Sympathy for the Underdog

Sympathy for the Underdog

1971 · 93 min · ★ 7.1 · Drama, Action, Crime

A yakuza gang gets driven out of Yokohama by a big gang from Tokyo. They relocate to Okinawa to violently start over.

Directed by Kinji Fukasaku · Written by Fumio Kōnami

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

PhiloOVIDFandor Amazon ChannelEternal FamilyMidnight PulpMidnight Pulp Amazon Channel

Rent or Buy

Amazon Video

Cast

Trailers & Videos

Make it a double feature

3h 9m together

Sympathy for the Underdog

Under the Flag of the Rising Sun

Both from Kinji Fukasaku.

Gambler CollectionSee all →

Prison GamblerPrison Gambler · 1964
Prison Gambler
★ 9.01964
MovieCrimeDrama
A film about the confrontation between two yakuza groups in the brutal Miike prison, which contained 1,500 inmates. The second film in the series Gambler / Bakuto directed by Shigehiro Ozawa.
Gamblers and RacketeersGamblers and Racketeers · 1964
Gamblers and Racketeers
★ 10.01964
MovieCrimeDrama
Komatsu Takioka is boss of a Yakuza group rival to Masakichi Kijima boss of the Kikuya group which supports the town vendors unlike Takioka, who will stop at nothing to undermine the vendors and take over the territory. Masakichi will do all he can to protect and support the people. Ryutaro Kijima is senior son to Masakichi, though disowned, he keeps interest in the family from a distance. He will be there for his father and his hot tempered younger brother Katsuo, if they should need his loyal help.
GamblerGambler · 1964
Gambler
★ 9.01964
MovieCrimeDrama
The main character Tachibana Isaburo is released from prison and discovers that his boss is dead. He is offered to become the leader of the group, but refuses. A young fashion villain, a Yakuza boss wants to get into politics. He makes a deal with the Osaka Railway Company, leaving many poor people homeless. Tachibana engages in a fierce battle with villains for the poor.
Seven GamblersSeven Gamblers · 1966
Seven Gamblers
★ 6.51966
Movie
Hanjiro, a one eyed vagrant arrives in Okinoshima to save the town from a violent Yakuza group with the help of six handicapped guys.
Three GamblersThree Gamblers · 1967
Three Gamblers
★ 8.51967
MovieCrimeDrama
Three closely associated gamblers have adventures in Yokohama, Hokkaido, and Macao. Gambling trio endure hardships to rescue Naojiro’s family.
Gambler BiographyGambler Biography · 1968
Gambler Biography
★ 6.01968
MovieCrime
Historical Yakuza gangster film set the early years of the Showa era.
Gambler's FarewellGambler's Farewell · 1968
Gambler's Farewell
★ 8.01968
MovieDramaCrime
The story of men devoted to the yakuza lifestyle and their struggles during a time of fading yakuza power.
A Wad of NotesA Wad of Notes · 1970
A Wad of Notes
★ 7.21970
MovieAction
A lone gambler tries to keep a yakuza family from taking over a festival in Kitakyushu. After away from his hometown for 13 years, Ryuji comes back and saves the town that is becoming run-down from yakuza’s ill deeds.
The Gambler's CounterattackThe Gambler's Counterattack · 1971
The Gambler's Counterattack
★ 8.51971
MovieDramaCrime
Aiba is a gang boss who has just got out of jail, and finds everything has changed. His old gang has broken up, and only a few people still respect him. So he becomes a consultant to another gang who are about to be clobbered by a much larger gang moving in from out of town. Aiba proves a crafty tactician, and does very well at playing gangs off against each other in order to save the smaller gang. His advice is not always taken by those he tries to help, but he is generally proved right.

