Overview: Loose-cannon gangster Kawada rebels when his two-timing boss forms an alliance with a major crime syndicate. The syndicate’s main rivals see Kawada as their perfect proxy, but his furious temper quickly rubs them the wrong way, leaving Kawada to face overwhelming forces.

Fukasaku’s final yakuza film features some of the strongest women’s roles in his career, plus a raucous central performance from Hiroki Matsukata (Cops vs Thugs) and support from the legendary Sonny Chiba.

Blu-ray Verdict: HOKURIKU PROXY WAR was Fukasaku’s final jitsuroku eiga. It stars one of my favorite actors, Matsukata Hiroki, and is set in the freezing cold and snowy winter of Hokuriku; Fukui to be more precise. And it’s completely unhinged!

Around these parts, local yakuza Kawada Noboru (Matsukata Hiroki) of the Tomiyasu-gumi quickly shows himself to be not one to mess with. He tries to execute a promise made to him by his boss, Yasuhara, with all his might. The promise entailed the transfer of control of the speedboat racetrack’s security business in return for assassinating a target and consequently doing prison time.

With Kawada making his life difficult, Yasuhara reaches out to Kanai Hachiro (played wonderfully by the one and only Sonny Chiba) for assistance. Kanai heads a subsidiary of Osaka’s Asada-gumi, a large organisation looking to further expand into the region.

Many more yakuza from different prefectures and varying loyalties will become involved in what will become a bloody war in the snow of Hokuriku. It essentially boils down to Kawada trying to stop the Asada-gumi from taking over control of Fukui.

For this he stops at nothing and he knows no such thing as loyalty. He himself puts it this way: “Boss, brotherhood depends on the situation. Home is more important than a cup of brotherhood.”

HOKURIKU PROXY WAR is not my favorite jitsuroku eiga, but it’s definitely up there. Matsukata – his usual ferocious and unhinged self – screws over everyone in his way. The finale is absolutely brutal and that’s an understatement. It’s one of those finales that will forever remain with you. A memorable picture!

Bonus Features:
High-Definition digital transfer
Uncompressed mono PCM audio
New interview with actress Yoko Takahashi (2024, 15 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
Limited edition booklet featuring newly translated archival writings on the film
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

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