Hokuriku Proxy War | Blu-ray

Settling into a Kinji Fukasaku film can be a bit of a difficult experience. Especially in his Yakuza chronicles period, Fukasaku's movies have the feel of a massive epic condensed into a 90-minute thriller. Edits are fast and furious, major exposition dumps pick up the slack between important story events.

That said, Hokuriku Proxy War is among Fukasaku's most compelling projects. The snowy winter setting and moody score create a captivating atmosphere where violence feels especially stark and brutal.

Hiroki Matsukata delivers a magnetic performance in the lead, wading through the chaos of constantly shifting gang allegiance with steely resolve and determination to come out on top. A supporting role for Sonny Chiba adds some great extra flare in this compelling crime saga. One of Fukasaku's best.

Special Features (via radiance.co.uk)

• High-Definition digital transfer
• Uncompressed mono PCM audio
• New interview with actress Yoko Takahashi (2024, 16 mins)
• New interview with screenwriter Koji Takada (2024, 19 mins)
• Yakuza film historian Akihiko Ito on the real-life Hokuriku Proxy War murder case (2024, 15 mins)
• Trailer
• Newly improved English subtitle translation
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow