Description

ZATOICHI: THE BLIND SWORDSMAN stars Japanese screen legend Beat Takeshi in an action-packed, award-winning film that has been compared to "Kill Bill Volume One." SONATINE also stars Beat Takeshi in a fast and furious gangland thriller with an edgy "Pulp Fiction" attitude. Both of these films include bonus DVD features, including an introduction to SONATINE by Quentin Tarantino, acclaimed director of such film favorites as "Pulp Fiction" and "Kill Bill" Volumes One and Two. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Stick that up yer arthouse
Blending period drama, Shogun Assassin-style ultra-violence, comedy and Stomp-esque musical interludes, Takeshi Kitano's "Zatoichi" is probably the most audacious film to have come out of Japan so far this decade. Kitano - a former comedian who divides his time between gameshow appearances and producing violent gangster flicks - plays the eponymous hero, a blind but deadly samurai who gets off on gambling, chopping wood and putting wrongs to right. It's a masterful turn, and one that Kitano clearly relishes, twitching and chuckling to himself before dispatching enemies with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it flash of his blade.
The plot centres around Zatoichi's battle against the local yakuza and their formidable samurai-for-hire (Ichi the Killer's Tadonabu Asano). There are showdowns aplenty and, when they do come, they're nothing if not spectacular. Digitally-enhanced, cartoony and extremely violent (think: severed limbs and gallons of blood aplenty), the fights are likely to polarise audiences almost as much as the film's climactic, er, tapdance sequence.
In between, we get a revenge drama involving a cross-dressing geisha, a wannabe samurai who charges around wearing little but armour and what looks like a nappy, slapstick galore and numerous musical interludes. In a similar vein to Lars von Trier's Dancer in the Dark, Kitano draws his soundtrack from ambient noises - as Zatoichi wanders, sightless, through the fields, the sounds of workers' hoes builds up into a natural rhythm. It's a cute effect, and one that's deftly employed here, compounding the sense that Zatoichi - though blind - is catching something that everyone around him misses.
What impresses most is how Kitano manages to draw such unlikely elements together and, moreover, make them work so well. I can think of few directors capable of flitting from slapstick to bloodbath, or domestic tragedy to musical setpiece, as convincingly or effortlessly. Even the aforementioned tapdance number, and a lengthy flashback/musical piece midway through, make a curious kind of sense on a second viewing.
Being a Japanese-language film, this one will inevitably get only a limited audience. Those who do make the effort, however, are in for a treat. It wouldn't be overstating the case to say that you've never seen anything quite like this before.

Zatoichi - visually dazzling and aurally sophisticated...
The blind ronin Zatoichi wanders from town to town where he makes his living giving massages and spends his leisure gambling. Often Zatoichi is perceived as a blind helpless victim, but make no mistake here as he is the deadliest of all swordsmen. In this adventure, Zatoichi enters a small town besieged by two rival gangs that are fighting for control. When Zatoichi enters the town a mighty ronin arrives simultaneously looking for a good paying job that can help finance the cure for his sick wife. Also, two murderous geishas arrive and infiltrate the underworld with death in their minds. Zatoichi ends up in the middle of this ordeal where he functions as the evenhanded police, judge, and executioner for the town's villains by delivering death to those who does wrong. Zatoichi is visually dazzling and aurally sophisticated as it enhances the understanding for the dark world which Zatoichi experiences daily. This results in a fantastic adventure where right and wrong are well balanced under the blind eye of Zatoichi, leaving the audience with a good cinematic experience. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A superstar and cultural icon in his native Japan, Takeshi "Beat" Kitano has conquered more than one medium, but he is best known in the West for his remarkable films. Among those, Fireworks is the clear favorite, a taut and enigmatic noir that fluctuates between perfect stillness and savage eruptions of violence.

Kitano plays a cop named Nishi, a determinedly impassive man whose face occasionally ripples with an involuntary tic, hinting at the explosive but contained forces within. Nishi's wife (Kayato Kishimoto) is dying of leukemia, a disease that already killed their child, and he cares for her with a shattering tenderness. While on a stakeout, Nishi takes a break to check in on her, and while he's gone his partner is crippled and another officer is killed. With death hovering at home and a score to settle outside, Kitano's hero sets off on an isolated course to seek justice.

Few filmmakers have understood as well as Kitano has here the irresistible draw of a thriller told with a moody calmness, with an eye toward graceful construction and rigorous composition. The careful, unhurried dispensing of story information also helps keep the focus on Nishi's warrior soul, on his mysterious capacity for the extremes of gentleness and brutality. The story here is the way one man can be the sum of such bold contradictions, and a great story it is. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Outstanding movie, but this DVD is CUT!!!!!
Fireworks (released internationally as "Hana-Bi") was the seventh film directed by Takeshi Kitano, Japanese comedian, novelist, essayist, short story writer, poet, critic, musician, cartoonist, painter and filmaker.

Kitano (always credited as "Beat" Takeshi as an actor) wrote the screenplay and stars as Nishi, a tough cop struggling to cope with the recent death of his daughter while caring for his leukemia stricken wife. One day, at his partner's urging, he takes a break from a stakeout to visit his wife at the nearby hospital where she's being treated. In his absence, things go terribly wrong; his partner is left crippled and another officer is killed.

Kitano plays Nishi like a man holding the weight of the world on his shoulders, struggling to maintain composure in the wake of a tragedy that has shattered the lives of people close to him. The quiet dignity with which he carries himself is compromised only by an occasional facial tic, which we see while he listens to his ex-partner reveal that his family abandoned him after the shooting and later when the dead officer's widow pours her heart to him about the emotional and financial difficulties of raising her daughter alone.

Hoping to make his wife's final days more pleasant, he borrows money from a local Yakuza, but when he falls behind on the interest payments, he becomes the subject of harrassment and threats. Determined to correct everything that's gone wrong, Nishi decides to rob a bank to pay back the Yakuza and take care of his wife, ex-partner and the widow of the slain officer. The situation escalates out of control, resulting in an understated, but powerful climax.

This film won the Golden Lion award for Best Picture at the 1997 Venice International Film Festival and propelled Kitano to the forefront of Japanese cinema. It's considered by many critics and fans to be Kitano's best movie, though I consider his 2002 release "Dolls" (unavailable on U.S. DVD) to be a strong contender for that distinction.