More from Kinji FukasakuSee all →

Wounded AngelsWounded Angels · 1974
Wounded Angels
★ 10.01974
SeriesAction & AdventureCrime
Two lovable idiot "private detectives" (or at least, that's their cover story —more like gangsters) try to make ends meet on the mean streets of Tokyo.
Theater Of LifeTheater Of Life · 1983
Theater Of Life
★ 9.01983
MovieDrama
Adaptation of Shiro Ozaki's novel.
Wolves, Pigs & MenWolves, Pigs & Men · 1964
Wolves, Pigs & Men
★ 8.11964
MovieDramaCrime
Sabu and his pals hold a pauper's funeral for Sabu's mother. His brother Jiro arrives home, fresh out of jail, and Sabu pointedly states that Jiro is not invited. Jiro meanwhile is planning a big job - steal 40 million in cash and drugs, and he invites Sabu and gang to act as decoys, for 50,000 each. The sting is a success, but the double-crossing starts almost immediately. Sabu discovers how little of the take they were promised and hides the stash. Jiro and his slimy partner pressure the kids to fess up. Meanwhile, their respectable elder brother Ichiro is being leaned on by the town's big boss, whose money it was.
Professional KillersProfessional Killers · 1972
Professional Killers
★ 8.01972
SeriesDramaCrime
A shikakenin was an under-the-cover trade that undertook killing in Edo. Hanemon of Otowa, an agency that introduced laborers and maids, was also one of these. Katsugoro Iseya was a timber dealer who had come in as a client. His target was the constructions magistrate Hanno, and the Tatsumiya who sipped on the benefits. Hanemon who had a stong code towards killing, where he would only kill those who do no good to be in the world, accepts this request. Baian Fujieda, a needle doctor would carry out the killing. However, the professional killer Baian fails to bring down Tatsumiya. Hanemon then looks to another shikakenin, the ronin Sanai Nishimura for the role. Although Sanai's ability with the sword is good, he lives poorly in a tenement, and accepts this commission on the condition that it is kept a secret from his wife and child. Here, they close in on Hanno and Tatsumiya again...
Shadow WarriorsShadow Warriors · 1980
Shadow Warriors
★ 8.01980
SeriesDramaAction & Adventure
Shadow Warriors is a Japanese television jidaigeki show featuring Sonny Chiba that ran for four seasons in the early 1980s. Chiba played different ninja characters in each series. In the first series he played Hattori Hanzō III, in second one he played Tsuge Shinpachi, in the third one he played Tarao Hanzō, in the fourth series and in Bakumatsu Hen, he played Hattori Hanzō XV. In the 2003 direct-to-DVD series Shin Kage no Gundan he played Hattori Hanzō I.
Proof of the ManProof of the Man · 1977
Proof of the Man
★ 7.81977
MovieDramaCrime
When an American is murdered in a Japanese inn, Tokyo police detective Munesue follows the trail of the killer to New York. There he is joined by a New York City detective named Shuftan and together they sort out the crime.
The Geisha HouseThe Geisha House · 1999
The Geisha House
★ 7.71999
MovieDrama
Set in a Kyoto geisha house during the post-WWII era, the young Omocha begins her rigorous apprenticeship within the traditional community of geiko and maiko. She must navigate complex internal rivalries and a strict social hierarchy while the house struggles to maintain its customs. As modern society shifts around them, the residents face the increasing pressure of Japan's changing cultural identity.
Under the Flag of the Rising SunUnder the Flag of the Rising Sun · 1972
Under the Flag of the Rising Sun
★ 7.61972
MovieDramaMystery
A war widow determined to clear the name of her disgraced husband, who was court-martialed for desertion and executed. Official records have been destroyed, and the ministry that distributes benefits continues to deny her a pension. Twenty-six years after the war, she seeks out four survivors of her husband's garrison. Each tells a dramatically different story about her husband's conduct, but she is determined to learn the truth.
Battles Without Honor and HumanityBattles Without Honor and Humanity · 1973
Battles Without Honor and Humanity
★ 7.31973
MovieCrimeAction
In the teeming black markets of postwar Japan, Shozo Hirono and his buddies find themselves in a new war between factious and ambitious yakuza.
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in HiroshimaBattles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima · 1973
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Deadly Fight in Hiroshima
★ 7.31973
MovieDramaCrime
Repeatedly beat to a pulp by gamblers, cops, and gangsters, lone wolf Shoji Yamanaka finally finds a home as a Muraoka family hitman and falls in love with boss Muraoka's niece. Meanwhile, the ambitions of mad dog Katsutoshi Otomo draws our series' hero, Shozo Hirono, and the other yakuza into a new round of bloodshed.
Battle RoyaleBattle Royale · 2000
Battle Royale
★ 7.32000
MovieDramaThriller
In the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill each other under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.
Tora! Tora! Tora!Tora! Tora! Tora! · 1970
Tora! Tora! Tora!
★ 7.21970
MovieWarHistory
In the summer of 1941, the United States and Japan seem on the brink of war after constant embargos and failed diplomacy come to no end. "Tora! Tora! Tora!", named after the code words used by the lead Japanese pilot to indicate they had surprised the Americans, covers the days leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, which plunged America into the Second World War.
The Triple CrossThe Triple Cross · 1992
The Triple Cross
★ 7.21992
MovieDramaAction
Following the bloody aftermath of a heist, three robbers are double-crossed by a new accomplice, who is then tracked down amid escalating carnage and spectacular car chases.
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Police TacticsBattles Without Honor and Humanity: Police Tactics · 1974
Battles Without Honor and Humanity: Police Tactics
★ 7.01974
MovieCrimeDrama
As Japan gears up for the 1964 Olympic Games, the cops start to crack down on the gangs, under pressure from the public and the press, adding a new dimension in the war for power among the yakuza families of Hiroshima.
Key HunterKey Hunter · 1968
Key Hunter
★ 7.01968
SeriesDrama
Key Hunter is a prime-time Japanese television detective series. It aired on Saturday nights in the 9:00–9:56 p.m. time slot on the Tokyo Broadcasting System network from April 6, 1968 to April 7, 1973. There were a total of 262 episodes, and it was one of the most popular action dramas in Japan at the time. The story involved "Key Hunter", a special clandestine unit of the International Police, which endeavored to solve various crimes. "Key Hunter" was a unique TV show, which started out as a grand scale spy thriller never before seen in Japan. The episodes were individually themed on global crimes and political strife. The initial hardboiled theme later evolved to include intellectual elements involving action, and occasionally with comical elements as well. Tetsuro Tamba starred in the 1967 film You Only Live Twice as Japanese Secret Service agent Tiger Tanaka, an ally of James Bond. This role greatly influenced his image in "Key Hunter".
Black LizardBlack Lizard · 1968
Black Lizard
★ 6.91968
MovieCrimeComedy
A detective tries to outwit an art loving thief who has kidnapped the daughter of a jeweler to get to an exquisite diamond.

