The Flower and the Angry Waves

The time: the Taisho Period (1912-26). The place: Asakusa, a popular Tokyo entertainment district. Ogata, a former yakuza, is working as a common laborer. Manryu, a popular geisha who has her pick of clients, becomes sweet on Ogata, even bankrolling a successful gambling spree. This favouritism stirs the wrath of Izawa, a yakuza who wants Manryu for himself. Ogata is working for the Murata-gumi, which has won a big construction job from Daito Denryoku, an electric power compay. Tamai-gumi, with which Izawa is allied, is angling to steal the job away. Ogata is drawn into this struggle when he knocks down an old man who seems to be trespassing on the work site, and learns that he is Mr. Shigeyama, an industry fixer and Murata ally. Shigeyama takes a liking to Ogata, whom he sees as a man of spirit. Ogata reunites with Oshige, a waitress in a small restaurant and, unknown to everyone around her, his wife. Manryu takes an instant dislike to Oshige, whom she senses is a rival for Ogata’s affections. The struggle between the Murata-gumi and its yakuza rivals heats up when gangster invade the work site and wreak havoc. Ogata urges the Murata boss to seek a peaceful resolution to the dispute with the Tamai-gumi. To avoid more bloodshed, the two rivals agree to split the work and hold a ceremony to cement their new relationship, but after a dice game with a planted loaded dice, Ogata is falsely accused of trying to sabotage the peace agreement and is beaten to a pulp. Ogata, his face now horribly disfigured from the beating, finds out that Murat, for whom he was willing to sacrifice his life, is plotting to have him killed. Oshige urges Ogata to save himself, but he is determined to live with her as husband and wife. First, he has to get both of them out of town alive. –worldcinemadirectory.co.uk