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Battles Without Honour and Humanity More at IMDbPro »Jingi naki tatakai (original title)
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| Index | 11 reviews in total |
18 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
Great Tale of No Honor Among Thieves, 8 August 2004
Author:
dbborroughs from Glen Cove, New York
Based on a true story Battles Without Honor is a kick ass trip through the
rise of the yakuza in post war Japan. Beginning in 1945 and traveling
through the next 12 or so years this is the tale of a group of friends who
come together in order to survive the cruelties of post-war, and post-bomb
Japan and then spend the next decade killing each other as they change sides
in a perpetual gang war.
This film has just about everything. Moments of violence, hysterical comedy
(The finger), drama, and there is even hints of romance as a moll tries to
hide her beau. Its brutal and nasty and probably very close to
reality.
Some reviews paint this as having come in the wake of the Godfather, but
while that may have gotten the movie made, the tone is different. There is
no honor, there is no loyalty, there is only violence, violence and more
violence, usually ex-friend on ex-friend. Despite there being "gangs" its
really everyman for himself. American and European films of the same period
often painted things as much less cut throat and that there really was
familial loyalty, that idea is somewhat alien here as people switched sides
if it kept them alive.
This is a near perfect film in many ways. It picks you up from the opening
minutes and carries you along to the end. Its wonderfully of a time and
place and extremely well acted all around.
There are only two problems which are minor. First, I think the film
requires a bit more familiarity with what was going on in Japan post war.
While I have had some knowledge of that, I was a tad lost at the start since
I wasn't instantly aware of what I was seeing. The second minor flaw is that
its jump through time story telling can be a bit disorienting. Its not that
the plot threads are lost, its just that it takes a minute to know who the
older people are.
Over all a great film.
8 out of 10, although it probably should be 9 out of 10, since I'm just in a
down mood.
12 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
A violent, bloody masterpiece, 19 February 2007
Author:
K_Todorov from Bulgaria
I don't get what's with those people who think "Battles Without Honor
Or Humanity" has something to do with "The Godfather". The only notable
similarity is that both delve into the criminal underworlds. But so
what ? "The Godfather" didn't invent this genre. Furthermore the story
in "Battles" was adapted from newspaper articles describing various
yakuza activities. What Kinji Fukasaku created is a brilliant, violent
tale about the dark and unforgiving nature of the Japanese crime
syndicates it is also a story about friendship and betrayal.
This is a tale about a group of young men who after the end of the
Second World War find themselves outcasts from society, under pursuit
by the authorities. They inevitably bond together and form a new crime
syndicate under the leadership of boss Yamamoto. As their organization
grows in power so do the internal struggles between them begin to
escalate. Slowly, either from pure greed and the corruption of power or
by Yamamoto's careful manipulations. It's hard not to draw comparison
with "Battle Royale" Fukusako's most notable film released in the late
nineties. Both present a similar in a way situation: friends fight
friends for their own survival.The only difference being that here that
is done in a much more subtle way. But the elements are still the same,
characters are likable well fleshed-out and the viewer is thrown into
an internal struggle of his own when he sees them killing each other.
Fukasaku's type of narration is one that involves multiple points of
view, we don't have such a strong focus on main character as most
movies do, there is one of course Shozo Hirono (played by the ever
great Bunta Sugawara) but he serves the role of executing the movie's
catharsis, he is the one who becomes a witness to all the madness and
senseless killings and it is his final actions that define that, his
realization and his rebellion to it all, his final display of grief to
friends lost for nothing.
The acting is superb on all fronts, with a diverse cast of characters
who offer a different perspective with their own point of view.
Fukasaku demonstrates his great skill as a director, his technique
perfectly fitting to the movie's tone. By using a fast-paced, erratic,
nearly chaotic style the action scenes offer us that taste of brutality
we wouldn't have felt had they been directed in a more traditional
manner. Fukasaku strays from the established formula of people getting
killed fast and easy with one or two bullets instead he shows us an
alternative to that : a slow, painful exercise, one that more
accurately portrays the yakuza's violent lifestyle. Yet there are no
large body counts, the battles are often predetermined with one side
attacking an individual or small group from the other, by surprise and
in overwhelming force. There really is no honor in the Japanese
underworld.
"Battles Without Honor Or Humanity" is the epitome of humanity's own
self-destructive nature. The one that drives us to aim for a higher
financial and social standing on any means. With no regard for friends,
family, honor or trust.
