Sympathy for the Underdog

1971 1h 33m JA

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 41

DramaActionCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A yakuza gang gets driven out of Yokohama by a big gang from Tokyo. They relocate to Okinawa to violently start over.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Koji Tsuruta
Masuo Gunji
Tomisaburō Wakayama
Yonabaru
Noboru Andō
Noburo Kudo
Asao Koike
Ozaki
Tsunehiko Watase
Shin Seki
Akiko Kudō
Terumi Higa
Kenji Imai
Mad Dog Jiro
Harumi Sone
One Shot

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Writers: Fumio Kōnami, Hirō Matsuda, Kinji Fukasaku
Languages: Japanese
Countries: Japan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

55 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Gambler Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, shot by Hanjirō Nakazawa. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Takeo Yamashita. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Osamu Tanaka shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Koji Tsuruta and Tomisaburō Wakayama and Noboru Andō carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0066806 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 41 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kinji Fukasaku directs. Hanjirō Nakazawa behind the camera. Takeo Yamashita scores. Osamu Tanaka cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Japan. Dialogue in Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

155 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Part of the "Gambler Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
3Directed by Kinji Fukasaku, shot by Hanjirō Nakazawa. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Takeo Yamashita. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Osamu Tanaka shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Koji Tsuruta and Tomisaburō Wakayama and Noboru Andō carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0066806 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 41 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Hanjirō Nakazawa
Original score: Takeo Yamashita
Editing: Osamu Tanaka
Production design: Hiroshi Kitagawa
Runtime: 93 min · 1h 33m
Status: Released
Original language: JA
IMDB: Sympathy for the Underdog (1971)

Part of

Gambler Collection

Gambler (Bakuto) is a series of 10 ninkyo films starring Koji Tsuruta produced by Toei between 1964 and 1971. Not to be confused with Tsuruta and Toei's Gamblers (Bakuchi-uchi) series.