Qui sera le boss à Hiroshima?

The political machinations of the yakuza world provide bloody, non-stop thrills in this deliriously anarchic sequel that is never less than fascinating for its attention to personal details and vivid pictorial exploration of a criminal, country-wide hornet's nest. Deadly Fight in Hiroshima may take a more linear direction than that of its predecessor due to its basis having not been finished at the time of filming, the screenplay by Kazuo Kasahara cleverly weaves an adaptation of real-life gangster Mitsuji Yamagami, whilst continuing to build upon the themes of the first Battle. Fukasaku's direction continues to impress, unveiling an eye for breathing space in the middle of the blood-flowing whirlpool; the action sequences are brutal and unforgiving with the camera work by Sadaji Yoshida, at times, mesmerising, especially in the film's final twenty minutes, where Yamanaka is hunted in the rainy laneways of Hiroshima, those are exceptionally beautiful. Despite Sonny Chiba's impressive performance as the ultra-psychotic Katsutoshi, whose manic, psychotic body language jerking movements are used by Chiba to hold Katsutoshi as a ticking time bomb keeping everyone on edge; Bunta Sugawara's weighty presence, despite taking a back seat in this episode, the film truly belongs to Kinya Kitaoji and, the lone voice of feminine voice within the first two films, Meiko Kaji. Their chemistry is fantastic; you get a real feel for these two forbidden lovers' plight, a testament to Fukasaku's handling of the romance, which is deft and touching without becoming cloying. Backed by another spidery score from Toshiaki Tsushima (who even includes a playful nod to Seijun Suzuki's Tokyo Drifter), Deadly Fight in Hiroshima might be a more commercial film than it's predecessor, but just as worthwhile, one that's magnificently vicious and brutally exhilarating.

It's a bold moving, pushing out the second film in a series a mere three months after the first was released. Given the unique approach taken to both the storytelling and the film-making the first time around - loose, almost free-wheeling, chaotic, and harried - would its follow-up proceed along the same lines? Would it try something different; would it carry the same vibrancy and meet with the same success; would it fail to meet the same standard? To read of the production one comes to understand that liberties were taken with the source material and the history that inspired this picture, all for the sake of cinematic narrative cohesion; how would such choices impact the lasting success? It doesn't take long for us to find out, and not least with much the same collaborators rejoining filmmaker Fukasaku Kinji, it's safe to say that 'Deadly fight in Hiroshima' mostly retains the look and feel of its predecessor. Just as much to the point: this second flick of April 1973 does likewise put soft focus on particular families and individual figures, yet the plot boasts the same broad, laxly-woven nature, trusting in overall vibes more than a discrete, linear progression of beats. With that said, frankly those concerns of treatment of the source material fall by the wayside, because this second 'Battles without honor and humanity' is once again more about the general than the specific. And debate and compare as we might, at large this is just as swell.

Oh yes, the feature is based somewhat on actual people and events. More immediately, though, like the antecedent, this offers a glimpse at the perpetual feuds, graphic violence, and struggles for power and territory among yakuza in the years after World War II. With that, 'Deadly fight' maintains a consistent vision with its progenitor, and that pretty well extends to all elements. So Fukasaku sustains a zestful vitality with favor of handheld cameras, natural lighting, and a steady pace within most scenes. Cinematographer Yoshia Sadaji and editor Miyamoto Shintaro adopt the same mentality with their dexterous, dynamic contributions, especially bolstering the vigor of the violent stunts, effects, and action sequences, just as the cast give excellent, well-rounded performances of unexpected range, nuance, and emotional depth to adeptly meet the needs of any given moment. Tsushima Toshiaki's music provides flavorful complement, a nice juxtaposition with sharp production design, art direction, sets, costume design, hair, and makeup. Surprisingly, however, for as much kinship as this movie readily shares with its forebear - including regular instances of narration, stills, and on-screen text to provide context and advance the plot in a concise manner - it does also come across to some degree that this is a little more polished, and more carefully rendered. The bursts of violence are just as vivid, but especially in the quieter scenes of dialogue one detects a more deliberate, measured sense of writing and direction. This includes more distinct emphasis on a singular character, in this case hitman Yamanaka Shoji.

