Hokuriku Proxy War: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Japan, 1977
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Writer: Kôji Takada
Cast: Hiroki Matsukata, Yumiko Nogawa, Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba, Mikio Narita, Kô Nishimura, Yôko Takahashi, Takeo Chii, Gorô Ibuki, Tatsuo Endô, Seizô Fukumoto

Release Date: February 24th, 2025 (UK), February 25th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 98 Minutes 3 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Japanese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A,B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"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." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Hokuriku Proxy War was transferred in High-Definition by Toei Company, Ltd. and supplied to Radiance Films as a High-Definition digital file."

Hokuriku Proxy War comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.9 GB

Feature: 26.7 GB

The source is in great shape; colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and there are no egregious issues related to digital noise reduction.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Japanese with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 21 seconds, LPCM mono Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Yakuza film historian Akihiko Ito on the real-life Hokuriku Proxy War murder case (14 minutes 36 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Yoko Takahashi (15 minutes 51 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Koji Takada (18 minutes 42 seconds, LPCM stereo Japanese with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 28-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) cast & crew information, an archival essay titled Fukasaku’s Theory of Machiavellianism written by Muneo Nakamura, an archival essay titled Hokuriku-Style Hard-Headedness written by Motohiko Kano, an archival essay titled The Sanctity of Violence written by Isao Fujisawa, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

A turf war erupts between a yakuza clan from Osaka and Hokuriku when the former tries to take over the latter's region.

Kinji Fukasaku had a career that spanned five decades and over 60 feature films. Though he worked in just about every genre, he is known for his work in the yakuza genre. And with Hokuriku Proxy War, he would make his last yakuza film. Reportedly, Hokuriku Proxy War was going to be the fourth entry in New Battles Without Honor and Humanity.

Stylistically, Hokuriku Proxy War goes away from the documentary-style feel of Kinji Fukasaku’s other yakuza films. Hokuriku Proxy War does a phenomenal job setting the tone; a man who is buried up to his neck has a jeep erratically drive around him in the snow. That said, Hokuriku Proxy War Kinji Fukasaku’s other yakuza films have introductory text, and it does a superb job when it comes to building up its characters.

Shin’ichi ‘Sonny’ Chiba (The Street Fighter), a frequent collaborator of Kinji Fukasaku, portrays the boss of the Kani clan. Though he portrayed anti-hero’s, seeing him in a straight up bad guy role is always a pleasure. Despite his limited screen time, his character looms large throughout. That said, his performance is all dialogue-driven, and yet his character is the most menacing.

When it comes to the rest of the performances, they are all great, especially Hiroki Matsukata (Blackmail Is My Life), whose character Noboru Kawada is the protagonist. He delivers an exceptional performance; his character's defiance and the fall in line with what is unfolding is the heart and soul of Hokuriku Proxy War. Other performances of note are Yumiko Nogawa (Gate of Flesh) and Yoko Takahashi (Rebellious Journey); they are the two women in Kawada's life, his past and present.

From a production standpoint, Kinji Fukasaku is clicking on all cylinders. The narrative is fast-moving; there is never a shortage of tension, and it builds to a fever pitch by the time the finale arrives. Though there is an ample amount of carnage, the most gruesome moment is saved for the finale. Another strength of Hokuriku Proxy War is its snow-covered landscapes, which are fully exploited. Ultimately, Hokuriku Proxy War is top-tier Kinji Fukasaku, and it is a perfect swan song for a filmmaker renowned for yakuza cinema. 

Hokuriku Proxy War gets a first-rate release from Radiance Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer