The gods can be quite cruel. For our unnamed protagonist its as if unseen forces far greater than himself have conspired against him. What he wants is a simple peaceful life however hes forced to watch as that door is slammed shut by a vicious twist of fate. Having no other option our protagonist turns to organized crime. After he acknowledges the situation hes in he resolves to make the most of it. His efforts though are rooted in humble beginnings. At first our protagonist is little more than a performer of menial tasks an errand boy for his superiors and a victim to their whims. However this doesnt last for long. By relying on a combination of confidence ruthlessness and ingenuity our unnamed protagonist ascends the ranks earning the higherups trust as his sights turn towards the top of the food chain Stories like this fascinate me. Mobster movies represent a darker rendition of the typical rags to riches tale where sentimental value is replaced by realism. Theyre like most underdogdriven narratives but with characters you dont always cheer for and ideas you dont always support. This is the genre that Sanctuary Studio Pastels 1996 film finds itself in. Almost from the start Sanctuary tries separating itself from the others through its heavily political focus. As you would expect the film chronicles a mobsters rise to power but it also connects this to a larger plotline concerning favoritism. Sanctuary intends to criticize a system that only enables celebrities bureaucrats and children of older politicians to advance. Because he despises this practice the films protagonist wants to undermine this system through his mobster influence. Along the way Sanctuary forms several parallels between the political sphere and the criminal underworld arguing that theyre equally corrupt. Unfortunately these ideas are overshadowed by a director whose vision is trapped inside mobster movie cliches. Characters lounge around and reminisce about old times under shimmering streetlights. Plot details are discussed inside lavish nightclubs and highrise skyscrapers. Saxophones pianos and bass guitars supply the score for a string of sex scenes. The end result is a film that aspires for social commentary but fails to offer anything beyond the glitz and glamour and guns. Actually you can ignore the guns. Sure theyre waved around quite a bit but the guns are never used. At no point in this film is anyone in any real danger especially not Hojo. As Sanctuarys protagonist he provides cigarettes and a combover to his role but its his unwavering confidence that truly defines him. Hojos confidence is portrayed to ridiculous extremes. In a crucial scene during Sanctuarys latter half an employer of his requires him to partake in a test of loyalty. As part of the test Hojo has to stab his hand with a knife without flinching. He not only pulls off the stunt but he also does so with a selfassured smirk its obvious that even this test has failed to penetrate his air of confidence. The scene serves as a microcosm of Hojos overall character. No matter what obstacle he faces whether its the police the corrupt politicians his deranged older brother or the mob boss he not only overcomes them but hes also completely unfazed by the threat they pose. Because Sanctuary is unwilling to present Hojo with a legitimate challenge what results is a series of conflicts that arent just unengaging but predictable as well. By itself the lack of dramatic tension is damning material. However this is merely part of a larger issue with the film. Earlier I described the mobsters rise to power and why Im fascinated by it. However theres a concept that Im far more interested in: the fall from grace. Our unnamed protagonist has arrived at the summit but he wont be there for long. Thanks to fames trappings the same traits that fueled his success have changed for the worse. His confidence morphs into arrogance. His ruthlessness swells to surreal heights. And his ingenuity evaporates. Eventually after burning enough bridges our protagonist is reduced to nothing. A journey to the mountaintop can be entertaining however its falling from that same mountaintop that really resonates with me. Personally speaking its captivating to watch someone claw and scratch to attain the finer things in life fancy suits fast cars and highpriced cigars only for it all to instantly vanish. Ultimately the mobsters fall from grace serves as a cautionary tale for members of organized crime what it does is present the consequences of the lifestyle they lead. With Sanctuary though there is no fall from grace. Matter of fact there arent any consequences here whatsoever. Take Sakura Shuichi for instance. Hes a sleazy sewerdwelling rat that forces himself upon random women. Hes also a politician affiliated with the National Diet of Japan. So naturally when Hojo begins blackmailing Sakura with photos of his misdeeds he is warned by the mob boss himself to stop. Hojo however insists on playing with fire. He tosses log after log into the flames delighting in the disaster hes made before eventually deciding to pour a gallon of oil into the mix. Instead of being disciplined for his reckless behavior Hojo receives a promotion. For another example you can refer to Kyoko Ishihara the police forces superintendent. When she tries to infiltrate a mobsterowned casino Kyoko is quickly discovered by Hojo who drugs and rapes her. He suffers no repercussions from this in fact through a mindboggling turn of events Kyoko ends up helping him resist a group of kidnappers. Looking at the bigger picture Hojo decides to become a mobster or in this case a yakuza and is never faced with the consequences of his choice. When you combine this with the lack of dramatic tension what remains is a protagonist whose plot armor is powerful enough to neutralize anything even the aftereffects of his own actions. By glamorizing its subject matter Sanctuary falls victim to the same aches and pains that plagues every other dimeadozen mobster flick. It constructs a narrative of watereddown stereotypes forgettable encounters and incomplete character arcs. This film has no real identity nothing that separates it from the herd which is exactly why Id recommend it to fans of the genre. If you happen to enjoy mobster movies Sanctuary provides pretty much everything youd expect from its category. Thing is there was a spark of potential here. At first the film wanted to take risks with its material but Sanctuary ends up playing it safe.