Jingi no hakaba

Kinji Fukasaku

Fukasaku Kinji was born in Mito (Japan) in 1930 and graduated from the Film Department of Nippon University. He debuted in cinema in 1961 with Hakuchu no Buraikan (High Noon for Gangster) and made a name for himself as an exponent of yakuza-eiga films, which were produced by the Toei production company. He soon began criticizing contemporary society, revealing its hypocrisy and power scheming, and distanced himself from it as he openly manifested his frustration. His films from the 1960's and '70s, with their dark and murky atmosphere, are in opposition to the positive message of growth and change broadcast by the government. Continuously blurring the line that separates good and evil in his 'Battle Series' ' which began in 1973 with Jinji Naki Tatakai (Battles Without Honor and Humanity) ' the director explored every aspect of crime: films like Kenkei Tai Soshiki (Cops vs. Thugs, 1975), Yakuza No Hakaba (Yakuza Graveyard, 1976) and Jinji No Hakaba (Graveyard of Honor, 1976) show brutality, drugs, murder and corruption. Following the gradual collapse of the Japanese Studio System, Fukasaku dedicated himself to other types of films, like stories of samurai, science fiction, horror movies and musicals, only to return to the themes of his earliest works with Fukkatsu No Hi (Virus, 1980). His film Kamata Koshin-kyoku (The Fall Guy, 1982) won numerous prizes. He continued to work throughout the 1990's and in 2000 made the most controversial film of his career, Batoru Rowaiaru (Battle Royale), which set off a storm of polemics both in Japan and abroad. Despite the uproar, the film was a great success and the director began planning its sequel, Battle Royale II. But he announced he had cancer during the filming. He died in January 2003 and his son Kenta who already wrote the screenplay for the first Battle Royale, completes the production. The film, which was released in Japan this past summer, was a great commercial success.

FILMOGRAFIA

Fūraibō tantei: Akai tani no sangeki (The Drifting Detective, 1961), Odoshi (1966), Kurotokage (Black Lizard, 1968), Tora! Tora! Tora! (id., 1970), Bakuto gaijin butai (Gambler in Okinawa, 1971), Jingi naki tatakai (Battles Without Honor and Humanity, 1973), Jingi no hakaba (Graveyard of Honor, 1975), Doberuman deka (Detective Doberman, 1977), Yagyū ichizoku no inbō (Shogun Samurai, 1978), Fukkatsu no hi (Ultimo rifugio: Antartide, 1980), Shanhai bansukingu (Shangai Rapsody, 1984), Kataku no hito (House on Fire, 1986), Hana no ran (A Caos of Flower, 1988), Itsuka giragirasuruhi (Tokyo Gang, 1992), Battle Royale II (2003).