Review of Battles Without Honour and Humanity (1973) The first of Kinji Fukasaku's Yakuza Papers Series

  

BATTLES WITHOUT HONOUR AND HUMANITY-1973







DIRECTOR- KINJI FUKUSAKU 

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

The first movie in Kinji Fukasaku's epic of five movies, the Yakuza Papers series, BWHAH follows a young gangster Shozo Hirono as he makes his own place in the Yakuza landscape of Post WW2 Japan.

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With the effects of the second world war and Japan's defeat still looming in the background, BWHAH starts off with Shozo Hirono being sent off to prison where he befriends a member of the Doi family thus leading him to his first serious brush with the Yakuza and his rise through the ranks helped by his intense sense of loyalty.

Considered as one of the essentials of the Gangster cinema and one that during it's five movie run helped change the Yakuza cinema in general, The first installment in the series grips you from the beginning as it drops you right into the middle of this expansive and complex world with a whole load of different characters belonging to their own families as they repeatedly clash with each other  and also among themselves. 

Powered by a highly stylish theme that adds to the epicness of the scope, bursts of unapologetic and quick violence, characters with not much of redeeming characters, this is a movie that moves on full force with truckloads of characters and by the time you finally start to settle in, the double crossings and ambitions start piling up as people start dropping dead all across the board and you are constantly on the edge of the seat as you have no idea who the hell is next, as the deaths are random and both minor characters and the ones who seem to be setting up for the sequels everyone starts to drop off.

Handling such a huge cast does have it's drawbacks in that there are times when the movie seems to forget about certain characters while pursuing others only to return to them long after, leading to cracks in a streamlined viewing experience. But through this all, the movie manages to carry its theme across that of young and loyal men being used as pawns by the corrupt seniors of the family who are more interested in saving their own skin. 

Bunta Sugawara as Hirono is an amazing protagonist, a fearless character who even in all his bravado maintains a sense of loyalty and righteousness. An immensely cool character who acts as the perfect vessel for the lead as a man of convictions in the world around him where the seeming loyalty and bond is just for show. That final scene with him it's difficult not to be charmed and cheer for him.

Overall, this is a great start to the series also an essential for any one who enjoys watching gangster flicks and I am excited to go through the rest to see how it all shapes out.

VERDICT- 9/10

Location: Japan

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