The Outsider (2018)

Introduction to "The Outsider"
"The Outsider", released in 2018, is a police procedural film directed by Martin Zandvliet and composed by Andrew Baldwin. The film stars Jared Leto as the primary protagonist, Nick Lowell, an American previous detainee of war who finds himself knotted in the underground world of the yakuza in post-World War II Japan.

Plot Synopsis
Embed in Osaka, Japan, in 1954, the movie opens with Nick Lowell, the only non-Japanese prisoner in an Osaka jail. He conserves the life of his cellmate, Kiyoshi, a member of the Shiromatsu yakuza clan, which makes him the gratitude of the clan. When Nick is released, he has nowhere to go and ends up being taken in into the yakuza family out of a sense of financial obligation and a mission for belonging. Kiyoshi becomes his guide and coach as Nick tries to navigate the custom-mades and values of the yakuza life.

Nick rapidly becomes embroiled in the violent and treacherous world of the Japanese criminal underworld. His Western methods and ruthless technique to handling clan organization draws attention and uncertainty from other members. Regardless of this, he gains the favor of the clan's patriarch, Akihiro Shiromatsu, by carrying out the dirty work that others may avoid. Required bloodshed and fierce loyalty tests follow, all to show his obligation and to embrace the methods of the yakuza.

Themes and Character Development
"The Outsider" delves into styles of identity, belonging, and the cultural clash in between East and West. Nick's character is that of a cultural outsider who attempts to transform himself by immersing in the rituals and violence of the yakuza. The film portrays his journey as a psychologically extreme one, as he moves from being a marginalized detainee of war to an accepted, albeit unusual, member of a Japanese crime distribute.

Another theme present in the movie is the rigid hierarchy and the rigorous code of honor that determines the yakuza way of life. The concept of 'giri,' which means obligation and duty, ends up being a driving force for Nick as he embraces his role in the criminal household and faces the intrinsic dangers that include it.

Visual Style and Setting
Zandvliet's "The Outsider" uses climatic cinematography that captures the duration setting of Japan in the 1950s, with a gritty and moody visual tone that matches the movie's dark story. The settings vary from the confined spaces of the prison to the neon-lit nightlife of post-war Osaka, all of which improve the mood of alienation and otherness that overlays the whole film.

Crucial Reception
Critics provided "The Outsider" a blended reception. Part of the criticism fixated the movie's representation of the familiar 'white rescuer' trope, with Leto's character being another example of a Westerner adopting and mastering components of another culture. Others felt that while the film had strong production values and a compelling environment, it fell short on character development, and its narrative lacked creativity. Nonetheless, it was acknowledged that the film may hold appeal for those interested in yakuza-themed storytelling or climatic crime dramas.

Conclusion
In general, "The Outsider" functions as a bleak and violent tale embeded in an appealing time and place in history. The movie tries to check out complicated dynamics of post-war Japan through the eyes of an American looking to discover his location in a world he does not completely comprehend. With a main efficiency by Jared Leto and an elegant representation of the yakuza's discreet operations and rigorous code of conduct, "The Outsider" adds another layer to the canon of criminal offense movies, albeit with blended success.

Top Cast