I'm inclined to believe that some fragment of the prior unbridled strength is diminished as this title refines what previously felt like a very fly-by-night production. Some outright energy is traded in for reserved dramatic sensibilities and emotional impact, and while the long-term quality is much the same there is unmistakably some disparity from one to the next. Maybe this means 'Deadly fight' is more accessible for some viewers; maybe it means that it lacks the same cutting edge, and is less remarkable, as it becomes a bit more conventional. Though the sequel is cut from the same cloth as the first release of January 1973, it's the difference of wholly embracing the roughness that may present, versus smoothing over some fractions to foster a more outwardly cogent, calculated front. It's my opinion that this makes this film every so slightly inferior to the unrelenting first 'Battles without honor and humanity'; then again, for the high level on which these pictures operate, that's not actually saying a lot. What it comes down to is that if the predecessor is an essential classic, its successor is maybe a tad less so, yet if one is receptive to the genre and everything that the series is known for, 'Deadly fight in Hiroshima' is ultimately just as worthwhile. Don't necessarily go out of your way for it, but chances are you can find all the features in the same place to begin with - and one way or another, if you do have the chance to watch, I'm pleased to give this yakuza flick my solid recommendation.

The focus of this highly engaging second installment is Kin'ya Kitaoji's "Shoji Yamanaka" character, a brooding, shy, impulsive man who places the highest premium on his love for his boss's niece, a humble, passionate woman who vows to wait for him when he is incarcerated for a series of brutal murders.

The political machinations of the yakuza world provide bloody, non-stop thrills in this deliriously anarchic crime drama that is never less than fascinating for its attention to personal details and vivid pictorial exploration of a criminal, country-wide hornet's nest.

Despite the impressive performance of Sonny Chiba as an ultra-psychotic "torpedo" and the weighty presence of Bunta Sagawara (who takes a back seat in this episode), the film does belong to Fukomoto. His turn as Yamanaka is extraordinary and he makes us empathize with the character. Fukasaku's handling of the romance is deft and touching without ever becoming cloying.

Once again, the action sequences are brutal and unforgiving and the camera-work by Sadaji Yoshida is, at times, mesmerizing. The film's final twenty minutes, where Yamanaka is hunted in the rainy laneways of Hiroshima, are quite beautiful.

A plaudit should also go to composer Toshiaki Tsushima who delivers a driving, organic, highly memorable score.

Another triumph.

Famed Japanese director Kinji Fukasaku made a popular series of epic gangster films in Japan in the 1970s, starting with BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR AND HUMANITY. Hiroshima DEATH MATCH is the second of this five-part series and even better than the first; the first film is good but a little too sprawling and unfocused. It feels like everybody cut their teeth on that one, and went on to even better things with this.

The tale is a familiar one for anybody versed with the works of Beat Takeshi and the like: two rival crime families vie for control of post-war Hiroshima during the 1950s, and petty rivalries soon spiral out of control leading to full-blooded murder. A relatively short running time means that there's a heck of a lot of incident packed in here, ranging from love affairs to prison stays, assassination attempts, gang fights, and shoot-outs.

The production values of Hiroshima DEATH MATCH are very good indeed and there's a decidedly adult edge to the proceedings, with plenty of violence and blood thrown into the mix. The star players are all very strong too, from the mild mannered Yakuza bosses to the likes of Sonny Chiba as a spaced-out thug with violent passions. PROXY WAR followed next.

Yakuza Papers 2: Hiroshima Death Match (1973) is a movie that I recently rewatched on Tubi. This picture has two parallel storylines that are bound to cross. One storyline follows a young man who is sick and tired of being beat up by local gang members and takes up a new job as a hitman. A love story unfolds between him and the bosses niece. Meanwhile Shozo from the first film has joined up with a ruthless man looking to gain power within the Japanese Yakuza.

This movie is directed by Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale) and stars Bunta Sugawara (Wicked Priest), Sonny Chiba (Street Fighter), Meiko Kaji (Lady Snowblood), Hiroshi Nawa (Zatoichi: The Fugitive) and Mikio Narita (Shadow Warriors).

The best part of this movie is definitely the action/fight sequences. Many of the action scenes combine gun shootouts with sword fighting that's breathtaking. Some of these scenes have a vast number of characters and deaths that's extremely entertaining. This has a worthwhile and intricate storyline that contains fascinating characters. Chiba and Sugawara are awesome and I adored seeing Lady Snowblood in this.

Overall this may not be as good as the first one but it is still an absolute must see. I would score this an 8/10 and strongly recommend it.