The Street Fighter
Encyclopedia
, literally Clash, Killer Fist!, is a Japan
ese martial arts film
released in 1974 and produced by Toei Company
Ltd. It was released in the US by New Line Cinema
and became one of the first films to be a commercial success for the distributor.
The film is an unrelated sequel to TOEI's
gangster-martial film Bodyguard Fang
from 1973, also starring Sonny Chiba
. The Street Fighter inspired two sequels, Return of The Street Fighter
and The Street Fighter's Last Revenge
. Additionally, the film Sister Street Fighter
and its sequels is a spin-off
of the film. There was another spinoff entitled Kozure Satsujin Ken, which was brought to the US by a different company under the title Karate Warriors. The video game The Darkness
has the entire movie available, to watch, on any of the in-game TVs.
(Sonny Chiba
) is a martial arts master for hire who comes to the rescue of a kidnapped
heiress
.
The film begins with Tsurugi meeting the condemned murderer Tateki Shikenbaru while disguised as a Buddhist monk
. Tsuguri applies his "oxygen coma punch" to Tateki, causing him to collapse just before he can be executed. As Tateki is rushed to a hospital, Tsurugi and his sidekick
Rakuda ambush the ambulance and free him. Later, Tateki's brother Gijun and sister Nachi arrive and plead for more time to pay for Tsurugi's help. Outraged, Tsurugi refuses and attacks the siblings. Gijun falls to his death and Nachi is sold into sexual slavery
.
A group of gangsters attempt to hire Tsurugi to kidnap Sarai, the daughter of a recently deceased oil tycoon. Tsurugi refuses after discovering that the gangsters are Yakuza
. He escapes, but the Yakuza gangsters resolve to kill Tsurugi as well as kidnap Sarai. Tsurugi immediately seeks out Sarai, who is being protected at the Nippon Seibukan dojo
by her uncle, Kendō Masaoka, a Karate master. Tsurugi captures Sarai and challenges the entire dojo to a fight. He brutalizes the rank-and-file students before Masaoka bests him. Ultimately, Tsurugi offers to protect Sarai, and Masaoka agrees, against Sarai's protests. Meanwhile, the Yakuza's allies in Hong Kong
recruit Tateki Shikenbaru to avenge his siblings by killing Tsurugi.
The gangsters make several attempts to kill Tsurugi before they successfully kidnap Sarai. Tsurugi manages to rescue her, but gets captured himself. Rakuda gives up Sarai's location to save Tsurugi, causing the honorable Tsurugi to forsake him. When Tsurugi faces a blind swordsman working for the Hong Kong gangsters, Rakuda dies in a reckless attempt at redemption. Tsurugi finally tracks the gangsters down to a shipyard and fights his way through their guards. In the end, the Hong Kong crime lord permits Tsurugi to duel Tateki. Nachi sacrifices herself to give her brother a free shot with a sai
, but Tsurugi survives and kills Tateki. Critically wounded, Tsurugi stumbles to his feet and the film ends abruptly in freeze frame
.
solely for violence. The film was especially controversial because of a scene in which Tsurugi castrates
a rapist with his bare hands; it is this scene (among others) like when Tsurugi does a powerful punch to an henchmans head and it then cuts to an x-ray vision of the skull being completely shattered and then blood gushes out of the mouth from the man, that reputedly gained the film its 'X' rating. 16 minutes were later edited from the film in order to get an R-rating. This was the version initially released on home video by MGM/CBS Home Video in 1980. Since then, the film was re-released in its entirety. Consequently, the English dub of the uncut version suffers from inconsistencies to the soundtrack quality, as the restored footage was dubbed by a different studio using different voice actors.
In the English dubbed versions of The Street Fighter and Return of The Street Fighter, Chiba's character is identified as "Terry Sugury" in the credits but dubbed by the voice actors as "Terry Tsurugi". In The Street Fighter's Last Revenge, however, the voice actors call him "Terry Sugury." Rakuda is named "Ratnose"; The villain Tatekis name is also mistranslated as Junjō.
In 1993, the film (and its sequels) received mainstream exposure in North America when they were featured in Tony Scott
's True Romance
(written by Quentin Tarantino
), which had the two lead characters spending time at a Sonny Chiba Street Fighter marathon.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese martial arts film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
released in 1974 and produced by Toei Company
Toei Company
is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
Ltd. It was released in the US by New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema
New Line Cinema, often simply referred to as New Line, is an American film studio. It was founded in 1967 by Robert Shaye and Michael Lynne as a film distributor, later becoming an independent film studio. It became a subsidiary of Time Warner in 1996 and was merged with larger sister studio Warner...
and became one of the first films to be a commercial success for the distributor.
