Hiroshima Death Match (1973)

 Director: Kinji Fukasaku, Starring: Meiko Kaji, Shin’ichi (Sonny) Chiba, Kin’ya Kitaoji, and Bunta Sugawara

Following the January 1973 release of Fukasaku’s classic Ninkyo-eiga Yakuza tale Battles Without Honor And Humanity, Toei released its first sequel a mere few mouths later in April. The entire 5-film series took a mere 2 years to reach the theatre. This sounds ridiculous to some but this was standard procedure for Japanese cinema at the time. These low-budget films were cranked out like clockwork with a relatively consistent high mark of quality. Battles was a smash hit and Hiroshima Death Match continued the run of gritty, complex yakuza films. 

Things pick up not directly where things left off but about midway through. A young down-on-luck guy, Shoji (Kin’ya Kitaoji), gets caught cheating at a card game. They beat him bloody. He returns to that game with a knife. During his 2-year prison stint he catches the eye of Shozo (Bunta Sugawara). Once freed, he wants to join the Muraoka-gumi after another severe beating from Katsutoshi Otomo (Sonny Fuckin’ Chiba) and other Otomo gang members. All Shoji wants is revenge but he immediately falls in love with the Oyabun Muraoka’s widowed niece Yasuko (Meiko Fuckin’ Kaji). Shoji can’t be with Yasuko. Instead, he gets shipped off to a friendly Yakuza family. After a successful kill, he can officially be a Muraoka. The Yasuko romance blossoms as his reputation as a ruthless killer ramps up. The Oyabun Yamamori needs Shozo to hide one of his highly ranked men, as that happens Shoji visits with intent to kill the hidden Yamamori man. An arrangement is made, the man is killed. Shozo gets sucked into the Hiroshima gang war. Katsutoshi breaks off his own sect from the Otomo-gumi as Shoji takes things too far. The police crackdown and trap him in the bombed out slums. Shoji puts the gun in his mouth then pulls the trigger.

Kinji Fukasaku managed to beautifully make a sort-of sequel that concurrently fills out the world organically and shows us the immediate aftermath of Shozo departure. The dense, thick narrative is streamlined as much as Kazuo Kasahasa could. Unlike the first, Hiroshima only covers 5 years instead of a full decade. Centered on 3 people as opposed to an entire ensemble of Yakuza tough guys and Hirono Shozo, the story is relatively easier to follow. 

 It’s a familiar story of a misguided man in need of a family. Adding to the familiarity, Nawa Hiroshi returned to play Oyabun Muraoka after his memorable stint as Oyabun Doi in the previous film. The Hiroshima bombing looms heavy over the series. Everyone is a survivor that lost everything in the war. The Yakuza life offers something that society failed to do, a family. Shoji like Shozo starts out as lost man. 

            Shoji is first seen cheating, taking the easy way over the smart way. This recurs at key points and every time it completely fucks up anything good coming his way. Everything is not coming up Milhouse. He always chooses the loudest option. This always leads to the police cracking down with an iron boot. The relationship of the Oyabun to the lower Yakuza bosses are effectively a father with several adopted sons. Each son is different. Some are smart like Shozo. Some are stupid like Shoji. Much like an attack dog, Shoji attacks with extreme precision and fury. He unleashes the built up anger and frustration like an angry oni on a particularly shitty day. This makes for a great killer but all that misguided anger corrupts. It wears on his soul and psyche. He is not just a survivor but a victim. He’s a small man that the world feels the need to beat down and belittle. Kitaoji delivers an incredible performance that is vulnerable, confident, and scary. I wish he was featured in more of the series.

He needs meaning in his life. He wanted to be a Kamikaze pilot but was too young. His lover is the widow of a Kamikaze pilot. His gun is his Kamikaze plane. He attacks like a Kamikaze plane. Self-sacrifice to a greater cause is his life. He needs to prove himself to anyone in power. This directly leads into the relationship with Yasuko (Meiko Fuckin’ Kaji). Immediately, he falls head over heels for her. She’s surrounded by men who want to control her. The start of their relationship begins with pure bliss but they can’t be together. The lynch pin in Shoji’s mind is that relationship. The betrayal and loss destroys him. The downward spiral of 1950 to 1955 for Shoji could have been avoided if he was smarter. He could have learned from Shozo.

Breaking from what could have become an overly established formula, we spend a good chunk of the runtime seeing what Katsutoshi (Sonny Fuckin’ Chiba) is up to. He’s the catalyst for the whole film. He severely beats Shoji, just because he can. The son of the Oyabun Otomo, his behavior is that of the rich asshole we all knew at some point in our school years. He’s impulsive and spoiled. In key ways he and Shoji are opposites. Shoji dresses conservatively, blends into the background, short, and came from nothing. Katsutoshi dresses wildly, loud and abrasive, tall, imposing, and has daddy’s money. They are somehow drawn to each other throughout their careers. In a great turn, there is never a gnarly showdown between them. This duality draws out the tension, making the film even more unnerving.

Ms. Kaji for those who don’t know is Japanese Cinema Royalty for her Female Prisoner Scropion and Stray Cat Rock series from Nikkatsu and Toei. Mr. Chiba as well is a legend of Japanese films. Getting these 2 for a Battles film is making a great series even greater. It’s sad that this is the only time in this series we are graced with their presence. Chiba gets replaced with Mr. Chipmunk Cheeks himself, Jo Shishido, in the Final Episode.

Just like the first Battles, it’s violent, bleak, and ultimately hopeless with a dark sense of humor. It’s on DVD and Amazon Prime.