I noticed that IMDb lists this as a crime film AND a comedy. Well, there's nothing funny about the film--it's not at all a comedy. Instead, the film is about four low-lifes who make a career out of blackmailing people and fighting various mobs (who SHOULD have been able to smash them like bugs but somehow didn't throughout much of the film). For them, it all seems to be for the thrills and laughs--the money is secondary. However, the deeper the risk the greater the thrills--so they keep biting off more and more and more. You figure that eventually they'll get in way over their heads. And that is when their friend Zero (a black guy--which is quite unusual for a Japanese film) is killed, things look really bad for these bizarre anti-heroes.While this film is quite different from the usual mobster film of the time, it still is a pretty ordinary crime drama. It was reasonably entertaining but no more. For those who like the genre, it's worth seeing--for others, probably not.

Maybe I'm a bit of an oddball, because I thought this was better than Battle Royale, which is probably the director's most beloved (and famous) movie (at least, among Americans). Battle Royale was actually paced too slowly for my liking, and too much of it depended on you being surprised or amazed by the concept, whereas Blackmail Is My Life relies more on offbeat characters and the charismatic acting by the lead. I suppose I agree with other reviewers that this is something of a transitional piece, straddling the dopey 60s comedies and gritty 70s dramas. Again, I might be a bit of an oddball here, but I thought that it worked very well; for me, Battle Royale was the interesting-yet-ultimately-failed stylistic exercise! If I had one complaint, it'd be that the pacing does slow down a bit in the second half, as the story starts to become a bit more burdened with increasing plot elements, rather than the carefree first half.The basic plot revolves around a modern day Yakuza who, as you might expect, is a blackmailer. Initially, things are pretty easy (and the movie is quirky and upbeat), because he's both skilled and lucky. When things start taking a turn for the worse, our protagonist slowly comes to realize what he's got himself into, and what kind of life he's made for himself. This is when the movie starts becoming gritty, turning into more of a revenge movie. The beauty of this movie is how the quirky first half effortlessly segues to the gritty second half, without you really ever thinking to yourself that either part doesn't belong.If you're into stylistic or quirky Yakuza movies, this is certainly highly recommended. Even if you don't ordinarily watch Japanese movies, I'd still suggest you check this out, because it's a really great example of how you can break out of genre limitations to appeal to a wider demographic. I wouldn't oppose an American remake of this movie -- it deserves to be more well known.

I really wanted to like this movie and for the first half hour it delivers. Interesting shots, flashbacks, cool stuff and innovative for the 1960s. Good backstory of the hero is shown, and interesting blackmail plot for the first 40 minutes. But then the writers and director lost focus, the plot got boring, and my urge was to turn the movie off. Now that's not a good instinct for a movie you want to like. I give it a 6 simply for the great beginning and interesting film style, but it could have been much better. Without this, the movie is below average, a 4 or 5. I do not recommend except for those interested in these kinds of movies, students, film buffs, etc. For most, this will be a big disappointment.

Blackmail is my Life came in a transitional period for Japanese crime cinema and it shows that by being somehow stylistically confused. The genre was with one foot still set on the earlier Nikkatsu pictures that portrayed yakuzas as people who operated with some sense of chivalry (and BIML reflects that by having the blackmailers act as the heroes), the cool of Seijun Suzuki who bid the genre adieu with Branded to Kill one year earlier (and what an adieu that was) and one foot looking at the future.The first half of the picture resembles the colourful pop air of Suzuki and anticipates the disjointed timelines and narrative style of The Yakuza Papers. Hiroki Matsukata is Muraki; professional blackmailer and quite successful at that. He lies on a bed and remembers. Flashbacks show us his humble beginnings. They start in black and white then colour kicks in. Frames freeze while he narrates in a voice-over. We go back and forth like that until after the half hour mark the story starts to shape up. His rise as a prominent blackmailer is seen through a series of incidents that lead up to the big con.The second half is predicated more on character than style. Fukasaku puts the quirky flashbacks, stills and narration of the beginning to the side and focuses on the story in a straight-forward manner. He's just as good this way. The movie turns more cynical and gritty and the ending is particularly memorable.The director is still not at the top of his craft (it's relatively still early in his career) but he shows that he's not willing to settle down for a simple, run-of-the-mill yakuza flick. He gambles; sometimes he wins, sometimes he doesn't. But he dares and as the saying goes, fortune favours the brave. If he hadn't taken a stab at a different approach like BIML, maybe The Yakuza Papers would have never materialized in all its glory. In that sense, Fukasaku deserves kudos for taking chances and following his vision.Blackmail is my Life may not always be successful in its stylistic daring but it's entertaining and cool. As the missing link between the hard bop of the 60's and the grittiness of the 70's, it's an important part of the general picture. Fans owe it to themselves to check it out.