WILLIAM FLANIGAN BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR AND HUMANITY / THE YAKUZA PAPERS, VOL. 1: BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR AND HUMANITY / THE YAKUZA PAPERS / COMBAT WITHOUT A CODE (JINGI NAKI TATAKAI). Viewed on DVD. Restoration/preservation = seven (7) stars; subtitles = five (5) stars; cinematography = four (4) stars; sound = two (2) stars; story/script = one (1) star. Director Kinji Fukasaku's homage to apparent hoodlum life in Western Japan following WW II by violently re-imaging petty criminal activities and the black market based on published depictions of claimed real-life events (plus news-reel sensationalizing hype). The Director started a sub-genre of "kill-first-maybe-ask-questions-later gangster soap operas that remain popular to this day. It's every hood for him/herself which is how the Director treats viewers vainly searching for a fragment of sense and cohesion in this run-amok chaotic film! There is no consistent plot-line except that it always takes 6-8 shots (a full clip) to kill-off a character (at the rate of one every 3-5 minutes or so). Fukasaku has front loaded his movie with a multitude of characters to provide a near infinite source of hand-gun fodder (and to try to hide the absence of a meaningful script!). Ensemble acting is not particularly distinguished and ranges from the melodramatic (hoodlum "bosses" resorting to tears when conning their brood) to workman-like line readings. Hood fights closely resemble fraternity-party Pile Ons! A gratuitous "pink" porno scene is tossed into the pot to break up the monotony of gun fire. Cinematography (2.35:1, color) mostly deploys a shaky/grainy hand-held process to (apparently) enhance the documentary film flavor (the names and death dates of killed-off characters are usually posted and a voice-over often occurs in news-reel style). Editing is used to simulate action with rapid-cut close-ups (often appearing out of focus due to the wide screen format) at the start of the film. Audio needs some serious re-looping. Every gun shot sounds exactly the same; most scenes contain background noise that resembles cheap electric toothbrushes (interestingly, each speaking character seems to have a different toothbrush running on the sound track!). Subtitles can flash by too fast. Silly and juvenile. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

Leofwine_draca Although it has certain stylistic similarities with other movies (the extreme violence of the LONE WOLF & CUB films and the gangster shenanigans of THE GODFATHER and its ilk), BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR AND HUMANITY is very much a unique and almost surreal slice of Japanese yakuza madness.The story is told in a choppy style and takes place over a number of years. It sees various criminal gangs emerging in post-war Japan, engaging in various rivalries with one another as various gangster bosses strive to outdo their rivals. Into this messy mix are thrown various larger-than-life characters, foremost of whom is Hirono Shozo, played with emotional relish by Bunta Sugawara.The first half of the film is largely confusing with a large cast of similar characters all battling one another and indeed I wondered what I was watching at some points. However, it all distills down and becomes much more focused in the second half, which follows the members of a single crime family in their bid for leadership. There's little action here, but Kinji Fukasaku (BATTLE ROYALE) directs with stylish aplomb, making this a more than memorable gangster epic.

dirtyharry167 There are few films as well-named as Fukasaku Kinji's "Battles Without Honor and Humanity" ("Jingi naki tatakai.') With one shot, Fukasaku (director of "Battle Royale") undid and entire genre of film, one that would never be the same again. A lone Yakuza, wielding a Samurai sword stands against a crowd, a brave sneer on his face. He is instantly shot and killed, his katana useless against a gun.Yakuza films in Japan were generally in a category known as Ninkyo Eiga, Chivalry Films. The Japanese mafia was shown as later-day Samurai heroes, defending and upholding traditional Japanese values of honor and loyalty above all else. This colorful imagery was supported by the Yakuza themselves, who loved seeing themselves portrayed in this heroic light.Fukasaku, with deep anti-violence sentiments, directed "Battles Without Honor and Humanity" in an attempt to set the record straight, to re-write the post-War history of Japan and unveil the true nature of these violent thugs, more interested in money than honor. The story unfolds over several years, following the career of Hirono Shozo, a former soldier and brawler who's own sense of loyalty to his Yakuza boss proves his undoing. Hirono is used as a pawn by several rival bosses and would-be bosses, seeking control over the Black Markets that sprang up following WWII.Hirano's narrative is only a framework for the deconstruction of a genre. Hard and true Yakuza genre tropes are constantly destroyed. Yakuza bosses break down and cry in front of their men, using money as a lure to get their way. Guns jam and run out of bullets, "brave" Yakuza hide under children attempting to escape the police...there is little sacred here.The disjointed storyline might be a little disorientating to those who have never seen a Yakuza film before, but Fukasaku helps you out with a running total of who has died. (A device that would reappear in "Battle Royale." ) A general background of post-WWII Japan would be helpful, but isn't necessary."Battles Without Honor and Humanity" is a landmark Japanese film. Harsh, violent and sending a powerful message, it is an amazing piece of work.

marta2046 Oh, yeah, this is one brilliant, edgy, dark piece of film-making! It moves at the speed of light starting with the American Occupation of the devastated city of Hiroshima after WWII up to the early 1970's.It has great actors playing complex characters, and cinematography and editing way ahead of its time.Turn off your phone and don't look away for even a second, or you'll miss something critical. There are many characters and lots of information to absorb.I've read that the script was based on the life of a real Yakuza, but whether it's fact or fiction, it's a hell of a ride.And though it's a serious film, sometimes it's also hilarious-- intentionally so.Warning--not for the squeamish. Unlike the Tarentino films this has been compared to, the violence here is NOT cartoonish or funny. It's brutal, bloody, and serious. (as it should be, in my opinion)