The Yakuza Papers - Battles Without Honor & Humanity (Complete Box Set)
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Features
• Anamorphic
• Box set
• DVD-Video
• Special Edition
• Subtitled
• NTSC
In Theaters : 13 March, 1975
DVD Release : 14 December, 2004 |
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The Yakuza Papers - Battles Without Honor & Humanity (Complete Box Set) description
While The Godfather romanticized the American Mafia in the early 1970s, Kinji Fukasaku's five-film series known as The Yakuza Papers: Battles Without Honor & Humanity revolutionized the Japanese yakuza film with unprecedented intensity. A post-World War II epic that broke Japanese box-office records, this complex, utterly authentic cycle of gangster films replaced the popular ninkyo or "chivalry" films of the '60s with jitsuroku, an entirely new breed of gangster film that rose from the ashes of Hiroshima and post-war reconstruction, depicting a meticulously detailed "alternate history" (as Japanese film expert Tom Mes observes in the accompanying booklet) that had been ignored by the "official" factual record. Beginning with 1973's Battles Without Honor and Humanity and continuing through four hugely popular sequels, these are bracingly intricate studies in shifting loyalties and gangland chaos, tracking the yakuza career of Shozu Hirono (played by charismatic star Bunta Suguwara), who rises from lowly soldier status in 1946 to "sworn brotherhood" and respected retirement in 1970. Across this quarter-century of death, power, and betrayal, Fukasaku orchestrates nearly 50 characters in four major cities, all vying for dominance in a familial structure so complex that a helpful flow-chart is provided to follow the shifting balance of power. Western viewers may struggle with the social context of these films, but as a gangster epic of escalating scope and power, The Yakuza Papers offers a universally energizing DVD experience. Fukasaku (who died in January 2003 while filming his 62nd film, Battle Royale II) was a master of cinematic pulp, and these films represent the pinnacle of his frenetic, deliberately chaotic hand-held camera style, which strongly influenced American urban crime films of the '70s (as French Connection director William Friedkin notes on the feature-packed supplement disc). Rough-edged and thematically rich, the five films presented here--all in pristine digital transfers and brilliantly translated by ace subtitler Linda Hoaglund--combine to form a sprawling milestone of Japanese cinema. Home Vision's packaging and comprehensive supplements pay honorable tribute to Fukasaku's achievement, with bonus features that provide all the necessary background needed to fully appreciate The Yakuza Papers as a raw, ambitious masterpiece that fully deserves its widespread acclaim. --Jeff Shannon |
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The Yakuza Papers - Battles Without Honor & Humanity (Complete Box Set) Customer Reviews
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♥♥♥♥♥
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The Yakuza: Men Without A Moral Compass
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Director Kinji Fukasaku's five part film set of "The Yakuza Papers" is an important addition to anyones Asian film library. A little background on Kinji Fukasaku might help those to understand why he chose to portray the yakuza as men without honor or decency. Prior to these films, most viewers were most often given the portrayal of the yakuza as having some sort of honor: A sort of 'Bushido Code' similar to the ways of the ancient Samurai. And there were many films which portrayed the yakuza in such a light. However, Kinji Fukasaku knew better. His portrayal of the yakuza is not the loyal and honorable men that many often viewed. In his nihilistic yakuza film "Graveyard Of Honor" his primary goal was to show the audience what really lay behind the unseen world of these thugs: For he knew them well.
In "Graveyard Of Honor" his primary focus was on the yakuza thug Rikio Ishikawa, who was as much a debased human as the yakuza outfit he belonged to. And being that Kinji Fukasaku was from the same village as Rikio Ishikawa, he must have seen a world few of us are privy to. And this is further evident in his yakuza films, as he does not portray them in an honorable light. Prior to these portrayals, one might see the casual to not so casual Zatoichi episode of Katsu Shintaro's disgust with such men, and many times in a comical light. However, in the "Yakuza Papers" Kinji Fukasaku dispels all myths that the yakuza are or were men of honor. The latest box set is well worth the purchase. I remember buying these one at a time years ago on VHS, and this Box set has done the series justice.
The first of this five part film epic introduces the viewer to what will be a 30 year long struggle of gang warfare in Japan after the bombing of Hiroshima. These are violent films, and Fukasaku does not spare the viewer as to how, why and where these thugs were able to rise to power after Japan's defeat in WWII. We are witness to betrayals, deceit and the methods of how the yakuza become organized. Everything in the yakuza clans were modeled along business lines--and we witness the so-called yakuza myth being destroyed. These are vicious gangs who will go through anyone, and everyone to get what the feel belongs to them. As for loyalty, forget about it, there is none. Many of those who started out with the yakuza after the war were former soldiers. One of these is the films primary protagonist Shozo Hirono (Bunta Suguwara). Shozo Hirono is a former soldier who is initiated into the gang after an altercation with another yakuza. As Shozo rises through the ranks, we see his character going through the motions of honor and loyalty--even though his superiors are not entirely of the same mode.
These films are available separately, or in this Boxed Version. I would recommend viewers obtain the Boxed version for several reasons. First, it is less expensive, and also, with the Boxed Version there is also an additional 6th DVD. This additional DVD gives numerous interviews about Fukasaku and his films, and in particular his use of violence in his films. Also, there is included a pretty good booklet by Patrick Macias. The five films that make up this epic are: 1."Battles Without Honor & Humanity" 2. "Deadly Fight In Hiroshima" 3. "Proxy War" 4. "Police Tactics" 5. "Final Episode." The transfers in all the films are very good--excellent in fact. Also, I have seen these films available in many video rental stores, so if you are hesitant, then you might want to rent them first. However, I HIGHLY recommend the Boxed set if you go ahead and decide to purchase them. [Stars: 5+] |
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The Yakuza Papers - Battles Without Honor dvd movie.