Now, the problem with this DVD. The transfer itself is fine. The film is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with clear, well translated subtitles and some nice features. However, the disc is inexplicably missing aproximately 4 minutes of footage. Why a company like New Yorker Films, which specializes in art house releases, would release a truncated version of such a seminal work, is anyone's guess, but American companies have not been kind to Kitano's works. Any DVD released stateside of his films has a much better version overseas. I strongly urge anyone interested in this film to look for the uncut Korean special edition DVD (under the original title "Hana-Bi"), which is NTSC and region free (despite being labled Region 3 on the box)), so it will play on any North American DVD player. It has excellent subtitles and even costs a few dollars less than the incomplete American version.

FIRST-CLASS DVD FOR A FIRST-CLASS DIRECTOR
Winner of the Golden Lion of the 1997 Venice Film Festival, HANA-BI aka FIREWORKS is the movie that revealed japanese director Takeshi "Beat" Kitano to the international movie audience. Only a few curious movie lovers knew then Takeshi Kitano through SONATINE, A SCENE AT THE SEA or BOILING POINT.

Firstly, I would like to point out the superb quality of this DVD presentation of New Yorker Films. Theatrical trailers (american and japanese), filmographies of the main actors, an excellent featurette presenting Kitano at work during FIREWORKS shooting, a gallery of Kitano's paintings and, last but not least, interviews of the director discreetly hidden in the scene access department of the DVD. Thank you for these bonus features that allow us to know a little better this very interesting director.

Like in Kitano's precedent movies, FIREWORKS describes the consequences of a crucial decision taken by the main character of the movie. Takeshi "Nishi" Kitano has had a bad year : his wife is slowly dying at the local hospital and his best friend is confined in a wheelchair, shot while Nishi was visiting his wife. Nishi robs a bank and decides to offer to his wife a trip into the japanese countryside before facing the consequences of his act.

A good introduction into the imaginary world of this first-class director.

Haiku + .45 Semi Automatic = Hana Bi
Simply stated, the most important film of the 1990's; probably of the last twenty years. The film is in its entirety a meditative experience, combining a slow and calm build-up of chi or prana-force-energy with explosive violence. Beat Takeshi's violence, however, is not gratuitous, but righteous anger in action. As a schizoid world falls down around him, Takeshi takes the role of Samurai -- indeed, "such a man was already Samurai." This is a film of mystery, of soft color and light ocean breezes from the South China Sea, and of poetry. If the warrior immortalized in Book of Five Rings or Gitopanishad has an equivalent in modern times, surely it would be in this strange character, this Japanese-style Colonel Kurtz in Hana-Bi. But then, you must watch this film for yourself. You will not be the same person when it is over.

Fire and Flower
"Fireworks" is a direct translation of the Japanese title "Hanabi," which combines the two words "fire" and "flower." The title was chosen due to the juxtaposition of the calm beauty of a flower, and the burning intensity of fire, which perfectly captures the feeling of this Beat Takeshi masterpiece.

I was expecting quite a different film, one more packed with violence and action, something more along the lines of a John Woo/Chow Yun Fat creation. Instead, this is a calm, understated and emotional film peppered with miniature explosions like...fireworks. The pacing of the film is typical of Japanese storytelling, patient and quiet allowing enough time for a story to build fully and characters to live and die on the screen.

Takeshi gives such a complete performance, saying everything with a glance or a movement. Dialog is almost unnecessary, although when it does come it punctuates the scene fluently. He is equal parts warrior and lover, tender and hard. Kayoko Kishimoto delivers an equally wonderful performance as Miyuki, Nishi's wife, dying of leukemia yet able to charm with a smile.

Visually, the movie is stunning, full of creative scenes and transitions. Takeshi knows when to have the action appear off-camera, and when to focus. The use of nature as an element in the film is beautiful, as the story moves from snow to sea to mountain.

Takeshi "Beat" Kitano is one of Japan's greatest modern filmmakers, and "Fireworks" is one of his greatest film. A stunning film.

A beautiful Aria
From "Beat" Takeshi Kitano, Fireworks plays like a beautiful aria. It's the story of a man who has suffered tremendous tragedy in his life, and makes one final attempt to make peace with himself, the world, and his wife who is dying of Cancer. The amazing music score by Joe Hisaishi (Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke) adds massive depth to the already intense images revealed. Quite possibly Takeshi Kitano's masterpiece it also includes beautiful montages of Kitano's own paintings. The film was made after Kitano had a serious motorcycle accident and deals with his feelings over neglecting his family over the years, and the power of redemption. A must have for all those who appreciate Foreign Films, and especially those who appreciate Japanese Film. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Kitano is bruatal and great.....
Takeshi "Beat" Kitano has gained notoriety and acclaim in Japan as well as a large fanbase in the States, mainly due to his unique genre of films and his uncompromising vision and style.

Kitano does a great job in all of his films in protraying the brutal and violent world of the Yakuza, usually playing a character that seems cold at first but eventually having some amount of humanity in him. A common theme I have noticed in many Kitano films is the "unhappy ending". No peaches and cream here folks.

The title Violent Cop sums it up pretty nicely. Kitano plays Azuma, a cop who goes beyond the line that cops cannot cross legally. The movie is much deeper than the title suggests, however, because there are underlying themes of humanity, honor, and consequence. Tarantino has nothing on Takeshi, and after watching Violent Cop you can see why. Not many can pull off cold and brutal as well as Kitano can, and his characters are always intriguing.

This film isn't Kitano's best, but it's up there with "Fireworks" and "Sonatine". If you've seen Kitano's recent U.S. film "Brother", you'll love "Violent Cop", because it is more raw and disturbing, yet wonderful at the same time.

RISING GUN
VIOLENT COP is the first movie directed by japanese actor/director Takeshi Kitano in 1989 and the film is a very good surprise for the Film Noir amateur. As often in japanese movies, silences are more meaningful than dialogs but physical violence is filmed with a scalpel objective when necessary.

The movie is resolutely pessimistic from its first scene to the last images. The first minutes of VIOLENT COP will make you feel very uneasy, the director destroying in two scenes the universal phantasm of the innocence of childhood. In order to let the audience breathe a little, Kitano brings a little humor in the relations between the old cop and its new partner, a rookie who has chosen to learn the job by following him.

Takeshi Kitano has without a doubt a style of his own and the final duel involving all the characters still alive is a piece of anthology that stands masterfully the comparison with the final à la John Woo or à la Quentin Tarantino that have invaded our screens from the beginning of the 90's on.

A DVD zone Dirty Harry.

Action Speaks Louder than Words
Violent Cop is a definite Five Star Rating all around. Takeshi Kitano is one of the greatest directors to come out of Japan since Akira Kurosawa. This film draws heavily on the types of psychological crime dramas that we tend to associate with France. Like many of his other films, the dialog is very minimal creating an intense dark mood which is constantly built upon. The characters body language and actions give way to an emotionally complex story and make us undeniably attached to these rich characters. Fans of The Sopranos, and early John Woo action flicks will definitely enjoy; but Kitano is in his own league, with an ability to cross over many genres and appeal to more than just your average action fan. This is a great starting point to your "Beat" Takeshi Kitano collection, which only gets better as you watch and collect his other works.

Quiet (When the Guns Are Silent) Brilliance
Takeshi Kitano plays Azuma, a cop dirtier than Harry ("Dirty Harry") as he's decided that the world truly has descended into anarchy -- an anarchy the results of law or its lack of true enforcement. Taking justice into his own hands (literally), Azuma achieves results but (inevitably) not without a cost of his own.

VIOLENT COP is a picture of quiet brilliance, and the intelligence is found largely in moments of silence -- Azuma walking down the street, Azuma staring emotionlessly at a criminal before administering his own form of punishment, Azuma walking several paces ahead or behind of whomever he's with. Once the weapons are drawn, even these moments are captured with tremendous subtlety but plenty of blood.

The film cleverly gives Azuma an adversary -- a tight-lipped assassin -- who is as violent as he is, and, once the killer offs one of Azuma's oldest colleagues, a clashing of polar opposites is inevitable ... and well worth the 103 minute wait.

WOW
The title hit it on the head. Beat Takeshi was perfect. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A very funny film
I've been waiting for this Kitano film to be released in region 1 for a long time. Finally it has happaned. I must say this movie is a lot different from his other, more violence oriented films, but it's a comedy so it should be. The film holds up very well, even after watching it a few times. There are so many subtle jokes that only reveal themselves after repeated viewings. It is very important for me that any film that I purchase on dvd will remain watchable even after a few viewings, and Getting Any? certainly meets that standard.
DVD content: besides the film, which has a very prestine anamorphic transfer, there is an alternate ending, a very extensive director's bio, and the usual stuff [trailer, production notes, filmography, etc.].
If you like comedies, done in the same spirit as the funnier Peter Seller movies, like the Pink Panther series and the Party, you should definitely get this one, it won't disappoint. For Kitano fans this dvd is a must purchase, because it really shows his funny side. Highly recommended, and thank you 21st Century DreamQuest Films for releasing this funny film on dvd.

Weird yet funny Kitano comedy
Kitano's approach to comedy is quite twisted, yet it works well for most parts of this movie. Although, certain scenes could've been shorter. However, there are so many little subtle jokes planted all over the film, and I'm not talking about jokes that only the Japanese audience would understand or appreciate.
It seems to me that Kitano was greatly influenced by the Monty Python series as this movie definitely resembles the structure of that show, but that's not a bad thing. So if you want to see Kitano's comic interpretation on Japanese pop culture and society don't miss this weird comedy.

min'na yatteruka
Takeshi Kitano is my favorite Japanese director and actor so I was very pleased to hear that this film was going to be released. After watching it I definately was not disappointed. The story follows the mishaps of 35 year old Asao who only has one goal in life: to have intercourse in a car. He begins his adventure simply enough by buying a car. However,the car is a cheap, tiny blue thing that causes him more trouble than it actually helps him. He then turns to a convertable which proves to be a pure lemon. He goes on to attempt to rob banks, armor cars, beat up old men, act in movies, join the yakuza, and undergo scientific experiences to attain his goal. This is a fun film that has many laugh out loud scenes. The only problem I have with it is that it ran for a bit long. Fun stuff. One knowledgeable of Japanese cinema and popular culture will sure get a hoot out of it. But for the first Kitano film, I would reccommmend _Kikujiro_ instead

Thank you DreamQuest Films
Most of the reviewers have already praised this rare Kitano comedy, so I don't really see a reason repeating them. I just want to say that this is a really funny movie, well worth the money I paid for it, and yes, it definitely stands well after repeated viewings. I bought my DVD through Amazon Marketplace, directly through the manufacturer. What a deal! Thank you DreamQuest Films for releasing this rare film on R1 DVD.
Kitano fans should really support these small studios that dare to release less known titles from our favourite director. Now what about releasing DOLLS on DVD? I hope that film will be available on Amazon soon.

The funny side of Kitano
Though it cannot be listed amongst Kitano's best work, Getting Any is still a lot of fun to watch. It really shows the other side of Takeshi Kitano, and what he used to do when he was doing stand-up comedy. This film cannot [or shouldn't] really be compared to Kitano's other work, since it's theme is so radically different. Getting Any belongs to a different category, and it should be treated accordingly. As a comedy it stands alone among Kitano's other films, yet elements of his comic style can be found in all of those other films as well. Many people compare this movie to Monty Python films, and I think they are quite right; and just like the Monty Python films Getting Any requires multiple viewings to get all the subtle jokes. That also means that one can watch this movie several times and not get tired of its humor. The yakuza sequences are especially priceless [you can watch them over and over again]. This film will certainly entertain both the hardcore Kitano fans and the casual viewers as well. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When words like "sweet" pop up in a review of a Takeshi Kitano film, you want to check that billing again. But yes, this really is Beat Takeshi, the funkiest dead-eyed gangster in Japanese cinema, in a gooey road movie about a glum orphan and a bumbling would-be tough guy who becomes his droopy guardian angel. The shambling walk is the same, as is the blank expression that twists into a cockeyed smile, and the film erupts (albeit infrequently) into sadistic bouts of petty violence. Takeshi is something between a gruff teddy bear and a bully as the former criminal turned unlikely babysitter who, on a whim, decides to hit the road in search of the kid's long lost mother.

Whimsical adventures and silly games are punctuated by violent beatings: despite its moments of sweetness and offbeat humor, this is no family film. In one scene the downcast orphan struggles with a child molester who is trying to yank down his underwear before Takeshi rescues him. It's an uncomfortable scene that is inexplicably played for uneasy humor, the most extreme example of the film's ambiguous tone. Kitano never gets the film under control and the sweetness gets cloying at times, but he invests it with hilarious moments of bizarre, deadpan humor. Though hardly his best, this is without a doubt his strangest film to date, and that's saying something. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (33)

Unexpected Takeshi - Just as Expected
Takeshi Kitano's follow-up after Fireworks (Hana-Bi).
This time around, he's going with a gentler road tale about a young dumpy boy and the gangster Kikujiro (played by Takeshi himself) who's taking him to see his mother during summer vacation. The story examines the way the boy sees the world and the effect it has on his new fellow friend.

The result came up to a beautiful poetic and subtle movie.
This is nothing you have had from Kitano before. No deadpan depictions of violent hard scenes, but a pure sentimentality and such funny road movie. Of course you can still find Kitano's predilection for static long shots, poker-faced acting and elliptical narration.

I found it brilliant. Definitely Kitano essential.

~G.

Plenty of Action, Just not the kind You Would Expect
Kikujiro is a fantastic movie that really surprised me. I was curious to see what would happen when Takeshi "Beat" Kitano stepped outside of his usual role so I decided to rent it. The story is interesting because it shows what happens to a tough guy who unexpectedly becomes responsible for a young boy's welfare.

The story uses a lot of symbology and fantastic departures from reality that give this movie an almost fairy tale feel, then moves to the reality that young children need to be provided food and shelter. Many of the people that the two main characters run into seem to serve two roles, they all have their surface level interaction, but they all briefly take on a symbological role that show the similarities between the grown man and the young child.

It's very interesting how this movie is presented in an almost playlike fashion at some points. This movie shrouds it's deep insights with a cute story of a gangster looking after a little boy.

I highly recommend this movie.

Kitano does a family film...
I'm a huge fan of the films from Takeshi Kitano. I've seen all of his films he's directed (including the newer Dolls and Zatoichi) and I can say that I enjoy almost *cough Boiling Point* all of them and I really like his style of filmaking.

This plot here is about a young boy named Masao who just got out from school for the summer. He doesn't have many friends nor does he have much to do. After getting what appears to be a package of photos from his mother who Masao has never met before. A friend of his grandmother decides to let her husband Kikujiro (Kitano himself) take Masao on the journey. Misadventures and comedy follow.

Kitano has always been known for his crime films and dramas but this is the first time he's made a tolerable comedy-drama with his trademark subtle humor, slow pace and un-cilched style. If you've seen his films then you know what I'm talking about. He takes those qualities and makes a unique film with them. The acting here is pretty good for the most part, especially from Takeshi who is known for being a more silent actor, here he's a sluggish, rude and mean loudmouth with an attitude against almost everyone. It shows in some scenes where he lashes out on everyone around him. It's funny but almost absurd.

Now one gripe I have with the film is an almost gratuitious scene where a pedophile comes onto Masao. Nothing sexual happens but Kitano does get the sick bastard back in a funny way. That scene really takes away from the film.

Still this is a funny film. It's great to watch on a warm summer afternoon with the volume up loud. The soundtrack is done by Joe Hisaishi who's done some excellent work with Kitano in the past. The music makes you feel real good inside and it flows awfully well with the pace of the movie.

I recommend this highly.

Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!!!
This was funny funny funny!! Hard to believe that such a film was made by director known in the states for more "hard-hitting" action films. For some, it will seem a little long and a tad slow, however, I thought the dialog alone negated those "faults". It has a sort of "Life is Beautiful" feel to it and Kitano tries to "paint" his scenes rather than just film them. Not everyone's cup of tea but they should at least take a sip!!

A good movie without real excitement
This is the perfect example that shows how a movie can be exceptional without any action or excitement. For the narrow-minded movie-viewer, Kikujiro is just another boring foreign movie. As for the ones that are open, this film shows how kind some people can be even when things around them are harsh. One of the best things about Kikujiro is the music. At certain times, it can have an upbeat and happy tempo. When it is necessary, the music expresses a sense of being down, but still going on. Takeshi Kitano's character is a bad example for a father figure, but he learns to care for the boy that he guides. Nothing of significance is accomplished. However, that does not matter. Kikujiro is simply about life and the adventures we can have. That is why this film is one of my favorites that I can never get tired of. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's hard to describe the hypnotic authority of director and actor Takeshi Kitano. In his first American venture, Brother, Kitano plays a yakuza who's been exiled from Japan after the death of his boss. In Los Angeles, he discovers that his half-brother has become a small-time hood. Kitano quickly takes over, casually setting in motion gang wars and killing sprees. But a basketball game gets as much emphasis as an assassination; Kitano's camera watches a dead body lit up by the flash of gunshots, completely ignoring the shootout that's causing the light. Yet his movies don't seem arty, just efficient--and effective: you may not know whether to laugh or flinch, but you will not stop watching. As an actor, Kitano slouches, twitches, and stares blankly--but you won't stop watching him either. If you like Brother, check out Fireworks and Sonatine; gangsters will never seem the same. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The sound of silence
The only Kitanmo film I had watched before this one was the film _Kikujiro_ which i had enjoyed immensely. This film, however, was quite different than that film. The film stars Shigeru who is trapped in a world of silence and who spends his days working as a garbage collecter. One day he happens across a broken surf board and decidees to fix it. Joining him is his little girlfriend who is also a death/mute. Although neither character never utters a single sound their affection for each other is immense by the small things that they do for each other on screen. This is an amazing film with very little action and dialogue. the music by Hisaishi is gorgeous. It is a great film showing of the human condition, and it gives a valuable image into the world of the deaf.

A very peaceful sea.
Kitano is a strange director. He knows how to come up with the unexpected and likes to surprise people. Nobody could ever imagine a comedian like him to become an art house director that good. He knows how to touch peoples' feelings with the movies he make.
Shigeru is the main character of the film. He is a young garbage collector who is deaf and mute. One day he finds a broken surf board in the garbage. After watching the surfers he starts to feel an uncontrolable desire for the sea. He takes the board home and fixes it as much as he can. After that point, surfing becomes the main thing in his life.He is ignored and laughed by the young & ignorant local surfers. But he gets all the support he needs by his symphatetic girlfriend who is also deaf and mute.
In this film, kitano tells us about the surf scene in Japan. It is a western import in Japanese society which is favoured by the youth in sea shore parts of the country. Kitano portrays the surf in a pure and realistic way but not without the the poetic and emotional camera work. Maybe waves are the best way to describe the shigeru's inner feelings which shigeru is unable to express to the out side world fully. He seems calm and relaxed on the outside but inside, a big fire burns for surfing and freedom.
Shigeru is a good example of the people around us whom we unfortunately pay no attention. With the cold inner world of ever growing individulity , disabled are mostly forgotten. Shigeru's story is a good example of If given a chance they too can also come up with extraordinary results in life.It is expressed brilliantly when Shigeru misses to perform in one championship due to his unability to hear the announce. Local instructor asks the rest of the group that why they did not warn Shigeru.
Personally , I believe that this film is among Kitano's finest.
It is also a very unusual Kitano movie because there is no sign of yakuza. It is a very emotional as well as a bit sad film like the rest of his filmography. Kitano does nt like happy or common endings so he surprises the viewer by letting their characters flow out of certain rules of a common scenario.
Beach and surf shots, shigeru's innocent, heartwarming and sometimes funny relationship with his girlfriend are all good tastes.Camera is the typical Kitano camera which loves nature and hates speeches.
Fans of the Yakuza films of Kitano may be bored with this film. But with its emotional and soulful flow, viewer will be sooner or later touched by it.Kitano knows exactly how to interact with the viewer's feelings. After all, hearts have no east and west but they all do have cores.

THE YOUNG MAN AND THE SEA
Third movie of japanese writer-director Takeshi Kitano, A SCENE AT THE SEA, directed in 1992, is a superb surprise for the curious movie lover. If you are tired of today movie production, so superficial and stupid, try this movie for a change.

I love Kitano's unique cinematographical world and the themes treated in his movies. The japanese director is interested in the problems of communication between human beings, his characters live in their own peculiar worlds without feeling the need to share their experiences with others. Hence, the long silences ot the sudden aggressivity of the characters that characterize the movies of the director.

In A SCENE AT THE SEA, the main characters happen to be two young hearing-impaired. Shigeru, a young employee of the local sanitation service, finds a surfboard in a garbage can and suddenly feels the urge to master this watersport. He will spend the whole summer improving his skill at the city beach. We will observe how this passion will affect those who surrounder the young couple.

I've also appreciated very much the sense of humor of takeshi Kitano who always presents in his movies three or four scenes worthy to be compared to the best Chaplin or Keaton afforts. Incredibly subtle and amazing. Enjoy also the great musical scoreof A SCENE AT THE BEACH.

Just a scene access and english subtitles with this Image DVD release. Not even the minimum. Average sound and image quality.

A DVD zone Tommy.

Kitano's most subtle work
While I would actually put this film toward the bottom of Kitano's body of work, the subject matter of the film is unique and engaging. This movie requires an extreme amount of attention and concentration, or certain facts will be missed by the viewer.

The story unfolds around the main character (who is deaf) as he develops an obsessive love for surfing. He pushes himself to develop his skills even in the face of adversity. The underlying intuition would be that he felt his life had no meaning, a sort of "life crisis" (although I just read that into the film), and that he needs to prove to himself that he is able to meet this challenge that he has set for himself. And while he suceeds in many ways, his life begins to falter as he loses his way.

This movie is a strong contrast to his other films, while there is certainly a lot of introspective and personal turmoil in this film, the subject matter is non-violent and has a lot of trademark misplaced comedy. Many people that I talk to describe this film as 'awkward', but it is awkward for a reason.

The score by Hisaishi adds a lot to this film.

Kitano's use of montage is somewhat confusing and certain scenes seem rather cornball, but overall its a good movie if you're willing to pay close attention. And as with most Kitano movies, the ending could have taken place four to five times before you actually reach it.

a meditative and personal vision from takeshi kitano
Ok, things you should know:

The edition I received from Japan last year was not subtitled, but as the story revolves around a deaf mute, the language barrier isnt much of an issue.

Its the story of a young man, clearly doomed to something of a limited existence as a deaf and mute garbage man, who finds a surf board and simply decides pretty much right then and there to learn how to surf, with a degree of compulsion and commitment that could be considered detrimental, or at the very least anti social.

And yet, his love of surfing is so pure, and so honest, that those around him, even those who deride him at first are eventually won over.

This is a extraordinarily well shot movie, and the nature of his relationships with those around him is enticing and complex despite the near total absense of dialog.

It is when he is enveloped wholly in his passion that he develops true friendships, and the sacrifices that he makes for his passion clearly are justified by not only his own obvious sense of fulfillment, but the way he affects those who come to know him. It is as if his freshly discovered love of surfing imbues his youthful innocence with vitality and perminance, so much so that it is almost impossible for anyone to find fault in his nature, as if he is like a still lake that reflects the best in the onlooker only, magnifying their own patience and passion and vitality and good nature.

(It is noteworthy that the concept of a man of exeptionally good nature providing those around him with epiphanies regarding their own nature through his presense alone is not an uncommon theme among Japanese movies, myths, and even religion.)

All in all, a lovely and touching film, refreshingly berift of the classic Hollywood formulaic morality that condemns so many otherwise outstanding efforts to the obscurest tombs of indipendant film history.

Its one of those films that is so unique and personal in its treatment that it defies conventional criticism to a certain extent, and ultimately becomes something of a meditative experience more than a straight narrative film... but then again, who could expect less from Takeshi Kitano? ... Read more

Amazon.com

Dolls is a film of extraordinary beauty and tenderness from a filmmaker chiefly associated with grave mayhem and deadpan humor. That is to say, this is not one more Takeshi Kitano movie focused on stoical cops or gangsters. The title refers most directly, but not exclusively, to the theatrical tradition of Bunraku, enacted by half-life-size dolls and their visible but shrouded onstage manipulators. Such a performance--a drama of doomed lovers--occupies the first five minutes of the film, striking a keynote that resonates as flesh-and-blood characters take up the action.

The film-proper is dominated by the all-but-wordless odyssey of a susceptible yuppie and the jilted fiancée driven mad by his desertion to marry the boss's daughter. Bound by a blood-red cord, they move hypnotically through a landscape variously urban and natural, stylized only by the breathtaking purity of light, angle, color, and formal movement imposed by Kitano's compositional eye and rigorous, fragmentary editing. Along the way we also pick up the story of an elderly gangster, haunted by memories of the lover he deserted three decades earlier and generations of "brothers" for whose deaths he was, in the accepted order of things, responsible. Another strand is added to the imagistic weave via a doll-like pop singer and a groupie blinded by devotion to her.

