I should start by noting that "Kenkei tai soshiki boryoku" ("Cops vs Thugs" in English) is both the first yakuza movie that I've ever seen and the first Kinji Fukasaku movie that I've ever seen. What an impressive one. This look at a war between rival gangs over a piece of land getting auctioned is one of the grittiest movies that I've ever seen. The protagonist is a cop in the pocket of one of the gangs. We don't tend to think of Japan as a crime-ridden society, but we forget that it still has organized crime (which can actually exist anywhere). This movie shows just how much the authorities were in tow to the yakuza.
I now hope to see Fukasaku's other movies. They'll be hard-pressed to be as intense as this one, but I suspect that they'll be fine pieces of work. In the meantime, check this one out.
I now hope to see Fukasaku's other movies. They'll be hard-pressed to be as intense as this one, but I suspect that they'll be fine pieces of work. In the meantime, check this one out.