AllMovie

Directed by Akira Tomono, this lavish historical epic was a celebration of Nikkatsu studio's 80th year anniversary. Set during the run up to World War II, the film centers on Tatsuma Kaya (Masaya Kato), a brooding secret agent for the Japanese Imperial Army. His mission is to gather funds for Japan's impending invasion of Manchuria by any means necessary. That includes robbing a Chinese bank and selling salt in the Manchurian countryside at ludicrously inflated prices. Kaya's life gets ever more complicated when he runs into an old lover, a Chinese cabaret singer and cat burglar named Lian (played by Diane Lane). Later, Kaya is forced to start selling opium when his superiors threaten Lian's life. This ultimately leads to an ugly confrontation with ruthless gang boss (played by Hong Kong martial arts icon Yuen Biao). Donald Sutherland also appears as a rapacious Hong Kong bureaucrat.