This is a film in which character, morality, metaphysics, and destiny are all expressed through visual rhyme and startling adjustments of perspective. It sounds abstract--and it is--but it's also heartbreaking and thrilling to behold. Kitano isn't in it, but as an artist he's all over it. His finest film, and for all its exoticism, his most accessible. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Beautiful and Cruel: Japanese Tragedy through a Modern Lens
The international trailer for *Dolls* has a voiceover that claims the film is "a new direction for Takashi Kitano: beautiful and cruel love stories" - a claim correct on both counts.The film is simply gorgeous, meticulously framed and bathed in eye-bleeding color; the storytelling is like a knife to the heart.*Dolls* is also a slow go, requiring patience and contemplation: it's 'arthouse' cinema to the tee, tiptoeing upon the precipice between aesthetic evocation and outright pretension.In my opinion it lands safely on the substantive side - Kitano knows what he's doing here, and none of his metaphors are forced - but opinions will vary.

In one of the opening scenes, a young couple (Hidetoshi Nishijima and Miho Kanno) stride through a cherry blossom grove, their gait slow, dissolute, hinting at interior damage; a silk red cord bounds the two together.Onlookers and tourists gape at the pair, dubbed the "bound beggars," and, when the cord hits a snag and halts their progress, several chortle at the absurdity.The forward momentum of the pair is obstructed by something behind them, that which is 'past.'It's an effective beginning, for the audience is forced to wonder: Who are these two? What has led them to this spiritual impasse? Kitano then proceeds to answer this through a series of flashbacks, constructing the essence of tragic love with understated dialogue, random memories and long, wordless sections featuring the couple trudging through the Japanese countryside, drifting through the lives of others.These wandering dolls are juxtaposed by two other stories, one involving fandom for J-pop, the other a 30-year absence between former lovers.Questions are asked, without words: what is the price one will pay for love?

*Dolls* was savaged upon initial release, the attention-span of critics and audience members alike chaffing under the slow, slow, slow progression of events and the surreal metaphors which can simultaneously inspire admiration and impatience (my own impression).The ending brings everything together, but Kitano makes no concessions to the Western need for positive resolution - according to the director, "... the notion of love gone wrong dates back very far in Japanese culture. 'Happy ever after' isn't part of our vocabulary."The climax of the film, in which the wandering dolls experience the defining moment of their now-devastated relationship, hammers this home in a powerful, poignant way.

Kitano obviously felt frustration at the rejection of his most arty film - in the interview section for *Zatoichi*, he defiantly proclaims that he will continue to balance his crowd-pleasing cinema with more experimental fare - and to that I say bravo.Creative exploration pushes the boundaries of both the artist and the medium.

*Dolls* is not for everyone - but I enjoyed it, and recommend it with reservations.Four stars.

Emotionally Brutal, but Beautiful
Mental maturity may be necessary to appreciate this movie. The entire content is highly implicit, but very explicitly describes saga of human beings that all of us feel as we grow up. The context of this movie is brutally explicit and realistic but textual implicity makes viewers embrace inevitable pains we all feel as we live. Some may disagree with this comparison, but this movie reminded me of "American Beauty" and "World According to Garp."

Beautiful Film
The best thing about this movie is its breathtaking cinematography. The shots, colors, composition, everything, makes it one of the most visually interesting movies I have seen in some time.On another level, the story is great. Its about the tragedy of love but it is done in a very unique way. These three stories (tied together by a red chord) touch on variety of human emotions. This is a must see in my book.

The Most Pretentious movie of the Year
After this movie was over I needed a nap. I'm sure that it was not intended to be this boring, but I just can't get myself to appreciate these Asians mood pieces. I'm sure the goal here was to be some sort of visual poem, but at times it went so over board with the pretension I just had to laugh (a man get shot, and instead of blood, we see...a red leaf fall into a river). That's not to say some of these shots weren't beautiful, they just weren't necessary.For example, the shot where some of the characters are walking in front of a wall of pinwheels. Yes, it looks very nice, but it is not needed so it detracts from the shot.I'm just not sure why the Asians are so set on slow paced movies that glorify mood at the expense of narrative.I don't think of Asia as an especially calm place, well maybe Tibet. At least when you sit down to watch a Ming-liang Tsai movie you know his pacing habits.It's slow paced because he'll watch somebody walk up a flight of stairs for 10 minutes, here there was stuff going on screen, but it was not useful to the plot either.Call me crazy but I like my movies with a story.This one does have some semblance of a story, but (of course) it is fractured. The theme that overrides this movie is success vs. love.Characters turn on each other because they are too successful or not successful enough, always destroying their personal relationships. Because of this I believe the only character the director truly liked was the lowly street worker.Yes he had a very unsuccessful job and his love affair was thin to say the least, but at least that came before directing traffic.A much better Asian movie that touches on a similar topic is "Oasis."That movie explored its ideas without time out for shots of hats falling off a cliff.Avoid "Dolls," as it is not a good movie. *3/4

Highly recommend this movie!
I completely enjoyed this movie...it is a tragic love story, and it was very well filmed...the cinematography is absolutley amazing! No one can disagree with me on that.I think everyone should give this movie a shot. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Simple fun, but the ending ruins the whole film
Takeshi Kitano before his epic Sonatine was a very mixed bag of tricks with his filmography. Violent Cop used most of his trademarks lightly, the only one focused on in Violent Cop was the violence and slience. Even though this is a weaker film, it is a step foward for Kitano with his trademark style of violence, humor, silence and subtlety.

But I have some major issues with this film. First off, it's extremely slow. I mean SLOW. It's the slowest film I've ever seen. The first 40 minutes has maybe one or two things that have to do with the plot, it's like Kitano left the film on the cutting floor and took it as it is. Another issue is how shallow the film is, everyone is a negative, unhappy person. Kitano is known for having many different characters in his films that potray all the emotions he should be. But here everyone is gloomy and sad, including the main character.

But those issues are the main problems with the film. One thing I found interesting more rather then entertaining was the use of no music. I mean no music at all, no Joe Hisaishi tunes or simple beats. Nothing, it makes the film feel way more real life and it's interesting to see. Another is the weird editing and camerawork. In one scene a guy in a baseball field runs back and forth trapped in between bases, the camera is on the second base in a first person type image. It's actually funny. I won't go too much into the story, try to read the story rundown elsewhere. But the last thing that interested me was the randomness. Humor and violence come out of nowhere in small doses, and have less to do with the film itself. Fights on the sidewalk, car and motorcycle crashes, shootings, beatings and rape seem to come and go, that also makes the film feel more real life.

But as a Kitano film, it's a huge letdown if you're expecting something like Hana Bi (Fireworks), Sonatine or Violent Cop. It's a simple story told in the Kitano narrative.

Hardly recommended for Kitano fans.

