It's a bold moving, pushing out the second film in a series a mere three months after the first was released. Given the unique approach taken to both the storytelling and the film-making the first time around - loose, almost free-wheeling, chaotic, and harried - would its follow-up proceed along the same lines? Would it try something different; would it carry the same vibrancy and meet with the same success; would it fail to meet the same standard? To read of the production one comes to understand that liberties were taken with the source material and the history that inspired this picture, all for the sake of cinematic narrative cohesion; how would such choices impact the lasting success? It doesn't take long for us to find out, and not least with much the same collaborators rejoining filmmaker Fukasaku Kinji, it's safe to say that 'Deadly fight in Hiroshima' mostly retains the look and feel of its predecessor. Just as much to the point: this second flick of April 1973 does likewise put soft focus on particular families and individual figures, yet the plot boasts the same broad, laxly-woven nature, trusting in overall vibes more than a discrete, linear progression of beats. With that said, frankly those concerns of treatment of the source material fall by the wayside, because this second 'Battles without honor and humanity' is once again more about the general than the specific. And debate and compare as we might, at large this is just as swell.
Oh yes, the feature is based somewhat on actual people and events. More immediately, though, like the antecedent, this offers a glimpse at the perpetual feuds, graphic violence, and struggles for power and territory among yakuza in the years after World War II. With that, 'Deadly fight' maintains a consistent vision with its progenitor, and that pretty well extends to all elements. So Fukasaku sustains a zestful vitality with favor of handheld cameras, natural lighting, and a steady pace within most scenes. Cinematographer Yoshia Sadaji and editor Miyamoto Shintaro adopt the same mentality with their dexterous, dynamic contributions, especially bolstering the vigor of the violent stunts, effects, and action sequences, just as the cast give excellent, well-rounded performances of unexpected range, nuance, and emotional depth to adeptly meet the needs of any given moment. Tsushima Toshiaki's music provides flavorful complement, a nice juxtaposition with sharp production design, art direction, sets, costume design, hair, and makeup. Surprisingly, however, for as much kinship as this movie readily shares with its forebear - including regular instances of narration, stills, and on-screen text to provide context and advance the plot in a concise manner - it does also come across to some degree that this is a little more polished, and more carefully rendered. The bursts of violence are just as vivid, but especially in the quieter scenes of dialogue one detects a more deliberate, measured sense of writing and direction. This includes more distinct emphasis on a singular character, in this case hitman Yamanaka Shoji.
I'm inclined to believe that some fragment of the prior unbridled strength is diminished as this title refines what previously felt like a very fly-by-night production. Some outright energy is traded in for reserved dramatic sensibilities and emotional impact, and while the long-term quality is much the same there is unmistakably some disparity from one to the next. Maybe this means 'Deadly fight' is more accessible for some viewers; maybe it means that it lacks the same cutting edge, and is less remarkable, as it becomes a bit more conventional. Though the sequel is cut from the same cloth as the first release of January 1973, it's the difference of wholly embracing the roughness that may present, versus smoothing over some fractions to foster a more outwardly cogent, calculated front. It's my opinion that this makes this film every so slightly inferior to the unrelenting first 'Battles without honor and humanity'; then again, for the high level on which these pictures operate, that's not actually saying a lot. What it comes down to is that if the predecessor is an essential classic, its successor is maybe a tad less so, yet if one is receptive to the genre and everything that the series is known for, 'Deadly fight in Hiroshima' is ultimately just as worthwhile. Don't necessarily go out of your way for it, but chances are you can find all the features in the same place to begin with - and one way or another, if you do have the chance to watch, I'm pleased to give this yakuza flick my solid recommendation.