13 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
Simply great..., 28 January 2001
Author:
bill-552
For those who love yakuza films, this is one NOT to miss. Wild violence
to
start the film (two arms are lopped off within the first five minutes of
the
flick) sets a tone of dread (you don't know who'll be killed next). But
more than action, the film brings a thoughtfulness to the fore. For those
who want an English-language analogy, this film "feels" like Soderbergh's
The Limey (though with a different plot and without the bouncing
back-and-forth in time [though this movie does jump years in its
narrative]).
Don't miss this one...
7 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Oh, Yeah! (all 6 films), 25 February 2007
Author:
marta2046 from United States
Oh, yeah, this is one brilliant, edgy, dark piece of film-making! It
moves at the speed of light starting with the American Occupation of
the devastated city of Hiroshima after WWII up to the early 1970's.
It has great actors playing complex characters, and cinematography and
editing way ahead of its time.
Turn off your phone and don't look away for even a second, or you'll
miss something critical. There are many characters and lots of
information to absorb.
I've read that the script was based on the life of a real Yakuza, but
whether it's fact or fiction, it's a hell of a ride.
And though it's a serious film, sometimes it's also hilarious--
intentionally so.
Warning--not for the squeamish. Unlike the Tarentino films this has
been compared to, the violence here is NOT cartoonish or funny. It's
brutal, bloody, and serious. (as it should be, in my opinion)
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Like Toy Soldiers, 19 April 2006
Author:
liftedface from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
The art of film welcomes its viewers into worlds unknown filled with
interesting characters and settings unfamiliar to the everyday person.
Some of these worlds may be completely imagined, full of monsters and
witchcraft, while others set in the real world but with people and
places with whom we may never meet in our lifetime. Sometimes, after
watching these films, we are left with such a profound imprint that we
cannot help but empathize with the world which we have just witnessed.
All of the above represent the feelings one is able to experience after
watching the five episodes known in America as "The Yakuza Papers." The
first of the series is story of the beginnings of a post World War II
yakuza empire centering around a main character Shozo Hirono, played by
Bunta Sugawara, and his devotion to a disjointed backstabbing mobster
family. A former soldier without a plan, Shozo easily slips into the
yakuza plan as he volunteers to enact revenge on a friend until his
fate is sealed when he is forced to chop off his finger for insulting
another family member. The film has a lively pace, to say the least, as
there are a huge cast which are killed off as soon as they are
introduced, and they don't necessarily die boring deaths. This humble
critic suggests using a Polaroid camera or a pen and paper while
watching this movie as it can get extremely confusing at times. It took
this humble critic three views to realize that the character of Toru
Ueda was the one who had his arm chopped off in the beginning and
throughout the rest of the movie walked around without a left hand in
his sleeve.
This film and its sequels released between 1973 and 1974 was a gigantic
hit in Japan. One can recognize the theme song arise in daily Japan in
various places like the occasional comedy skit or variety show.
Incidentally, the piece composed by Toshiaki Tsushima and said to be
based on Ennio Morricone's titlepiece for the 1969 movie The Sicilian
Clan, resurfaced in a remix of sorts by guitar legend Tomoyasu Hotei
for the the movie Kill Bill Vol.1. It also became Hideki Matsui's new
theme song and played at Yankees Stadium on his turns at bat. Not only
is the music memorable but this movie set a huge precedence for being
one of the first yakuza movies to depict the yakuza life as one of
tragic animals rather than glorifying it. This plays very well into its
setting of postwar pessimism and adds to the movie's credibility.
Technical tricks such as hand-held camera and fast cut editing lets the
viewers feel right there in the middle of the fight and adds a huge
documentary feel. Director William Friedkin professed to lifting this
style when he made his own "French Connection." Similarly, if you liked
the recent 2002 film "City of God," refer to this film as the classic
blueprint.
Already well known by this time, Kinji Fukusaku had his name drawn in
the Japanese film-making books forever after this series was released
and then again for a younger generation when his teenage bloodpic
"Battle Royale" was released in 2000. Kinji Fukusaku died in 2003 while
filming "Battle Royale 2."
4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
Tornado cinema!, 5 September 2005
Author:
fertilecelluloid from Mountains of Madness
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
The yakuza of this series arose from the social and economic fallout of
Japan's nuclear annihilation. Even the occupying forces jumped into bed
with them so mighty was their influence.
Fukusaku's DEATH OF HONOR, which was made later, depicted one man torn
asunder by his own fractured obsessions. BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR depicts
clans so fractured they spend most of their time tearing each other
apart.
Bunta Sagawara, who was to Fukasaku what Deniro was to Scorsese, is
scorching as a man whose personal honor is continuously tested by
betrayal and seismic shifts in the leadership plate.
The late, great director's considerable skill was to illuminate gritty
humanism in arenas of total chaos. His is a breathless, kinetic cinema
that perfectly personifies his preferred subject matter.