...
Boiling Point is less of a plot driven movie than the summaries indicate... the best way to describe it would be the thick gauze wrap around a severed finger of a plot. A sort of pseudo-revenge epic that contains less gun-fu than the cover would seem to indicate, and about the equivalent of fifteen minutes of plot from a typical action flick. It composes itself with oddball jokes and deadpans, and the moments loosely organized around the plot and their cast of characters, most of whom fall into descriptions ranging from "eccentricly normal", "psychopathically eccentric", and "stereotyped".

If you're familiar with Kitano's penchant oddball gags and Jarmusch-like deadpans, airiness, and genre inversions, you know what to expect here, if you're just looking for a fast paced gangster or action movie, look elsewhere (and please stop writing 1 star reviews). I loved it.

Not a good movie...
I am a big fan of Japanese and Hong Kong movies. This is by far one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I actually stopped watching it after an hour (if you find scenes of someone walking silently for two minutes interesting this is for you!)

Try "Made in Hong Kong" instead - an excellent film.

Kept me glued.
A twisting story line and beautiful cinematography. Confused and confusing characters.

Last shot will have you re-think the whole movie and explains the choppy, sometimes inconsistent, narrative and players.

Something different. Loved it. Give it a shot.

JUST DON'T PLAY BY THE RULES !
BOILING POINT is the second movie shot in 1990 of the japanese writer-director Takeshi -Beat- Kitano. This DVD, apart of the widescreeen version of the movie, offers english subtitles, a trailer which is absolutely stunning, the filmography of Kitano and...nothing else. Meager.

BOILING POINT defies our usual analytic technique because the director simply doesn't play by the rules. The movie is satyric in its description of the world of the japanese yakuzas and their archaeological codes, funny with its visual gags and the well-known elliptic Kitano style, arty, in the positive meaning of the word, when Takeshi -Uehara- Kitano experiments an incredible flash-forward in his car, disturbing as Uehara's girl is slapped numerous times without any obvious reasons by the angry mobster.

The plot of BOILING POINT develops these structural options in a metaphorical way. The young secretive hero is fond of the baseball game and, one day, he does have the opportunity to give to his team a superb victory. But, seconds before the end of his run, he passes in front of one of his teammates and is disqualified : he too doesn't play by the rules.

I liked a lot this movie even if, in my opinion, the screenplay is far more interesting than the images themselves. But this weakness is often common in the first movies of writers/directors. So let's be patient.

A DVD zone No Respect. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Back to the School Yard
_Kids Return_ marks the 5th film directed by Kitano Takeshi that I have had the pleasure to watch. Unlike the pure sentimentality of _Kikujiro_, the brutality and arthouse elegance of _Fireworks_ the near silent _Scene at the Sea_, and the over the top madness of _Getting Any?_, _Kids Return_ is a simpler story that depicts the lives of two high schoolers Masaru and Shinji.

Masaru, Ken Kaneko, _Himitsu_, is a brash young man with chin length hair who enjoys bullying other students for pocket money. He also enjoys playing a number of jokes on his teachers. Sick of his delinquent ways his teachers give up actually teaching him anything and patiently wait till the day he will graduate. Things seem to be going pretty well for Masaru until one day an amatuer boxer beats him up avenging one of the schoolers Masaru had robbed earlier. Masaru soon drops out of school and joins a boxing gym

Shinji, Masanobu Ando, _Tribute to a Sad Genius_, _Battle Royale_, almost seems to be the polar opposite of Masaru. Whereas Masaru roughs up a number of individuals to get their money, Shinji just goes along with his friend silently. After Masaru quits school and joins the gym, Shinji quickly follows suit.

However, it is soon evident that Shinji has more athletic ability than his friend, and after Masaru quits after losing a sparring match to Shinji, Shinji's star continues to rise in the amateur boxing world. Masaru, looking for a place to belong, joins the yakuza and tries to find his niche in organized crime.

However, things do not work out quite like he two friends would hope.

DVD quality isn't.......
As far as the review of the movie, I must concur with all positive writtings about it. HOWEVER, I must stress that the movie wasn't remastered or anything, hence the DVD quality is actually below satisfactory level. What a shame, coz' the movie IS kick-a**!!

...
More than any other movie I've seen, Kids Return does the all-too-impossible-but-very-simple job of portraying the inevitable drift through the societal meat grinder young adults generally face (friendships fading into the past, troubles with love, school and finidng a career, and... the moments when all those small 'insignificant' things you neglected or avoided and otherwise didn't do suddenly turn into a 50' tall tsunami hitting you point blank). Natch, I can't say if it was Kitano's intent to do so, but it's a significant part of what I noticed, understood, and enjoyed.

Stylistically, this is the best Kitano movie I've seen. Although I'm constantly tempted to call into question his taste in music, the persistant, if somewhat cheesy scores' driving qualities seem to enchant his movies (If only someone would slide him some recordings of Phillip Glass, Steve Reich, or even Marjan Mozetich). The visual elements are also terrific as ususal (and maybe more so). The most siginificant improvement Kids Return makes over every other Kitano movie I've seen is in the narrative/presentation... it's done in a manner that has a sort of blurred focus... never concentrating on its main characters for long before switiching over to another character, which is really what allows it to convey that 'societal meat grinder' mentioned earlier. This vaguely reminded me of Nashville, but unlike Altman's multi-character orgies, Kids Return seems to have a more intimate focus on its characters and their general situation.

At any rate, Kids Return, along with Kikujiro and A Scene at the Sea, is a good introduction to Takeshi Kitano's movies for those non-action fans who were turned off by his more famous ones like Hana-Bi and Brother (as opposed to the action junkies who were appaled that they wern't 99% car chase and raid on enemy headquarters).

A great movie, probably more so for Kitano fans
I took this movie on the shelf one day even though I had never heard of it, only to discover how great it was.I've never been that big a fan of Takeshi Kitano, but I have to say that Kid's Return is a great movie and in my opinion his best. It's very funny, especially in the beginning and has a great score. It seems like most movies involving boxing never fail.

Once again Kitano does it right!
Kid's return is Takeshi Kitano's fifth movie. Born in Tokyo in 1947, Takeshi's movies are filled with childhood memories. Kids return is once again a masterpiece. Two friends go back to their school and talk about the past, when they first met. In the beginning, they are enemies but as the time goes by, they end up as best friends, and become bullies. Boxing is the element that has linked them but only one of them follows a boxing carrier while the other turns out to be a Yakuza. A very fine movie full of intense moments. If you are a Kitano fan, get it into your collection. I can promise that you won't regret it! ... Read more

Reviews (17)

The Meditation on Time
I liked this film. It's a slow moving piece that grows on you. I agree that the dialogue could have been better (or maybe it's just the translation), but I thought it was a good cross between the hypnotic style of Kurosawa and an old-fashioned gangster flick. One of the reviewers said that it was just a bunch of guys waiting around. Well... that's partly true, but I found there to be poetry in the silence - much like in "The Scent of Green Papaya". We've been so brainwashed by Hollywood films that we get "bored" when nothing is said or done. This is not an action movie. It's a meditation on time.

