“Battles Without Honor and Humanity” (仁義なき戦い), Original Japanese Movie Poster 1973, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) O689
This is an original Japanese B2 theatrical poster printed for the first release of “Battles Without Honor and Humanity” (仁義なき戦い), directed by Kinji Fukasaku (深作欣二)—one of the defining, most influential yakuza films ever made, and a cornerstone of Japan’s hard-boiled “jitsuroku” (true-account) crime cinema.
Film background
Released by Tōei, Battles Without Honor and Humanity detonated in the early 1970s and changed the tone of Japanese gangster cinema almost overnight—shifting away from romanticised ninkyō myths into something raw, documentary-sharp, and politically charged. Set against the chaotic aftermath of WWII and the rise of postwar organised crime, the film’s ruthless realism, frenetic energy, and moral ambiguity helped define the modern yakuza genre. (The series is forever associated with star Bunta Sugawara, whose presence became synonymous with Fukasaku’s street-level intensity.)
Poster design
This B2 is a masterclass in Japanese crime-poster design: an aggressive black-and-white photographic collage, splashed with bold red calligraphy that hits like a headline. The composition feels like evidence pinned to a wall—figures in motion, stark violence, and “case-file” portraits clipped into the frame—matching the film’s jitsuroku style and its theme of brutal, shifting loyalties. The overall effect is urgent, modern, and unmistakably early-’70s Tōei.
Condition
Excellent / Close to Near Mint. Please review the photos—they show the exact poster for sale.
It is not a reproduction or a reprint.
It is over 50 years old!
Certificate of Authenticity included.