The details in this outing are fascinating. A scene in which yakuza
buddies and a boss's wife discuss the correct procedure for sawing off
a finger is priceless. Another scene in which the devoted girlfriend of
a wanted man hides him under a blanket with her children is funny and
horrible at the same time.
The violence is sudden, bloody and realistic. Not a directorial foot is
put wrong and the use of freeze frames is inspired. The pacing is
brisk, the cutting sharp and unconventional.
The world portrayed is absolute and absolutely convincing.
This is tornado cinema.
3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Not a film series for all tastes., 17 May 2007
Author:
39-0-13 from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
A lot of praise for this series of films from many posters, I see, but
let me say that I can't recommend it for all of you. Yes, there's a
bunch of good stuff here for the Yakuza film fans and the action film
fans. The violence in this set of films would make the Droogs of the
Ken Russell world very happy.
Yet, let me emphasize that this movie and the sequels cannot stand up
to all tastes. Don't cook your popcorn and sit down to see the entire
series -- unless you have great tolerance for repetition of story lines
over the course of five films averaging a hour and three quarters each.
Or unless you have a very effective fast forward button.
Not everyone one is going to appreciate the continual return of the
same basic themes over and over again through the course of five films
which seem to share the same internal rhythms of action and talk. When
you think about what you see, you realize you see the action/violence
scenes are crafted the same way and the consultation scenes too.
A bunch of guys sitting down and making plans, or a couple of guys
talking under the influence of alcohol again and again. Then, the
explosion of violence with what seems a hand held camera, shuttling
here and there in frenzied fashion. Yes, it is effective in terms of
visceral response, but it's done again and again. So you wonder after
awhile how many shots does it take to kill a guy. None of these bad
guys seem to know how to shoot an enemy in the head. Or, they are the
poorest marksmen in the world. The director just keeps repeating the
same techniques.
After awhile, it all gets a little tiresome. These guys spend a lot of
time repeating themselves. Yes, there is one central character whose
fate you might be compelled to follow since he is there from the end of
WW2 to 1970 or so (when the series ends) despite the fact that he is
off scene for many parts of this series because he is serving time in
prison.
The lead actor is named Bunta S., and he does a good job. Not quite
like Mifune, of course, but why did Japanese actors in this era have to
act like Dick Tracy's Blowtop (remember him from the comic strips?) Was
this the ideal image of Manly Bossdom? Oh, forget about any meaningful
female character. This is a man's world here.
Anyway, lots of Yakuza lore in this movie, including the tattoos, and
if you like that, fine. But consider that the new ranks of the
gangsters are depicted as thugs with little brains for the present and
no respect for past traditions.
At the end, we get no real resolution. Retirement? You really think?
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
One of the best Yakuza movies. period., 15 October 2006
Author:
Christopher Huber from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
This was, BY FAR, one of the best Yakuza movies i have ever seen. From the graphic violence to the internal politics of the Japanese mafia, these movies earn a well deserved place in anyone's mafia library. The series follows the life of Shozo Hirono, an ex WWII Japanese soldier, and his rise and fall within the tumultuous ranks of the Yakuza. The movie chronicles the violent start of the Japanese mafia to about the end of the 70's. I really enjoyed the ENTIRE series, but i felt that it lost its gusto towards the end of the 5th movie, and it ended in a very "japanese" way: with commentary and non violent closure. Hirono retires unscathed, and walks off into the veritable sunset.. Other than the lame ending, the ENTIRE SERIES is straight up and down, one of the most awesome and REALISTIC views into the secret world of the yakuza, that i have ever had the absolute pleasure of viewing.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Hen Pecked Fingers, 27 July 2006
Author:
Meganeguard from Kansas
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Director: Fukasaku Kinji Duration: 99 Minutes
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.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
a complex crime story, 12 April 2005
Author:
el_strong_bad from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
*spoilers* this movie and its 4 sequels are about yakuzas(Japanese mob)in Hiroshima after WWII and beyond. the film begins with the main character Shozo Hirono being pulled into a yakuza battle and being sent to jail. when he gets out, a crime boss enlists him as an under boss. The traditional yakuza structure involves complete devotion to your direct superior,and also your superior respecting you, something that everyone except shozo seems to try to disregard. shozo stays loyal to his treacherous and undeserving boss much longer than most others did, but leaves at the end of the film when most of the other under bosses who he had known for years were dead. this movie is extremely violent and seems to portray yakuza life very honestly. the complex web of characters is hard to follow, but scenes usually depict something important to the story of the crime family overall, and there is a still shot with a caption whenever someone important dies.
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