Skip to content
What's After the Movie?
Crime drama

Battles Without Honor and Humanity (1973): Cast & Plot

Battles Without Honor and Humanity (1973) movie poster

Battles Without Honor and Humanity is a 1973 crime drama directed by Kinji Fukasaku, starring Bunta Sugawara as Shozo Hirono, Tatsuo Umemiya and Hiroshi Nawa. It runs 1 hour 39 minutes.

Loading streaming availability…
Battles Without Honor and Humanity (1973) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 39m (99 min)
Director
Kinji Fukasaku
Genres
Drama , Crime
Original language
Japanese
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Battles Without Honor and Humanity About?

The premise of Battles Without Honor and Humanity without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

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 Themes & Keywords

· 25 tags
  • yakuza
  • post world war two
  • hiroshima japan
  • gang war
  • organized crime
  • crime epic
  • japan
  • sunglasses
  • shootout
  • three word title
  • first part
  • tattoo
+13 more
  • shot to death
  • mafia boss
  • murder
  • mob violence
  • katana
  • funeral
  • extortion
  • finger cut off
  • crime boss
  • betrayal
  • prison
  • female nudity
  • sex scene
Loading streaming availability…
Cast & crew

Battles Without Honor and Humanity Cast & Characters

Bunta Sugawara leads the cast as Shozo Hirono, with Tatsuo Umemiya as Hiroshi Wakasugi and Hiroshi Nawa as Doi. Directed by Kinji Fukasaku; 70 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in Battles Without Honor and Humanity

· 66 more
Show all 70 cast members
Plot

Battles Without Honor and Humanity Plot Summary

What happens in Battles Without Honor and Humanity from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

In 1946 Kure, Shozo Hirono, a war veteran, is sent to prison after fatally stabbing a sword-wielding yakuza who attacked a friend, receiving a 12-year sentence. A brutal prison brawl leads to a moment of fragile alliance when he is placed in solitary confinement with Hiroshi Wakasugi of the Doi Family; the two men forge a sworn brotherhood through a blood oath. Wakasugi, determined to secure Hirono’s release, attempts a harakiri, vowing that if he survives, he will arrange Hirono’s freedom by pressuring the prison warden through the powerful Yamamori Family led by Yoshio Yamamori.

Full summary

The whole story of Battles Without Honor and Humanity, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

Battles Without Honor and Humanity Trailers & Videos

The trailer of Battles Without Honor and Humanity.

BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR AND HUMANITY – Trailer
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Battles Without Honor and Humanity?

9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 9

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered

What crime leads Shozo Hirono to be sentenced to prison at the start of the film?

Details

Battles Without Honor and Humanity Also Known As

18 alternative titles, including “Battles Without Honour and Humanity” and “Tarnished Code of Yakuza”.

Also known as
  • Battles Without Honour and Humanity
  • Tarnished Code of Yakuza
  • The Yakuza Papers
  • War without a Code
  • Vol. 1: Battles Without Honor and Humanity
  • Jingi naki tatakai
  • Battles Without Honor and Humanity 1
  • Luta Sem Código De Honra
  • Os Documentos da Yakuza Parte I: Luta sem Código de Honra
  • Combat sans code d'honneur
  • Lotta senza codice d'onore
  • Batallas sin honor ni humanidad
+6 more
  • 仁義なき戰い
  • Bitwy bez kodeksu honorowego
  • 의리 없는 전쟁
  • 无仁义之战
  • Džingi naki tatakai
  • 無仁義之戰

Seen Battles Without Honor and Humanity?

FAQ

Battles Without Honor and Humanity FAQ: Cast & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, post-credit scenes and language of Battles Without Honor and Humanity, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Battles Without Honor and Humanity?

Battles Without Honor and Humanity runs 1 hour 39 minutes (99 minutes).

When was Battles Without Honor and Humanity released?

Battles Without Honor and Humanity was released on January 13, 1973.

Who directed Battles Without Honor and Humanity?

Battles Without Honor and Humanity was directed by Kinji Fukasaku.

More films by Kinji Fukasaku

Who is in the cast of Battles Without Honor and Humanity?

Battles Without Honor and Humanity stars Bunta Sugawara as Shozo Hirono, Tatsuo Umemiya as Hiroshi Wakasugi and Hiroshi Nawa as Doi, among 70 credited actors.

Does Battles Without Honor and Humanity have a post-credit scene?

No. Battles Without Honor and Humanity has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is Battles Without Honor and Humanity in?

The original language of Battles Without Honor and Humanity is Japanese.

Coming soon to your phone

The Plot Explained Movie Summary App

From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.

Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app