Kinji Fukasaku’s yakuza thriller Japan Organized Crime Boss will surprise even the biggest fans of the genre with its tale of a proxy war. New to Blu-ray from Radiance Films.
The Film
Peace and non-violence are the most radical act in a society full of violence. Kinji Fukasaku’s Yakuza masterpiece Japan Organized Crime Boss has Kōji Tsuruta taking that notion to its full extent. Somehow Fukasaku makes this act look like the cools most punk rock thing ever to be put on celluloid.
Fresh out of prison, Tetsuo Tsukamoto (Tsuruta) is thrown in the midst of a proxy war with the Danno clan attempting to overtake the Hamanaka Family – his clan. Without a choice after his boss and best friend are murdered, Tsukamoto takes charge of the Hamanaka Family. Only wanting to move forward without disruption or retribution is the most radical notion of them all. Ignoring the threats and pushes he attempts to continue to run Hamanaka without violence. Even as his soldiers disobey Tsukamoto continues this wanting nothing more than to live a life of peace. As this sends shockwaves through the Danno clan, they do what violent men do, more violence. Slowly, this sows the seeds of destruction within the Danno clan unable to shake Tsukamoto but with a final plan, the Danno clan may have Tsukamoto’s number.
Fukasaku’s films are rarely subtle, Japan Organized Crime Boss is no exception, but the naked wanton violence isn’t so omnipresent here. The film is more mediative on the nature of a man who wants nothing to do with violence but is surrounded by men and a culture that only responds with violence. The film finds tension and character in the tersest of scenes. Scenes that would normally explode in arterial sprays of blood and loss of limbs.
Those scenes do not however go according to plan. Take the moment where Tsukamoto goes to retrieve his man who’s been kidnaped by the Danno clan. They have hired Miyahara (played with baffled righteousness Tomisaburo Wakayama) to bully Tsukamoto into submission. The scene does not go as anyone, least of all the audience, and changes Miyahara. Tsukamoto offers friendship to the man who would kill him. A notion that Miyahara or anyone else is prepared for. This act sends us spiraling into the magnificently existential third act. One wonders if John Woo had seen this and used it as inspiration for his original A Better Tomorrow Film – as the setup and the execution are similar to Woo’s heroic bloodshed opus.
Japan Organized Crime Boss isn’t just a great yakuza movie but an uncommonly great film. Its views on violence will surprise even those familiar with Fukasaku’s work.
The Transfer
The all-new 4K restoration by Toei Company is a marvelous representation of the film. There are no scratches or true blemishes on the sharp image. The film’s oversaturated look seems to be the norm of director Kinji Fukasaku in this era and the work he did for the Toei Company. Like other Radiance transfers of there is a wonderful patina of active grain. Which for this reviewer added to the theatricality of the viewing experience. Radiance continues to deliver filmic transfers for undiscovered gems.
The Extras
They include the following;
Archival interview with Kinji Fukasaku
Interview with yakuza film historian Akihiko Ito (2024)
Visual essay on Koji Tsuruta’s collaborations with Fukasaku by yakuza cinema expert Nathan Stuart (2024)
Trailer
Kinji Fukasaku (34:01) – is an archival piece with the legendary director which I would not call an interview but rather a masterclass discussion by the director. The piece filmed in 1999 was a lecture given to prominent Japanese businessmen on Fukasaku’s childhood, personal life, and career in the film industry. The director is quite honest about his time as a child during WW2, and his defeats and missteps within the Japanese studio system as a filmmaker, including infighting with studio heads about his work. As much as anyone can appreciate the director’s amazing body of work listening to the man discuss his failures and own personal shortcomings is a fascinating juxtaposition we often do not get to see in any format. Fukasaku’s work is made all the more special by this frank discussion the director has on what is essentially taking stock of your losses and setback. I would ask any would-be filmmaker (or any person facing challenges) to watch this lecture as it is highly enlightening. Please note that the lecture was shot on consumer-grade video but do not let the quality interfere with a wonderful featurette. In Japanese with English subtitles.