The film is an unrelated sequel to TOEI's
Toei Company
is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
gangster-martial film Bodyguard Fang
Karate Kiba
is a martial-arts film starring Sonny Chiba, released in 1973 and based on an action manga by Ikki Kajiwara.A recut version was released in the U.S...
from 1973, also starring Sonny Chiba
Sonny Chiba
, also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director and martial artist.Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.- Early life :Born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka,...
. The Street Fighter inspired two sequels, Return of The Street Fighter
Return of the Street Fighter
is a 1974 martial arts film and the second in a series starting with The Street Fighter starring Sonny Chiba. In this sequel, Martial artist Takuma Tsurugi returns to take on a Yakuza family that may be embezzling money from charities to finance their own operations...
and The Street Fighter's Last Revenge
The Street Fighter's Last Revenge
is a 1974 martial arts film and the third in a series starting with The Street Fighter starring Sonny Chiba. The film is currently in public domain.-Synopsis:...
. Additionally, the film Sister Street Fighter
Sister Street Fighter
is a spin off of The Street Fighter . The plot revolves around Lǐ Hóng-Lóng , the female martial artist of the title. When her brother Lǐ Wàn-Qīng is kidnapped by drug lords, she seeks revenge. The drug lord's colorful collection of "killers" includes a toga-clad group of Thai Boxers called the...
and its sequels is a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of the film. There was another spinoff entitled Kozure Satsujin Ken, which was brought to the US by a different company under the title Karate Warriors. The video game The Darkness
The Darkness (video game)
The Darkness is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Starbreeze Studios and published by 2K Games for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. It was released on June 25, 2007 in North America and on June 20, 2007 in Europe. The video game is based on the comic book of the same title...
has the entire movie available, to watch, on any of the in-game TVs.
Plot
Takuma TsurugiTakuma Tsurugi
is a fictional character and amoral anti-hero in The Street Fighter film trilogy, played by Japanese actor Sonny Chiba. He is a martial arts expert and a mercenary for hire, usually employed by the Yakuza, though at times he would get double cross, leading him to exact revenge...
(Sonny Chiba
Sonny Chiba
, also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director and martial artist.Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.- Early life :Born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka,...
) is a martial arts master for hire who comes to the rescue of a kidnapped
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
heiress
Beneficiary
A beneficiary in the broadest sense is a natural person or other legal entity who receives money or other benefits from a benefactor. For example: The beneficiary of a life insurance policy, is the person who receives the payment of the amount of insurance after the death of the insured...
.
The film begins with Tsurugi meeting the condemned murderer Tateki Shikenbaru while disguised as a Buddhist monk
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
. Tsuguri applies his "oxygen coma punch" to Tateki, causing him to collapse just before he can be executed. As Tateki is rushed to a hospital, Tsurugi and his sidekick
Sidekick
A sidekick is a close companion who is generally regarded as subordinate to the one he accompanies. Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, Sherlock Holmes' Doctor Watson, The Lone Ranger's Tonto, The Green Hornet's Kato and Batman's Robin.-Origins:The origin of the...
Rakuda ambush the ambulance and free him. Later, Tateki's brother Gijun and sister Nachi arrive and plead for more time to pay for Tsurugi's help. Outraged, Tsurugi refuses and attacks the siblings. Gijun falls to his death and Nachi is sold into sexual slavery
Sexual slavery
Sexual slavery is when unwilling people are coerced into slavery for sexual exploitation. The incidence of sexual slavery by country has been studied and tabulated by UNESCO, with the cooperation of various international agencies...
.
A group of gangsters attempt to hire Tsurugi to kidnap Sarai, the daughter of a recently deceased oil tycoon. Tsurugi refuses after discovering that the gangsters are Yakuza
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
. He escapes, but the Yakuza gangsters resolve to kill Tsurugi as well as kidnap Sarai. Tsurugi immediately seeks out Sarai, who is being protected at the Nippon Seibukan dojo
Dojo
A is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
by her uncle, Kendō Masaoka, a Karate master. Tsurugi captures Sarai and challenges the entire dojo to a fight. He brutalizes the rank-and-file students before Masaoka bests him. Ultimately, Tsurugi offers to protect Sarai, and Masaoka agrees, against Sarai's protests. Meanwhile, the Yakuza's allies in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
recruit Tateki Shikenbaru to avenge his siblings by killing Tsurugi.
