Sympathy for the Underdog

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Sympathy for the Underdog

1971

1h 33m

Crime

Drama

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80%

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5 Reviews

81%

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500+ Ratings

A gangster (Kôji Tsuruta) makes powerful enemies after taking over the liquor trade.

Derek Smith

Slant Magazine

Standing at the crossroads of the yakuza genre as it began to incorporate ripped-from-the-headlines stories, Sympathy for the Underdog has lost none of its raw, kinetic power.

Jun 21, 2024

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Anton Bitel

Little White Lies

this may be a yakuza film, but it plays more like noir, not least thanks to Takeo Yamashita’s hard jazz score, the flashbacks told in stylised photomontages, and the brooding fatalism that pervades everything

Jun 20, 2024

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Emilie Black

Cinema Crazed

These leads are perfect in their parts, showing just the right amount of emotion and going into their characters knowing they are complex being, making them more human by letting them be themselves through their performances.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 26, 2024

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

I'd rather be eating sushi than watching such an undercooked flick.

Rated: C

Feb 8, 2007

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Matt Bailey

Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Sympathy for the Underdog is something of a transitional, minor work, but it is every bit as accomplished in style and technique as Fukasaku's later films.

Feb 3, 2005

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acsdoug D

I enjoy the gangster genre, but this one is pretty weak. I just didn't buy the characters - they seemed phony tough and contrived. Or maybe the film is just dated. Either way it's not worthy of your time.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/26/24

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Audience Member

Definitely one of the greatest older gangster movies I've ever seen, some pretty great camera slides and action sequences for a movie that's as Slow burn is this one. Just an all-around great plot!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Audience Member

Puro filme de yakuza não preciso de muito mais que um protótipo de história de ambição e vingança para demonstrar que, em 1969, Kinji Fukasaku estaria já muito à frente na fórmula do filme de acção violento que viria inspirar Tarantino e outros que tais.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

Interesting depiction of post-WWII underworld.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Audience Member

just ok slow cooking actioner

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

Gunji returns from prison to find his old mob broken up.. he picks up the pieces of his old gang and plans to take over Okinawa. .. will he succeed?

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

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Kinji Fukasaku

Director

Kôji Tsuruta

Gunji

Noboru Andô

Shark

Kenji Imai

Mad Dog Jiro

Akiko Kudô

Actor

Kenjiro Morokado

Gushken

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Synopsis

A gangster (Kôji Tsuruta) makes powerful enemies after taking over the liquor trade.

Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Screenwriter: Kinji Fukasaku, Fumio Kônami, Hirô Matsuda
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 33m