More Like This

Black RainBlack Rain · 1989
Black Rain
★ 6.61989
MovieDramaAction
Two New York cops get involved in a gang war between members of the Yakuza, the Japanese Mafia. They arrest one of their killers and are ordered to escort him back to Japan. However, in Japan he manages to escape, and as they try to track him down, they get deeper and deeper into the Japanese Mafia scene and they have to learn that they can only win by playing the game—the Japanese way.
SonatineSonatine · 1993
Sonatine
★ 7.51993
MovieActionCrime
Murakawa, an aging Tokyo yakuza tiring of gangster life, is sent by his boss to Okinawa along with a few of his henchmen to help end a gang war, supposedly as mediators between two warring clans. He finds that the dispute between the clans is insignificant and whilst wondering why he was sent to Okinawa at all, his group is attacked in an ambush. The survivors flee and make a decision to lay low at the beach while they await further instructions.
Crying FreemanCrying Freeman · 1995
Crying Freeman
★ 6.41995
MovieActionCrime
A lethal assassin for a secret Chinese organisation, who sheds tears of regret each time he kills, is seen swiftly and mercilessly executing three Yakuza gangsters by a beautiful artist. She is captivated by the grace of his kill and later falls in love with him. An intense power struggle for the leadership of the Yakuza Clans ensues as they seek vengeance for the death of their leader.
Lupin the 3rd: Goemon's Blood SprayLupin the 3rd: Goemon's Blood Spray · 2017
Lupin the 3rd: Goemon's Blood Spray
★ 7.82017
MovieAnimationAction
A yakuza boss hires Goemon Ishikawa, a modern day samurai, to protect him aboard his cruise ship casino. Everything goes sideways when the famous thief, Lupin the Third, tries to rob the vessel. Lupin's being hunted by a powerful and mysterious man: the so called “Ghost of Bermuda.” With Goemon's employer dead in the ensuing chaos, his honor is at stake, and the only way to preserve it is with blood. But this opponent is like no other, and to make things right, Goemon may need to sharpen not only his sword, but himself as well!
Pigs and BattleshipsPigs and Battleships · 1961
Pigs and Battleships
★ 7.11961
MovieCrimeDrama
In the city of Yokosuka, Kinta and his lover Haruko, both involved with yakuza, brave the post-occupation period with a goal to be together.
American YakuzaAmerican Yakuza · 1993
American Yakuza
★ 5.81993
MovieCrimeAction
When Nick Davis leaves prison after one year in solitairy, he is hired to operate a forklift in a warehouse in the harbor owned by the Japanese Yakuza patriarch Isshin Tendo. The place is assaulted by the Italian Mafia lead by Dino Campanela and Nick rescues and saves the life of Shuji Sawamoto, who is the representative of Yakuza interests in America. Shuji hires Nick to work for Yakuza and becomes his godfather in the family after his oath to join Yakuza. However, Nick is a lonely FBI undercover agent assigned to penetrate the criminal organization. When the FBI discovers that Campanela is organizing a massive attack to destroy the Yakuza, Nick's boss Littman calls off the operation to leave the dirty work to the Italian Mafia. But the connection of Nick with Shuji and his goddaughter Yuko forces him to help his Japanese family.
Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip GirlShark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl · 1999
Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl
★ 6.91999
MovieCrimeComedy
In dreamlike mountain scenery, Toshiko makes a daring escape from her sexually warped Uncle Sonezaki. Fortunately, she met Samehada as she runs for her life, which is also escaping from some slayers. What follows is a wild chase that leads the audience into a comically violent world.
The Street FighterThe Street Fighter · 1974
The Street Fighter
★ 6.81974
MovieActionCrime
Takuma Tsurugi takes on the government, the police, the mafia and an international ring of kidnappers who aim to dispossess a beautiful young heiress of her millions.
Zatoichi and the Chest of GoldZatoichi and the Chest of Gold · 1964
Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold
★ 6.91964
MovieActionDrama
Ichi travels to the village of Itakura to pay his respects at the grave of Kichizo, a man he killed two years ago. When some tax money is stolen while in transit to the governor he is accused and sets out to find the money and clear his name.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter