The Street Fighter

⁣The Street Fighter (1974) is a hard-hitting Japanese martial arts action film starring Sonny Chiba as Takuma Tsurugi, a ruthless and highly skilled mercenary who will take on almost any job for the right price. When members of a criminal organization hire Tsurugi to kidnap the daughter of a wealthy businessman, he refuses after discovering they cannot meet his price. The gang then turns against him, forcing Tsurugi into a brutal battle against the very criminals who tried to employ him.

Known for its intense fight scenes, gritty atmosphere, and unusually graphic violence for its time, The Street Fighter helped establish Sonny Chiba as an international martial arts star. Unlike the more heroic martial arts characters common in films of the era, Tsurugi is a tough, morally ambiguous antihero whose savage fighting style makes him nearly as dangerous as the villains he faces.

Directed by Shigehiro Ozawa, The Street Fighter became a cult favorite and spawned several sequels. Its raw, uncompromising approach to martial arts action helped make it one of the most memorable Japanese action films of the 1970s.

• Stars

  Shin'ichi Chiba, Yutaka Nakajima, Chiyoko Kazama

• Producer

  Norimichi Matsudaira

• Release

  1974

• Country

  Japan

• Quality

  HD-TV

• Category

  Action