Review of Cops vs Thugs

Introduction

I have never been exposed to Oriental culture much - save for the odd article or brief film footage. However, one element emerges from Japan in particular: and that is that loyalties run very deep in society.

So thanks to DVD Reviewer and the ability to trade discs with other reviewers - sampling their genres and tastes - I can be exposed to a perspective of Japanese life, from director Kinji Fukasaku and his 1975 film: Cops vs Thugs.

It is 1963, and the police of Kurashima City have spent seven years eradicating the Yakuza gangs which have caused so much strife in the city. The last two remaining gangs, Ohara and Kawade, are in tatters, with the Ohara boss in prison. But with the police force full of corrupt officers, the gangs begin to flourish once again. The Kawade gang, sensing the opportunity to strike their enemies while their leader is incarcerated, decide to stage a raid on a club owned by their rivals, but the attention of the police is drawn to both gangs once again.

Ken Hirotani is running the Ohara gang while his boss is in jail, and he soon discovers that a childhood friend, Kuno, is now a police detective assigned to clean up the underworld. But Kuno`s loyalties lay more with his friend than his career, and his honour is tested time and again. When a major property deal goes bad, the police are able to persuade the two gangs to come to a truce, but there are elements of both sides who don`t like what their superiors are negotiating.

Video

1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. On first impression, the print looks like that of a poor VHS copy - bad definition; limited palette; and dust and grain scattered here and there. On second impression, it is clear that this transfer is a poor one. For reasons mentioned, this film looks like it came from decades ago, which is unfortunate, as considering this was a 2003 DVD release, surely some efforts could have been made to spruce the visuals up a bit.

Fukasaku is renowned for his no-nonsense approach to violence: the more brutal it is, the more provocative it is for the audience. As well as combining some claret-spilling moments (although not as many as I was expecting), he manages to also present the film in a very professional and slick manner: the camerawork and directing is tense and intelligent throughout.

Audio

Dolby Digital Mono (Japanese). Playing through the front channel, this is pretty lacklustre during any scenes of action or music. Although the dialogue is crisp and clear, a surround soundtrack would have enhanced the viewing experience quite considerably.

The script is good, I suppose described as a Japanese take on The Godfather without the family ties and extra baggage. Blending turf war with gangster mentality and plenty of characters, it is a colourful yet deadly world that is weaved. Although not totally engrossing, it is fairly accessible.

The English subtitles are clear and well timed.

Features

All that is on offer is a profile of the director (static pages of course) and about a dozen stills from the film. The former is interesting, but the second is very basic. Where is the commentary track and making-of feature? Obviously on a well put together disc...

The menus are static with music playing in the background. They are easy to navigate.

Conclusion

Violent, brutal and compelling, this is a good start for any Western when they gingerly step into the Eastern market. However, three flaws hamper it from being a great film. Firstly, the characters are given little space to develop; the style leads to a predictability level that really doesn`t need to be there; and also the film has aged somewhat, into something that isn`t so revolutionary nowadays.

Yes, it is original in ways, and there is no doubt that the director is talented, and the cast do perform well. But, with the odd tweak here and there, Cops vs Thugs could have been a classic.

As for the disc, it is poor all round - very average presentation and poor extras. Nothing to write home about.

Worth a rent at least, but flaws on both sides of the package stop this from being a must-buy.