After narrowly surviving a traumatic brain injury, macho pro boxer Eiji Adachi (Hidekazu Akai) puts his life on the line for another chance at boxing glory—vying for a comeback despite the seriousness of his condition. A hyper-masculine brute with a devil-may-care attitude, the hot-tempered Adachi starts again from the ground up, launching his own Osaka training gym with the hopes of returning to the ring. At times comically absurd, Sakamoto’s film brings a satirical yet bleak approach to the self-destructive nature of the boxer, further bolstered by the very fact that the film is based on the life and career of lead actor Akai himself.
Ranked No. 82 in Kinema Jumpo’s Top 100 Japanese Films of All Time Poll in 1999.
Director: Junji Sakamoto. AKA Knockout / どついたるねん
Stars: Hidekazu Akai, Haruko Sagara, Yoshio Harada, Akaji Maro, Takeshi Yamato, Kogan Ashiya, Ken’ichi Mikawa, Terue Shôji, Koichi Wajima, Ryûji Yamamoto, Tetsuya Yûki.
Be First to Comment