Hokuriku Proxy War


As the capstone of Kinji Fukasaku’s yakuza phase, Hokuriku Proxy War bears the burden of higher expectations now than at the time of release in 1977, where it was just another torn-from-the-headlines gangster story.  The fact that the director allegedly walked away from the genre after a hit on the man who served as the  inspiration for the main character gives it even more cinematic resonance. But the film itself doesn’t veer far from the familiar themes of ambition, loyalty and the futility of violence, this time set against a show-white background of desolate beaches and cramped rural streets.

Impatient with his rise through the ranks, Noboru (Hiroki Matsukata) tries to take a violent shortcut to the top.  But his impulsive tendencies get him sent to prison and at the mercy of the larger criminal conglomerates who want Hokuriku for their own. Upon release, Noboru throws down the gauntlet once again, this time with a plan to steal back his territory…and then some!

Fukasaku keeps the action raw, unpolished and utterly gripping, full of quick-cut chaos filled with the same sort of rage and desperation seen in full-effect in the Battles series. But Proxy War adds a few twists to the conflict beyond the frozen exteriors.  As Noboro, Hiroki Matsukata imbues the character with a sort of noble stupidity, playing up on the notion of family taking priority over blood oaths and political handshakes.  His loyalty even extends to the women in his life – two sisters who share his affection and life philosophy. While it’s not making any bold feminine statement, Fukasaku’s film is at least an evolution towards a more balanced view of yakuza life, one that finally recognizes not every woman is expendable…and not every yakuza lives and dies in Tokyo.

For fans of the director’s unpredictable style and gut-punch fight scenes, no to worry.  Hokuriku Proxy War is just as well-crafted as all the other films in his yakuza filmography.  In fact, the small-scale power struggle and minor players make it somewhat more accessible.  But, rather than a summation of his experience in the genre – some kind of Once Upon a Time in the West operetta – Fukasaku leaves us where we began:  with three men on a beach cleaning up dead bodies.  And perhaps that says more than anything else.

Radiance delivers this one in their usual exemplary 3000-copy limited edition Blu-ray, using a 4K restoration and tacking on new interviews with writer Koji Takada, actress Yoko Takahashi and a summation of the real-life case that inspired the film.  The packaging itself includes beautiful new cover art and liner notes.

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