Akihiko Ito (15:06) – is an all-new Interview with the yakuza film historian who discusses the importance of Japan Organized Crime Boss on its director’s career and the genre itself. Some of the details Ito discusses how the film came to be produced – a larger plan to bring the Yakuza films into the modern era, to which most had been period costume dramas; how Fukasaku came to be involved with the film; how Fukasaku wanted to bring the geopolitical issues at the time that Japan was faced with the US and Russia – how he executed those ideas within the story basing it in part on real-life events; a discussion of the spiritual sequel of sorts that is Sympathy for the Underdog – how its themes and ideas were spill over from the research and development that Fukasaku did for Japan Organized Crime Boss; Fukasaku working with Tomisaburo Wakayama – and his opinions on the legendarily prickly actor; the work and relationship between Fukasaku and actor Kōji Tsuruta; and much more. Japanese with English Subtitles.
Ceremonies of Male Bonding (23:32) – is an all-new visual essay on Koji Tsuruta’s collaborations with Fukasaku by yakuza cinema expert Nathan Stuart. Beginning with Tsuruta – Stuart dives into the actor’s personal and professional life – going over Tsuruta’s early poverty-stricken childhood, his time in WW2, the beginning of his acting career, an attack on Tsuruta by real-life Yakuza, and his rise to stardom at the time, his time at Toho and the reasons why he shifted over Toei, and much more. Stuart does go into the collaborations between Fukasaku and Tsuruta – the various films from the beginning through the ending of their work together giving a mini dissection of each and various touchstones the director and actor imbued into the films, of course, talking about Japan Organized Crime Boss. The visual essay is excellently produced by Tom Mes, edited by George Pursall, and written by Stuart.
Trailer (2:19) – Japanese with English Subtitles
The Final Thought
Radiance Films delivers thoughtful extras for Japan Organized Crime Boss Blu-ray release. Highest Recommendations!!!
Radiance Films’ Blu-Ray edition of Japan Organized Crime Boss is out now
Kinji Fukasaku’s yakuza thriller Japan Organized Crime Boss will surprise even the biggest fans of the genre with its tale of a proxy war. New to Blu-ray from Radiance Films.
The Film
Peace and non-violence are the most radical act in a society full of violence. Kinji Fukasaku’s Yakuza masterpiece Japan Organized Crime Boss has Kōji Tsuruta taking that notion to its full extent. Somehow Fukasaku makes this act look like the cools most punk rock thing ever to be put on celluloid.
Fresh out of prison, Tetsuo Tsukamoto (Tsuruta) is thrown in the midst of a proxy war with the Danno clan attempting to overtake the Hamanaka Family – his clan. Without a choice after his boss and best friend are murdered, Tsukamoto takes charge of the Hamanaka Family. Only wanting to move forward without disruption or retribution is the most radical notion of them all. Ignoring the threats and pushes he attempts to continue to run Hamanaka without violence. Even as his soldiers disobey Tsukamoto continues this wanting nothing more than to live a life of peace. As this sends shockwaves through the Danno clan, they do what violent men do, more violence. Slowly, this sows the seeds of destruction within the Danno clan unable to shake Tsukamoto but with a final plan, the Danno clan may have Tsukamoto’s number.
Fukasaku’s films are rarely subtle, Japan Organized Crime Boss is no exception, but the naked wanton violence isn’t so omnipresent here. The film is more mediative on the nature of a man who wants nothing to do with violence but is surrounded by men and a culture that only responds with violence. The film finds tension and character in the tersest of scenes. Scenes that would normally explode in arterial sprays of blood and loss of limbs.
