Code of Wolves

1974 ‘実録飛車角　狼どもの仁義’ Directed by Shinji Murayama

In gangster-infested 1920s Yokohama, gambler Ishiguro gets in with the local gang -- but his view of life changes after the Great Kanto Earthquake.

Bunta Sugawara Kyōsuke Machida Akira Kobayashi Renji Ishibashi Nashie Nakagawa Harumi Sone Tsunehiko Watase Ryôhei Uchida Hideo Murota Takuzō Kawatani Hideji Ohtaki Shôtarô Hayashi Kenji Kusumoto Hiroshi Tanaka Rie Nakagawa

Alternative Titles

Jitsuroku hishyakaku ôkami domo no jingi, True Account of Hishakaku: A Wolf's Honor and Humanity

93 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by KD_ ★★★½

CODE OF WOLVES is an unusually structured jitsuroku eiga starring Sugawara Bunta. It is also unusual because of the time period it’s set in (roughly from the 1920s until 1942) and the clothing of the characters which you’d rather expect in a ninkyo eiga. But no, this film attempts to give the “true account” of the life of gambler-looter Ishiguro Hikoichi (Sugawara Bunta). CODE OF WOLVES should not be mistaken for yet another Theatre of Life adaptation like the Theatre of Life ninkyo films, rather it is based on a 70s novel which does away with any romanticising of Ishiguro’s life. It’s worth noting, indeed, that the Theatre of Life novel, released in the 1930s, was inspired by the life…
Review by Nathan Stuart ★★★★ 1

A slightly unconventional take on the Yakuza drama. But one that still features Bunta Sugawara at his masculine best, doing what he does best, not giving a shit about authority and carving his own path..
Add to that a stunning cast that includes Akira Kobayashi,Tsunehiko Watase and virtually the entire piranha army, then throw in a decent helping of genre violence and you're left with a DAMN good time.
Review by nagoya ★★★½

Featuring interesting and original choices of storytelling, this jitsuroku yakuza film is quite good. Maybe Shinji Murayama isn't the greatest director for this, but Bunta gives one hell of a icy performance. Wonderful ending scene.

Recent reviews

Review by Rhythm Zaveri ★★★½

Bunta Sugawara oozes masculinity like nobody’s business.
Review by KD_ ★★★½

CODE OF WOLVES is an unusually structured jitsuroku eiga starring Sugawara Bunta. It is also unusual because of the time period it’s set in (roughly from the 1920s until 1942) and the clothing of the characters which you’d rather expect in a ninkyo eiga. But no, this film attempts to give the “true account” of the life of gambler-looter Ishiguro Hikoichi (Sugawara Bunta). CODE OF WOLVES should not be mistaken for yet another Theatre of Life adaptation like the Theatre of Life ninkyo films, rather it is based on a 70s novel which does away with any romanticising of Ishiguro’s life. It’s worth noting, indeed, that the Theatre of Life novel, released in the 1930s, was inspired by the life…
Review by nagoya ★★★½

Featuring interesting and original choices of storytelling, this jitsuroku yakuza film is quite good. Maybe Shinji Murayama isn't the greatest director for this, but Bunta gives one hell of a icy performance. Wonderful ending scene.
Review by Nathan Stuart ★★★★ 1

A slightly unconventional take on the Yakuza drama. But one that still features Bunta Sugawara at his masculine best, doing what he does best, not giving a shit about authority and carving his own path..
Add to that a stunning cast that includes Akira Kobayashi,Tsunehiko Watase and virtually the entire piranha army, then throw in a decent helping of genre violence and you're left with a DAMN good time.