Yakuza Papers (1973)

"The acknowledged master of the modern yakuza form in Japan.  Dennis Bartok, American Cinematheque

Editor's Note Kinji Fukasaku's (BATTLE ROYALE) revered gangster series is a landmark of 1970's Japanese cinema. Set just after WWII and based on the memoirs of a real-life crime boss, these films serve to deglamorize the traditional cinematic portrayal of organized crime, instead painting its members as petty, backstabbing thugs who will turn on their closest allies for power or profit. The story follows the violent exploits of Shozo Hirono (Bunta Sugawara), a former soldier, as he joins a yakuza gang in post-bomb Hiroshima. From there, he weathers a brutal series of events, including jail terms and pulling off hits of rival gang members, on his shaky journey through the ranks. This 6-Disc box set includes all 5 films in the series, plus a bonus disc of supplemental material.

	Bunta Sugawara
	Hiroki Matsukata
	Tatsuo Umemiya
	Tsunehiko Watase
	Kinji Fukasaku - Director
	Koichi Iiboshi - Writer
	Sashadi Yoshima - Cinematographer
	Toshiaki Tsoshima - Musical Score

Los Angeles New Time 8 of 10
Fukasaku can only be likened to such hard-boiled vets as the late Don Siegel and Sam Fuller for the - Nate Nichols