The gangsters make several attempts to kill Tsurugi before they successfully kidnap Sarai. Tsurugi manages to rescue her, but gets captured himself. Rakuda gives up Sarai's location to save Tsurugi, causing the honorable Tsurugi to forsake him. When Tsurugi faces a blind swordsman working for the Hong Kong gangsters, Rakuda dies in a reckless attempt at redemption. Tsurugi finally tracks the gangsters down to a shipyard and fights his way through their guards. In the end, the Hong Kong crime lord permits Tsurugi to duel Tateki. Nachi sacrifices herself to give her brother a free shot with a sai
Sai (weapon)
The sai is a traditional Okinawan martial arts weapon. The basic form of the weapon is that of a pointed, dagger-shaped metal truncheon, with two curved prongs called yoku projecting from the handle...
, but Tsurugi survives and kills Tateki. Critically wounded, Tsurugi stumbles to his feet and the film ends abruptly in freeze frame
Freeze frame shot
A freeze frame shot is used when one shot is printed in a single frame several times, in order to make an interesting illusion of a still photograph....
.
Cast
- Takuma Tsurugi: Sonny ChibaSonny Chiba, also known as Sonny Chiba, is a Japanese actor, singer, film producer, film director and martial artist.Chiba was one of the first actors to achieve stardom through his skills in martial arts, initially in Japan and later before an international audience.- Early life :Born in Fukuoka, Fukuoka,...
- Sarai Jōyū-Hammett: Yutaka Nakajima
- Rakuda Zhang: Goichi Yamada
- Tateki Shikenbaru: Masashi Ishibashi
- Gijun Shikenbaru: Jirō Chiba
- Nachi Shikenbaru: Etsuko Shihomi
- Kendō Masaoka: Masafumi Suzuki (Nippon Seibukan)
- Tetsunosuke Tsuchida: Nobuo Kawai
- Senkaku Kan: Ken Kazama
- Onaga: Yūshiro Sumi
- Abdul Jadot: Tony Cetera
- Kingstone: Ousmane Yusef
- Bondo: Chico Roland
- Bayan: Tatsuo Endō
- Yáng Jì-Chūn: Chiyoko Kazama
- Liáng Dōng-Yī: Akira Shion
- Kowloon Dinsau: Rinichi Yamamoto
- Muskari: Hitoshi Ōmae
- Blind Láng Gōng (Mōrōkō): Bin Amatsu
- Renzō Mutaguchi: Fumio Watanabe
- Ōshima: Takuzō Kawatani
- Hanada: Ryūji Katagiri
- Yokoyama: Takashi Noguchi
- Inspector Chen: Kōjirō Shirakawa
US releases
The Street Fighter was the first film to receive an X ratingX-rated
In some countries, X is or has been a motion picture rating reserved for the most explicit films. Films rated X are intended only for viewing by adults, usually legally defined as people over the age of 17.-United Kingdom:...
solely for violence. The film was especially controversial because of a scene in which Tsurugi castrates
Castration
Castration is any action, surgical, chemical, or otherwise, by which a male loses the functions of the testicles or a female loses the functions of the ovaries.-Humans:...
a rapist with his bare hands; it is this scene (among others) like when Tsurugi does a powerful punch to an henchmans head and it then cuts to an x-ray vision of the skull being completely shattered and then blood gushes out of the mouth from the man, that reputedly gained the film its 'X' rating. 16 minutes were later edited from the film in order to get an R-rating. This was the version initially released on home video by MGM/CBS Home Video in 1980. Since then, the film was re-released in its entirety. Consequently, the English dub of the uncut version suffers from inconsistencies to the soundtrack quality, as the restored footage was dubbed by a different studio using different voice actors.
In the English dubbed versions of The Street Fighter and Return of The Street Fighter, Chiba's character is identified as "Terry Sugury" in the credits but dubbed by the voice actors as "Terry Tsurugi". In The Street Fighter's Last Revenge, however, the voice actors call him "Terry Sugury." Rakuda is named "Ratnose"; The villain Tatekis name is also mistranslated as Junjō.
In 1993, the film (and its sequels) received mainstream exposure in North America when they were featured in Tony Scott
Tony Scott
Anthony D. L. "Tony" Scott is an English film director. His films include Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123, and Unstoppable...
's True Romance
True Romance
True Romance is a 1993 American romance crime film written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott. The film stars Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette with an ensemble cast consisting of Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Chris Penn, Tom Sizemore, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin...
(written by Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
), which had the two lead characters spending time at a Sonny Chiba Street Fighter marathon.