Those scenes do not however go according to plan. Take the moment where Tsukamoto goes to retrieve his man who’s been kidnaped by the Danno clan. They have hired Miyahara (played with baffled righteousness Tomisaburo Wakayama) to bully Tsukamoto into submission. The scene does not go as anyone, least of all the audience, and changes Miyahara. Tsukamoto offers friendship to the man who would kill him. A notion that Miyahara or anyone else is prepared for. This act sends us spiraling into the magnificently existential third act. One wonders if John Woo had seen this and used it as inspiration for his original A Better Tomorrow Film – as the setup and the execution are similar to Woo’s heroic bloodshed opus.
Japan Organized Crime Boss isn’t just a great yakuza movie but an uncommonly great film. Its views on violence will surprise even those familiar with Fukasaku’s work.
The Transfer
The all-new 4K restoration by Toei Company is a marvelous representation of the film. There are no scratches or true blemishes on the sharp image. The film’s oversaturated look seems to be the norm of director Kinji Fukasaku in this era and the work he did for the Toei Company. Like other Radiance transfers of there is a wonderful patina of active grain. Which for this reviewer added to the theatricality of the viewing experience. Radiance continues to deliver filmic transfers for undiscovered gems.
The Extras
They include the following;
Kinji Fukasaku (34:01) – is an archival piece with the legendary director which I would not call an interview but rather a masterclass discussion by the director. The piece filmed in 1999 was a lecture given to prominent Japanese businessmen on Fukasaku’s childhood, personal life, and career in the film industry. The director is quite honest about his time as a child during WW2, and his defeats and missteps within the Japanese studio system as a filmmaker, including infighting with studio heads about his work. As much as anyone can appreciate the director’s amazing body of work listening to the man discuss his failures and own personal shortcomings is a fascinating juxtaposition we often do not get to see in any format. Fukasaku’s work is made all the more special by this frank discussion the director has on what is essentially taking stock of your losses and setback. I would ask any would-be filmmaker (or any person facing challenges) to watch this lecture as it is highly enlightening. Please note that the lecture was shot on consumer-grade video but do not let the quality interfere with a wonderful featurette. In Japanese with English subtitles.
Akihiko Ito (15:06) – is an all-new Interview with the yakuza film historian who discusses the importance of Japan Organized Crime Boss on its director’s career and the genre itself. Some of the details Ito discusses how the film came to be produced – a larger plan to bring the Yakuza films into the modern era, to which most had been period costume dramas; how Fukasaku came to be involved with the film; how Fukasaku wanted to bring the geopolitical issues at the time that Japan was faced with the US and Russia – how he executed those ideas within the story basing it in part on real-life events; a discussion of the spiritual sequel of sorts that is Sympathy for the Underdog – how its themes and ideas were spill over from the research and development that Fukasaku did for Japan Organized Crime Boss; Fukasaku working with Tomisaburo Wakayama – and his opinions on the legendarily prickly actor; the work and relationship between Fukasaku and actor Kōji Tsuruta; and much more. Japanese with English Subtitles.
Ceremonies of Male Bonding (23:32) – is an all-new visual essay on Koji Tsuruta’s collaborations with Fukasaku by yakuza cinema expert Nathan Stuart. Beginning with Tsuruta – Stuart dives into the actor’s personal and professional life – going over Tsuruta’s early poverty-stricken childhood, his time in WW2, the beginning of his acting career, an attack on Tsuruta by real-life Yakuza, and his rise to stardom at the time, his time at Toho and the reasons why he shifted over Toei, and much more. Stuart does go into the collaborations between Fukasaku and Tsuruta – the various films from the beginning through the ending of their work together giving a mini dissection of each and various touchstones the director and actor imbued into the films, of course, talking about Japan Organized Crime Boss. The visual essay is excellently produced by Tom Mes, edited by George Pursall, and written by Stuart.
Trailer (2:19) – Japanese with English Subtitles
The Final Thought
Radiance Films delivers thoughtful extras for Japan Organized Crime Boss Blu-ray release. Highest Recommendations!!!
Radiance Films’ Blu-Ray edition of Japan Organized Crime Boss is out now
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