The Yakuza Papers - Battles Without Honor & Humanity (Complete Box Set)

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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

Description

In the wake of the Bomb, ex-soldier Shozo Hirono [Bunta Sugawara] joins a Hiroshima yakuza gang, the Japanese equivalent of the Mafia-and then the shootings, slashings, betrayals, and scheming begin. Premiering a year after The Godfather, The Yakuza Papers also broke box office records and spawned sequels, but, in contrast, took a ruthlessly de-romanticized view of the underworld. Based on an actual gang boss's memoirs, The Yakuza Papers plunges the audience into a gritty, brutal, violent newsreel of a three-decade struggle for power of Shakespearean complexity, a nihilistic epic unlike any other.

Customer Reviews:

Quality in Quantity.......2007-03-05

If you like gritty gangster movies, buy this boxed set right now. It is a shame that Fukasaku-san is no longer with us, he had a lot of lessons that he could have taught the people who produce and direct todays gangster-pablum. I have recently recieved these episodes from an online movie rental service, my interest in Fukasaku-san's films being piqued by "Battle Royal", and I was not disappointed.

The films are all brilliantly written and brilliantly directed. When this is paired with the excellent job done by every actor/actress in the series, you are left with an extremely solid series. What more can a film fan ask for?

If you are interested in Japanese film and culture, and as obsessed with organized crime (especially the Yakuza, the smoothest of criminals) as I am, you will love this series. If you can't follow the fast paced storyline or the realistic violence: Stay home! This series is for the hardcore only.

Fans of mass-produced Hollywood/network T.V. garbage need not apply.

Amazing Gem of Japanese Cinema.......2006-09-10

I loved these films. A classic set of Japanese yakuza movies for your own private viewing. It's so complex that it'll make the American Noir films look like Soap Operas. A little more violence than expected, The Yakuza Papers displays a cinematic dynamicity, that few movies had during the 70's. Clear portrayal of Japanese post-war, or should I say post-Nuclear era.A revolutionary masterpiece. Somebody said before that they "look like a Sonny Chiba movie", but it's quite the opposite. They look indeed very original and stylistically influencial.

Battles without Honor and Humanity.......2005-02-03

This series is without a doubt the most important series of yakuza films ever to be made. Not only are the films socially important, but they are also masterpieces in filmmaking.
The series has an intriguing story which continues through all five films. Each film tells different parts of the same story, in chronological order, and for this reason I cannot help but consider the series to be one film, broken into five parts. The films were revolutionary because they were some of the first to depict the yakuza lifestyle as one without honor, as the title reveals. Films such as Pale Flower showed the emptiness of the yakuza lifestyle, but no film was as commanding as the Battles Without Honor series, which not only showed the emptiness, but also the brutality, destruction, and tragedy of the yakuza lifestyle. The message of the film is very in-your-face, because at the time almost every film glorified the gangster life and heroic bloodshed. In addition, the production quality of the series is very high and each film is very professionally made, with the filmmakers truly showing care and respect for their work. Each film provides a testament to the power of good storytelling and good filmmaking. This series is not just for yakuza fans, but for fans of all Japanese cinema, as well as fans of cinema in general. Though the series may portray a great gangster tale, they are also great films and the viewer need not be a fan of the genre.

This is yet again a wonderful presentation on the part of Home Vision Entertainment. The picture quality has really been cleaned up and the transfer is excellent. Another extremely important aspect of this release is that the subtitles have been newly translated, making the films much easier to understand than other versions. The box set also contains a bonus disc full of special features, which are not available with just the regular discs.

Overall, I highly recommend these films and this DVD series is the best way to see them.

Killer set.......2004-12-31

"The Yakuza Papers" consists of five sequential films made in the 1970s and only now making their U.S. debut, in this killer six-DVD set from Home Vision. Comparisons to the first two "Godfathers" seem inevitable, but "Yakuza" is a singular film experience -- deeply rewarding for those with the stomach for its kinetic violence; overwhelming in scope and complexity.

The set thoughtfully provides a printed chart that helps viewers track the Japanese crime families that do battle over the quarter-century covered in the series. They'll need it. "Yakuza" rarely pauses to allow for reflection -- this is a dizzying eight-hour hell-ride through a time and place as foreign as they come.

