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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1970
Runtime1h 27m
LanguageJapanese
CertificationNR
GenresCrime
Votes1
DirectorShin Takakuwa
WritersAkira Murao
TypeFeature Film
Rating9.0 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsThugs of Shinjuku
About Thugs of Shinjuku
Fresh out of jail, a smart-mouth wise guy Goro takes the name “Big Brother Katsumata.” Not fitting in well with established gangs, he forms a rag-tag gang called “the Shinjuku Brothers.” The members of their gang are thugs who only wish they were traditional yakuza. When they turn up at the funeral for a gangster, they are not welcomed, but a senior boss intervenes to keep things calm. The boss of bosses invites them to join a respected local council of warlords. Katsumata is suspicious of why such powerful men would extend an invitation to lowlife like himself.
Directed by Shin Takakuwa, Thugs of Shinjuku leans on a strong ensemble — Bunta Sugawara, Makoto Satō, Shingo Yamashiro — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about crime titles of 1970.
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