Kinji Fukasaku Yakuza Movie Trailers Show Off Restoration

We can exclusively reveal two trailers for Kinji Fukasaku movies that show off their forthcoming 2K restoration.

In September 2024, Film Movement will release versions of two Fukasaku movies that are digitally restored in 2K: 1964’s Wolves, Pigs and Men and 1976’s Violent Panic: The Big Crash.

Watch the trailer for Wolves, Pigs and Men below

Watch the trailer for Violent Panic: The Big Crash here:

What are the Kinji Fukasaku Yakuza movies about?

“Three brothers, Kuroki, Jirō, and Sabu, find themselves pitted against each other as rivals in the underground world of the Yakuza,” the synopsis for Wolves, Pigs and Men reads. “Jirō, alongside his girlfriend Mizuhara, plots to rob Sabu and his gang, stealing 20 million yen. However, when Kuroki learns of Jirō’s scheme, he journeys to track down his brothers and take the money for his own rival gang. A ‘ferocious, dynamic yakuza thriller’ (Los Angeles Times), Wolves, Pigs and Men captures the darkness and brutality of the criminal underworld. With elements of French New Wave, film noir, and music by Isao Tomita, the action-packed thriller called ‘an explosive, nihilistic tale which qualifies as a rough-hewn, early masterpiece’ (Cinema Soujourns) is a gritty, uncompromising work that established Fukasaku as a master of the Yakuza genre.”

Directed and co-written by Fukasaku, the film stars Ken Takakura, Rentarô Mikuni, and Kin’ya Kitaôji.

“Takashi, an expert bank robber, plans to pull off the biggest heist of his career, stealing 300 million yen before fleeing to Brazil,” the Violent Panic: The Big Crash description reads.

“However, when the robbery goes awry, Takashi finds himself alone and his getaway foiled. Trailed by the police, his lover, his partner-in-crime’s brother, and countless others, Takashi becomes the target of a manhunt filled with twists, double-crosses, and explosive action. From Battles Without Honor and Humanity director, Violent Panic: The Big Crash is ‘A cult film spectacle that pulls out all the stops.’ (Make Mine Criterion) Fast-paced, unrelenting, and featuring a conclusion that ranks among the most legendary car chases in film, Violent Panic: The Big Crash remains one of the most action-packed masterpieces of Fukasaku’s career.”

Tsunehiko Watase, Miki Sugimoto, and Yayoi Watanabe star in Violent Panic: The Big Crash, which is once again directed and co-written by Fukasaku.