Sympathy For The Underdog Limited Edition Blu-Ray

Sympathy for the Underdog (Bakuto gaijin butai) is a 1971 Japanese yakuza film directed by Kinji Fukasaku. The film stars Kōji Tsuruta as Gunji, a seasoned gangster recently released from prison, who seeks to rebuild his criminal empire. Supporting actors include Noboru Andō and Akira Kobayashi. Known for its gritty realism and dynamic cinematography, the film is a significant entry in the yakuza genre, showcasing themes of honor, loyalty, and the struggle of old-school gangsters in a changing underworld.

The story follows Gunji as he returns to the streets after a decade in prison, only to find that his former gang has been dismantled. Determined to reclaim his place, he assembles a crew of outcasts and sets his sights on taking control of the criminal underworld in Okinawa, a region increasingly dominated by rival gangs and foreign interests. As he fights for survival against modernized, corporate-style yakuza, Gunji’s old-fashioned values clash with the harsh realities of the new crime world, leading to an inevitable and violent showdown.

Though Sympathy for the Underdog did not receive major international awards, it remains a cult classic in Japanese cinema, praised for its stylish direction and social commentary on Japan’s shifting underworld dynamics in the 1970s.