terada, Junichi Yoneya, and Masuo Maeda, drawing on the conventions of postwar Japanese crime fiction and the broader influence of American noir storytelling.
What language is Gun Number Zero in?
Gun Number Zero is in Japanese. It is an original Japanese-language production made entirely in Japan by Nikkatsu Corporation, one of the country's most prominent studios during the postwar golden age of Japanese genre cinema in the 1950s and 1960s.
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