MADE IN HONG KONG
Fruit Chan's 1997 masterpiece isn't a "True" yakuza film, but they certainly appear. It's mainlyt about a guy who ... I don't want to ruin it, but he basically interacts with different people, and eventually becomes violent, after failing to save a very sick girl's life. This is one of my favorite films and is depressing as hell.
AS TEARS GO BY and FALLEN ANGELS... when it comes to pure unadulterated energetic directing and skill, there's really no one better behind a camera than Wong Kar Wai. This guy knows how to hold a camera. This guy knows how to film people -- he has a very Godardian artsiness to his stuff at times, but his style is truely original in most ways. These films are both unconventional, narratively and otherwise, but I reccoemend both GREATLY.You won't see many films better than FALLEN ANGELS.
THE REVENGE - As many of you know, KIYOSHI KUROSAWA is one of the most successful directors in the world, and has made many modern masterpieces: CURE, CHARISMA, DOPLLEGANGER, TOKYO SONATA, BRIGHT FUTURE, etc etc etc. He actually started out making yakuza films, and THE RENVEGE -- while hard to find -- is pretty awesome. It's about a cop whose entire family (!) is murdered by the yakuza, so the cop gets revenge. It's stylish, action packed, and unconventionally filmed, with a great atmosphere.
TOKYO EYES - I love these mid-90's Japanese films, when all these shoot outs happened inside of arcades with kids dancing in DDR machines and people palying Virtua Fighter. This isn't the best film by any means, but it has a certain look and atmosphere that makes it compelling. It's short and energetic and very spontaneous, worth a look.
I'm alway son the lookout for yakuza films, and any new Asian films in general. All the best films of the past 40 years have come from Asia (TETSUO, PASTORAL, MAN WHO STOLE THE SUN, HAUSU, FUNERAL PROCESSION OF ROSES, THE CAT, RIKIOH, etc etc etc). I've always got my eye on this stuff, so if I find anything else I'll let you know.