Bakuto gaijin butai

This film was sitting among the "New Releases" at the videostore. Got it, watched it, liked it. Also seen enough to suit my taste. Don't need to get into Yakuza (Japanese organized crime) films along with everything else in life. BUT Sympathy for the Underdog is very good movie making and I feel fortunate for having happened on to it.

If Yakuza films are anything like their predecessors, Samurai movies, the genre is huge and varied. In this one from 1971, director Kinji Fukusaki tells the story of a Yakuza boss getting out of jail. All his trappings of power are gone. All he's got are his brains and some very loyal friends.

Among the Extras on the DVD I rented, there are excerpts of an interview with the Director's biographer, a man named Sadao Yamane. It's a very informative interview, where he explains the rise of the organized crime genre. Post World War II Japan began in chaos. Those who could leave the past behind and exploit the present tense could rise to power. The protagonist of Sympathy for the Underdog had been there, done that. Now he has to do it all over again.

While the genre must be very formulaic, there's got to be room for fresh takes. Fukusaku's s style consists of quick takes: the dialogue is curt, information is conveyed in a multimedia of ways; the editing is very tight. And then came a big surprise for me. Towards the end, a moment of genuine tenderness poetically expressed. That's when I heard the quality of writing in this film.

So let's just say Sympathy for the Underdog helped define the art of its type. If you like movies about the world of men, this one's well worth watching.

need I say it?...Tarantino. Kinji Fukasaku in my opinion inspired Tarantino more than any other filmmaker; De Palma, Scorsese, Suzuki among them. The dialog beats, the action beats, even the music seems all vaguely familiar to Tarantino's filmography. Fukasaku is THE yakuza director. While I'm sure most yakuza fans will opt for Seijun Suzuki who came first and who, no doubt, inspired Fukasaku, I compare it to Ford vs. Kurosawa. Ford clearly inspired Kurosawa but Kurosawa took these inspirations and combined them with his own sensibilities to make something truly unique. The same goes for Suzuki and Fukasaku. Watch this and the Yakuza Papers films which are sold together in a great box set and tell me this guy isn't the best. The narrative of Sympathy is not particularly original, it's the age-old small gang vs. big gang which can be seen in this all the way to the recent Miike films. What makes this special is the feeling of the film. The dialog, acting, music, cinematography, style all combine for an unforgettable visceral experience. It's impossible to watch this film and not be drawn in by Koji Tsuruta's performance as the ultimate bad-ass. Fukasaka is also the same man that made the ridiculously entertaining and witty Battle Royale and who died in the middle of Battle Royale II in which his son took over. Home Vision Entertainment did a great job on this DVD and I recommend any yakuza or action fan pick this up immediately.

I just watched this movie and have to agree with Frankie (another movie reviewer here), it more than anything inspired Tarantino. The pacing of the movie, the sense of "coolnes" that permeates the film, the genre, everything about this film influenced gangster films for decades to come. There is the argument however, that Tarantino is derivative and irrelevant, but people see his movies and enjoy them. Even without the knowledge of his inspiration, which is varied, you can't help but like his films.

But about this movie:

It's about a gangster who gets out of prison and strikes up a plan to take over a city in Okinawa with the remnants of his previous gang. Unfortunately, they've never been to Okinawa, and the natives are tougher than they look.

Lots of quick edits, freeze frames and groovy hippie music (with a surf beat) provide the kitsch factor.

Highly recommended!!!

We really know that in this yakuza situation what will happen and it will be with lots of shouting with guns and knives and much blood and many dead. The well known, Koji Tsuruta, being out of prison after ten years and is wanting to get together some of his old pals. Still with this we have had it before but then it is rather splendid that they had been together in Yokohama and decides to go to Okinawa. It is rather surprising because here at the time the US was in control there only a few months after the film was released and they gave it back to the Japanese. There are much location shots really there and it looks great and we see foreigners and resistance groups and some many dark alleys and seedy bars. In Okinawa we get to see with great Tomisaburo Wakajama as the downtown boss and we know that there will be some spectacular action. I thought it was rather good with Koji and his pals walking together in the street and I wondered if Tarantino had seen this because it reminded me of Reservoir Dogs (1992).

Sympathy For The Underdog was second movie i have watched from legendary director Kinji Fukasaku, first was Street Mobster, which is brilliant movie but this is a real masterpiece of yakuza cinema, everything is good from characters, plot, location, action. Koji Tsuruta is just amazing in a role of boss Masuo Ganji, one of the best acting i have seen in Japanese cinema, other actors are also great especially Tomisaburo Wakayama as a Okinawan boss, just his looks are enough to become your favorite character in the movie. This movie was definitely one of the biggest influences on Kitano's Sonatine, the story is very similliar, the location is similliar, Sonatine is excellent movie but i must admit this one is really a classic, the reason why i say in the summary " with the spirit of samurai cinema ", i saw some similarities with 7 samurais, the main boss Koji Tsuruta gathered different people around him in his gang, there were 7 of them like in a Kurosawa's classic, this was not a minus for me just plus, Fukasaku really goes deep to every character like Kurosawa in his movie. This movie is real gem and everyone who loves Yakuza movies and Japanese cinema in general must watch this.

my grade: 8.5/10