Tokyo Fist (1995)

Suspecting that his childhood friend, a professional boxer, is having an affair with his fiancee, a businessman starts training rigorously himself in order to take him down.

Director:

Shin'ya Tsukamoto

Writers:

Hisashi Saito (story), Shin'ya Tsukamoto (story)

Stars:

Kaori Fujii, Shin'ya Tsukamoto, Kôji Tsukamoto

2 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Kaori Fujii	...	Hizuru
Shin'ya Tsukamoto	...	Tsuda Yoshiharu
Kôji Tsukamoto	...	Kojima Takuji
Naomasa Musaka	...	Haze
Naoto Takenaka	...	Ohizumi
Koichi Wajima	...	Shirota
Tomorô Taguchi	...	Tattoo master
Nobu Kanaoka	...	Nurse
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Akiko Hioki
Kiichi Mutô

Storyline

A businessman, Tsuda, runs into a childhood friend, Tajuki, on the subway. Tajuki is working as a semiprofessional boxer. Tsuda soon begins to suspect that Tajuki might be having an affair with his fiancée Hizuru. After an altercation, Tsuda begins training rigorously himself, leading to an extremely bloody, violent confrontation.

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Plot Keywords:

written and directed by cast member | punching bag | nurse | bloodbath | pain | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Quotes

[Tsuda has just been beaten nearly to death]
Tsuda: At least I don't have any problems staying awake anymore.

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Connections

Features Metropolis (1927)

User Reviews

Was there an underlying meaning?

I watched this film on DVD for a second time tonight and I am sitting here struggling to comprehend the underlying meaning. I guess that begs the question as to whether there actually is one! Well, according to the director he wants to express the irrational. But is this irrationality based on some real underlying disturbance? I personally saw reflections of a number of underlying themes and I am wondering whether anybody else felt the same way. It seemed to me in particular that there was an element of repressed anger and violence in the Japanese society, as is so evident in Japanese anime (especially the 'hentai' variety). It certainly was a powerful film and the self destructiveness and brooding anger of the three central characters was certainly frightening yet moving at the same time.

I still wonder what the ending meant though, but I am tempted to interpret the parallel between the lead characters as an expression of some sort of common pent up repression of Japanese society. Let me know lest I start punching walls or succumb to the compulsion to have my head pounded :-)

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese English

Release Date:

22 May 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

TOKYO FIST 東京フィスト

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kaijyu Theater

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min 87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (inserts only) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1