Battles Without Honor and Humanity
1973 · Movie · 99 min · ★ 7.4 · 85% critics
In the chaotic black markets of postwar Japan, a group of friends gets pulled into the violent scramble for power among rival yakuza factions. As alliances shift and ambitions rise, survival depends on loyalty, nerve, and knowing when the next fight is coming.
Also known as Battles Without Honour and Humanity · Tarnished Code of Yakuza · The Yakuza Papers · War without a Code
Where to watch
Streaming on Fandor and MIDNIGHT PULP.
2 hours to watch.
Streaming availability and prices may be inaccurate or change — verify with the provider before subscribing.
unSUB's subscription recommendations are informational only, not financial advice.
More value for your money
Similar titles, ranked by watch-hours per subscription dollar.
Details
- Original title
- 仁義なき戦い
- Years
- 1973
- Release date
- 1973-01-13
- Language
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Critic score
- 85/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.4/10 (120 votes)
About
If you like hard-edged crime stories about loyalty, ambition, and shifting alliances in a rough postwar world, this should hit the spot; Not for you if you want lighthearted drama or clear-cut heroes, like in Graveyard of Honor.
Pros: gritty underworld setting; constant power struggles; tense gang rivalries | Cons: relentless violence; morally bleak tone; dense faction conflicts
Themes
- yakuza
- hiroshima, japan
- betrayal
- criminal underworld
- ex soldier
- post war japan
- shōwa era (1926-89)
- hiroshima
- former soldier
- jitsuroku
- post-war chaos period
- yamiichi
Cast & crew
Bunta Sugawara
as Shozo Hirono
Hiroki Matsukata
as Tetsuya Sakai
Kunie Tanaka
as Masakichi Makihara
Eiko Nakamura
as Suzue Kunihiro
Tsunehiko Watase
as Toshio Arita
Gorō Ibuki
as Ueda
Nobuo Kaneko
as Yoshio Yamamori
Toshie Kimura
as Mrs. Yamamori
Tamio Kawachi
as Kanbara Seiichi
Mayumi Nagisa
as Akiko Shinjo
Directed by Kinji Fukasaku