I see it this way... You may walk out of a bloodfest happy to have seen so many die, but... is the movie going to stay with you? It's the quiet ones that haunt you. It's the ... moments that flash in your memory - watching the waves crash against the shore as the men play russian roulette... the full moon that hangs in the sky, waiting along with them. It's in the bonding that takes place. The last few minutes of the film will stay with me.

I liked this..

Gorgeously shot, hindered by wafery plot.
There's hardly any story in Sonatine. While that's no rarity in a Kitano film, Sonatine (a musical term) seems to follow the sense evoked by the title by abandoning all attempts at progressive story, concentrating instead on images of almost surreal aesthetic power, deadpan humour, and a bare script that makes the movie taciturn, neutral, and ultimately somber, counteracting the humour with loaded themes of damnation and revenge.

Watch Sonatine for the visuals -- it's a visual poem that at times, based on composition, colour and angling, can challenge even a visual masterpiece like Kurosawa's Kagemusha: The Shadow Warrior.

Sonatine
Sonatine is a great film on all fronts. Quite different from many other Yakuza-genre films, Sonatine tends to take more of subtle and effecting itinerary than the more common violence blazing, action-oriented routes. This film is far from voided of any violence, but it uses it affectingly: in droves or dispersed, that's all the really matters. Takeshi Kitano is always excellent (from Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence to MXC :); he alone can make a film worth watching. He doesn't need to in this one though; an all a round outstanding film :).

Good Beat Takeshi movie, but DVD is full frame
Finally, this movie is coming to DVD, but I have read in various places that the movie will unfortunately be full frame, just like the video tape. The DVD makers could have at least made it widescreen. So the movie gets a 3, but the DVD gets a zero for not having a widescreen version.

Takeshi's most bittersweet cinematic poetry
I've seen many, perhaps most, of Kitano's films and enjoyed this one the most. The film works rhythmically and musically better than Firworks (hanabi) and Boiling Point (3-4 x 10gatsu), and addresses the same themes (the isolation, futility and entrapments of yakuza life and violence, the beauty of the ocean, loyalty, revenge, desperation, etc.) much more succinctly and poignantly. Particularly the second half of the film, that takes place by the ocean, is full of bittersweet humor and a beautiful simplicity, which are a nice contrast to the violence of the yakuza underworld. This film also manages to escape the nauseating sentimentality of Kikujiro, yet remain true to its poetic heart. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Kitano is bruatal and great.....
Takeshi "Beat" Kitano has gained notoriety and acclaim in Japan as well as a large fanbase in the States, mainly due to his unique genre of films and his uncompromising vision and style.

Kitano does a great job in all of his films in protraying the brutal and violent world of the Yakuza, usually playing a character that seems cold at first but eventually having some amount of humanity in him. A common theme I have noticed in many Kitano films is the "unhappy ending". No peaches and cream here folks.

The title Violent Cop sums it up pretty nicely. Kitano plays Azuma, a cop who goes beyond the line that cops cannot cross legally. The movie is much deeper than the title suggests, however, because there are underlying themes of humanity, honor, and consequence. Tarantino has nothing on Takeshi, and after watching Violent Cop you can see why. Not many can pull off cold and brutal as well as Kitano can, and his characters are always intriguing.

This film isn't Kitano's best, but it's up there with "Fireworks" and "Sonatine". If you've seen Kitano's recent U.S. film "Brother", you'll love "Violent Cop", because it is more raw and disturbing, yet wonderful at the same time.

RISING GUN
VIOLENT COP is the first movie directed by japanese actor/director Takeshi Kitano in 1989 and the film is a very good surprise for the Film Noir amateur. As often in japanese movies, silences are more meaningful than dialogs but physical violence is filmed with a scalpel objective when necessary.

The movie is resolutely pessimistic from its first scene to the last images. The first minutes of VIOLENT COP will make you feel very uneasy, the director destroying in two scenes the universal phantasm of the innocence of childhood. In order to let the audience breathe a little, Kitano brings a little humor in the relations between the old cop and its new partner, a rookie who has chosen to learn the job by following him.

Takeshi Kitano has without a doubt a style of his own and the final duel involving all the characters still alive is a piece of anthology that stands masterfully the comparison with the final à la John Woo or à la Quentin Tarantino that have invaded our screens from the beginning of the 90's on.

A DVD zone Dirty Harry.

Action Speaks Louder than Words
Violent Cop is a definite Five Star Rating all around. Takeshi Kitano is one of the greatest directors to come out of Japan since Akira Kurosawa. This film draws heavily on the types of psychological crime dramas that we tend to associate with France. Like many of his other films, the dialog is very minimal creating an intense dark mood which is constantly built upon. The characters body language and actions give way to an emotionally complex story and make us undeniably attached to these rich characters. Fans of The Sopranos, and early John Woo action flicks will definitely enjoy; but Kitano is in his own league, with an ability to cross over many genres and appeal to more than just your average action fan. This is a great starting point to your "Beat" Takeshi Kitano collection, which only gets better as you watch and collect his other works.

Quiet (When the Guns Are Silent) Brilliance
Takeshi Kitano plays Azuma, a cop dirtier than Harry ("Dirty Harry") as he's decided that the world truly has descended into anarchy -- an anarchy the results of law or its lack of true enforcement. Taking justice into his own hands (literally), Azuma achieves results but (inevitably) not without a cost of his own.

VIOLENT COP is a picture of quiet brilliance, and the intelligence is found largely in moments of silence -- Azuma walking down the street, Azuma staring emotionlessly at a criminal before administering his own form of punishment, Azuma walking several paces ahead or behind of whomever he's with. Once the weapons are drawn, even these moments are captured with tremendous subtlety but plenty of blood.

The film cleverly gives Azuma an adversary -- a tight-lipped assassin -- who is as violent as he is, and, once the killer offs one of Azuma's oldest colleagues, a clashing of polar opposites is inevitable ... and well worth the 103 minute wait.

WOW
The title hit it on the head. Beat Takeshi was perfect. ... Read more