Qui sera le boss à Hiroshima?

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.

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.

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.

This second episode of Hiroshima Yakuza's gangs focused on the main leading character that strangely appears on bottom of list of the characters at IMDB's page, Kin'Ya Kitaôji as the hired killer Sochi Yamanaka, after back from war he looking for a job, has an incident at restaurant when he meets for the first time Yasuko a widow from a Japanese war hero, due his bravery on fight he was hired to work with the clan Muraoka and received a valuable Swiss clock as gift, one night he was involved sexually with the Yasuko, a forbidden step, widow was allowed to marry again with her brother in law only, Yamanaka disappears for a while working as killer, arrested in jail for murder receives a unexpected news, Muraoka has been arranging a marriage between Yasuko and his brother in law, knowing this treachery he decides to kill Muraoka, always helped by the Shozo Hirono (Sugawara) as his best friend and adviser, the final sequence is noteworthy on a slum area, a bit complex to follow, don't blink on the movie, also some fights have many shouting and some characters are too freaky and grotesque, insane and bloody sequel!!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8

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.