Synopsis
13号待避線より その護送車を狙え
A sharpshooter kills two prisoners in a police van at night. The guard on the van is suspended for six months; he's Tamon, an upright, modest man. He begins his own investigation into the murders. Who were the victims, who are their relatives and girlfriends, who else was on the van that night? As he doggedly investigates, others die, coincidences occur, and several leads take him to the Hamaju Agency, which may be supplying call girls. Its owner is in jail, his daughter, the enigmatic Yuko, keeps turning up where Tamon goes. Tamon believes he can awaken good in people, but has he met his match? Will he solve the murders or be the next victim? And who is Akiba?
The 1959–1961 Japan Window
36 Japan films released in this three-year window, ranked here by audience rating. Take Aim at the Police Van sits at position #32.
#1Hero of the Red Light District
★ 8.6 · 1960
#2The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer
★ 8.4 · 1961
#3The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity
★ 8.2 · 1959
#4Yojimbo
★ 8.1 · 1961
#5The Human Condition I: No Greater Love
★ 8.0 · 1959
#6When a Woman Ascends the Stairs
★ 8.0 · 1960
#7Hiroshima Mon Amour
★ 7.8 · 1959
#8Good Morning
★ 7.7 · 1959
Other Titles From Nikkatsu Corporation
The 1960s Japan Landscape
Catalog density by release year in the 1960s. Highlighted year (yellow) is when Take Aim at the Police Van premiered. 202 total titles in this decade from Japan.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #3,839 of 4,579 Japan films indexed here (16th percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is -0.9 points below the Japan average of 6.9/10.
Among Japan Action productions specifically: #1,485 of 1,714 (top 87%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Japanese |
| Production Companies | Nikkatsu Corporation |
| Runtime | 1h 19m |
| Release Date | January 27, 1960 |
| IMDb | tt0054325 |
| Official Site | www.nikkatsu.com |