William Friedkin, whose talking-head interview kicks off the extras disc, calls director Kinji Fukasaku "a master," comparing "Yakuza Papers" to James Joyce's "Ulysses." No doubt a contemporary influence on the frantic hand-held camerawork was Friedkin's own "The French Connection," which the U.S. director says "very easy could have been done by Fukasaku."

Fukasaku looked past the stars of romanticized old-school yakuza films to find his lead, Bunta Sugawara, with whom he had just worked on "Street Mobster" (also out via Home Vision). No one in "Yakuza" gets off easy, but Sugawara's existential Hirono character comes closest to a traditional hero as he makes his way from the streets to the top of the underworld. More typical is weepy crime boss Yamamori (Nobuo Kaneko), a cross between Don Corleone and Floyd the barber.

Home Vision, which has busied itself importing gritty yakuza films, gives Fukasaku's epic first-class treatment, starting with a metal container and an artful fold-out for the discs. Video looks tremendous, coming from films of their era and budget, with almost no speckling or other overt wear. Aspect ratio is 2.35:1, enhanced for 16.9 TVs. There are a few scenes with flashes of polarization and occasional image stretching near the sides of the letterboxed frames. Mono audio is gun-metal solid.

One don't-miss extra is the interview with tough-talking translator Linda Hoaglund, who grew up in Japan as the daughter of missionaries. The films of "Fukasaku-san" were all about rage, she says. "He's ripping the lid off Japanese society: 'Take a look -- it's wild here.' "

A blood-soaked epic.......2004-12-23

Kinji Fukasaku's series of films known as The Yakuza Papers is largely seen as the veteran filmmaker's answer to The Godfather. Grouped together, these five films are a towering achievement of visceral B-moviemaking at its finest. The very first image over the opening credits of Battles Without Honor and Humanity is that of a mushroom cloud. The dropping of two atomic bombs would forever change and shape Japan's history. It is an event that shaped and changed Fukasaku's life. It also informed many of his movies.

In a nice touch, a booklet is included that maps out the various clans, their significant members and their relation to each other over the course of all five films. This is extremely helpful to neophytes who have trouble remembering who's who and what happened when.

The bonus disc starts off with "Friedkin on Fukasaku," an interview with the legendary director who talks about meeting Fukasaku. He recounts his impressions of the man and how his style of filmmaking differed from the masters of classic Japanese cinema (Ozu, Kurosawa, et al).

"Jitsuroku: Reinventing a Genre" examines this sub-genre of Yakuza films in which the events are based on true stories or historical record.

"Boryoku: Fukasaku and the Art of Violence" is an examination of how violence is depicted in his movies. There is interview footage with the man himself as he talks about expressing the violent and restless tendencies that came out of the postwar period.

"Kantoku: Remembering the Director" features Fukasaku's son and two of his collaborators talking about what it was like to work with him.

David Kaplan, co-author of Yakuza: Japan's Criminal Underworld, talks about the history and evolution of the Yakuza on the "Kaplan on the Yakuza" featurette.

Rounding out the extras is "Translating Fukasaku" with Linda Hoaglund talking about working on the subtitling into English of his movies.

For quite some time Home Vision has released some of the finest examples of Yakuza cinema. They've hit the mother load with this fantastic box set that features some of Fukasaku's best work. For people only familiar with his controversial swan song, Battle Royale, The Yakuza Papers is an exciting, crime epic influenced by the dropping of two atomic bombs that helped defeat Japan, bring about an end to World War II and shape the prevailing attitude of its people for years to come.

The Yakuza Papers, Vol. 1 - Battles Without Honor and Humanity

Average customer rating:

Hen Pecked Fingers
No honor amongst thieves and killers

The Yakuza Papers, Vol. 1 - Battles Without Honor and Humanity
Starring: Bunta Sugawara , Hiroki Matsukata , Tatsuo Umemiya , Tsunehiko Watase , and Nobuo Kaneko
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Manufacturer: Homevision
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0002V7O1K
Release Date: 2004-12-07

Description

In the teeming black markets of postwar Japan, Shozo Hirono (Bunta Sugawara) and his buddies find themselves in a new war between fractious and ambitious yakuza. After joining boss Yamamori, Shozo is drawn into a feud with his sworn brother¹s family, the Dois. But that¹s where the chivalry of traditional yakuza film ends and the hypocrisy, betrayal, and assassinations begin. A rare and critical perspective on the history of Japan after World War II, BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR AND HUMANITY is a tour-de-force that revolutionized the yakuza genre and launched Kinji Fukasaku and Bunta Sugawara to international stardom.

