Trying to survive in the ruins of post war japan, kawada noboru ando, by a man’s face shall you know him and tsukada asao koike, sympathy the underdog run afoul of the military police after stealing valuable copper wire. Kawada is arrested and sent to prison, but tsukada uses their gains to start a yakuza gang. Facing violent inmates and a cruel warden tomisaburo wakayama, big time gambling boss, kawada vows to escape and stop his former partner. Tai kato directs this epic prison story with characteristic visual flair, while gangster turned actor ando delivers a stunning performance charged with real life gravitas. As an examination of the deep scars of wartime, this genre classic is also a clear precursor to kinji fukasaku’s epoch making battles without honour and humanity series. Special features high definition digital transfer uncompressed mono pcm audio appreciation by critic and programmer tony rayns 2024 a visual essay on japanese prison films by author tom mes 2024 original trailer newly translated english subtitles