The Street Fighter DVD | 激突!殺人拳 (Gekitotsu! Satsujin-ken) (1974)

The Street Fighter (1974), also known by its original Japanese title 激突!殺人拳 (Gekitotsu! Satsujin-ken), is the landmark Japanese martial arts action film that introduced Sonny Chiba's Takuma Tsurugi to international audiences. Combining hard-hitting karate with gritty yakuza crime drama, the film established Chiba as one of the most recognizable martial arts stars of the 1970s. Available from ClassicKungFuMovies.com for collectors of Japanese martial arts cinema and classic action films.

STORY OVERVIEW

Sonny Chiba stars as Takuma Tsurugi, a ruthless and highly skilled karate mercenary who operates by his own code. When he becomes involved in a violent struggle surrounding the daughter of a recently deceased business magnate, Tsurugi finds himself caught between powerful criminals, the yakuza and rival fighters.

Rather than following the traditional heroic martial arts formula, Tsurugi is an uncompromising antihero who relies on his fighting ability, street instincts and willingness to use whatever methods are necessary to survive. The result is a fast-moving crime story filled with brutal confrontations and memorable martial arts battles.

MARTIAL ARTS HIGHLIGHTS

The Street Fighter is built around Sonny Chiba's powerful karate style, emphasizing hard strikes, close-quarters combat and raw physical intensity. The film's gritty approach to fighting helped distinguish it from more polished martial arts productions of its era and became a defining feature of Chiba's screen persona.

The action was designed around Japanese karate, with additional fight direction incorporating kickboxing, wrestling and other combat styles. The result is an unusually aggressive martial arts film that helped establish the hard-edged style associated with 1970s Japanese action cinema.

WHY COLLECTORS PICK IT

This film is essential viewing for fans of Sonny Chiba, Japanese martial arts movies and classic yakuza action. Its international reputation grew after the film became a major success in the United States, where its extreme violence made it the first film to receive an X rating solely for violence. For collectors, it remains one of the defining martial arts films of the 1970s.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Released in 1974, The Street Fighter helped make Sonny Chiba an international martial arts star and became an important title in the history of Japanese action cinema. Its combination of karate, crime drama and exploitation filmmaking gave audiences something very different from the heroic martial arts adventures dominating the era.

• Title: The Street Fighter
• Original Japanese Title: 激突!殺人拳
• Romanized Title: Gekitotsu! Satsujin-ken
• Year: 1974
• Director: Shigehiro Ozawa
• Starring: Sonny Chiba, Yutaka Nakajima, Chiyoko Kazama, Etsuko Shihomi
• Character: Sonny Chiba as Takuma Tsurugi
• Genre: Martial Arts, Action, Crime, Thriller
• Country: Japan
• Language: English / Japanese
• Runtime: Approximately 91 minutes
• Format: DVD
• Edition: Bonzai Media Corporation — Digitally Remastered
• Video: 16:9 Widescreen, NTSC
• Audio: Dolby Digital
• Subtitles: English
• AKA: Gekitotsu! Satsujin-ken, The Street Fighter

Carefully researched and prepared for collectors of Japanese martial arts, classic kung fu and Asian cinema by ClassicKungFuMovies.com.