Customer Reviews:

Hen Pecked Fingers.......2006-07-28

Opening with an image of the atomic bomb reducing Hiroshima to ashes, Fukasaku Kinji's Battles without Honor and Humanity begins a series of five movies depicting the chaotic life of Hirono Shozo a former soldier who is trying to survive in the chaotic world of the black markets in postwar Japan. A pretty even-tempered man, the viewer first witnesses Hirono lash out in violence when a group of American GIs try to rape a woman. Amidst the chaos of the black market with its prostitutes, underground rice kitchens, and violent bars, one of Hirono's friend's head is slashed by a yakuza. A rival yakuza was going to deal with the man, but in his stead Hoshino seeks revenge for his friend. Faced with a drunken, sword wielding yakuza Hirono empties his pistol into the man, and receives a twelve year sentence. However, while in prison, he meets another yakuza named Wakasugi who plans to slice open his stomach in order to get out of jail on bail. Promising to raise Hirono's bail money if he helps him in his plot, Wakasugi introduces Hirono into the world of the yakuza and the two men become blood brothers.

A short time afterward, Hirono is released from prison and meets the head of the Doi family, the clan of the yakuza he went to jail for, and Yamamori the man who will soon be his gang boss. After Yamamori establishes his own gang, Hirono and several other toughs pledge their allegiance to him. However, almost from the beginning there is internal fighting in the ranks. How can a man as straight laced an honorable as Hirono work for a man like Yamamori who continuously plays his men against each other?

During the late 1950s and the early 1960s a style of film called ninkyou eiga, or chivalry films became popular in Japan. For the most part these films portrayed yakuza as chivalrous beings who protected and preserved time honored traditions in Japan and expelled Western influences. Quite often in these films Westerners, Japanese heavily influenced by the West, and individuals of mixed blood were portrayed as villains while the sword wielding yakuza represented the purity of the Japanese spirit. It is not surprising that real yakuza were highly attracted to these films. However, Fukasaku Kinji viewed this portrayal of the yakuza as false and the ninkyou eiga films' portrayal of the yakuza, i.e. Japanese spirit, as being quite close to the wartime mentality. When Hirono draws his pistol and kills the sword-wielding yakuza it is a statement that the world of the yakuza is built on chaos and corruption not pure spirit. A highly recommended film and series for those who enjoy yakuza films and an important series for those who are interested in the evolution of the yakuza film.

No honor amongst thieves and killers.......2005-09-21

There are few films as well-named as Fukasaku Kinji's "Battles Without Honor and Humanity" ("Jingi naki tatakai.') With one shot, Fukasaku (director of "Battle Royale") undid and entire genre of film, one that would never be the same again. A lone Yakuza, wielding a Samurai sword stands against a crowd, a brave sneer on his face. He is instantly shot and killed, his katana useless against a gun.

Yakuza films in Japan were generally in a category known as Ninkyo Eiga, Chivalry Films. The Japanese mafia was shown as later-day Samurai heroes, defending and upholding traditional Japanese values of honor and loyalty above all else. This colorful imagery was supported by the Yakuza themselves, who loved seeing themselves portrayed in this heroic light.

Fukasaku, with deep anti-violence sentiments, directed "Battles Without Honor and Humanity" in an attempt to set the record straight, to re-write the post-War history of Japan and unveil the true nature of these violent thugs, more interested in money than honor. The story unfolds over several years, following the career of Hirono Shozo, a former soldier and brawler who's own sense of loyalty to his Yakuza boss proves his undoing. Hirono is used as a pawn by several rival bosses and would-be bosses, seeking control over the Black Markets that sprang up following WWII.

Hirano's narrative is only a framework for the deconstruction of a genre. Hard and true Yakuza genre tropes are constantly destroyed. Yakuza bosses break down and cry in front of their men, using money as a lure to get their way. Guns jam and run out of bullets, "brave" Yakuza hide under children attempting to escape the police...there is little sacred here.

The disjointed storyline might be a little disorientating to those who have never seen a Yakuza film before, but Fukasaku helps you out with a running total of who has died. (A device that would reappear in "Battle Royale." ) A general background of post-WWII Japan would be helpful, but isn't necessary.

"Battles Without Honor and Humanity" is a landmark Japanese film. Harsh, violent and sending a powerful message, it is an amazing piece of work.

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