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Film: Kikujiro
Release date: 26th September 2005
Certificate: 12
Running time: 117 mins
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Starring: Beat Takeshi, Yusuke Sekiguchi, Kayoko Kishimoto, Yûko Daike, Kazuko Yoshiyuki
Genre: Drama/Comedy
Studio: Pathe!
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
From Japanese actor/director/writer/editor ‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano comes a surprisingly endearing comedy drama which fans of the multi-talented Japanese screen connoisseur might struggle to bear relation to. While the themes of hard violence and gangster underworlds are left in the distant background in this heart warming adventure, Kitano dares to show another thread of his aptitude in exploring an altogether different genre, which may disappoint old fans and attract new ones.
Set during a hot summer, where it seems the world and its children have left suburbia for the beach, 9 year-old Masao (Yusuke Sekiguchi), who lives with his grandmother, is left alone at home with nothing to do and no-one for company. With his grandmother at work, and no father to speak of, Masao seizes the chance on coming across the address of his mother to track her down and finally meet her.
When a family friend (Kayoko Kishimoto) and her lazy, gambling, ‘good-for-nothing’ husband Kikujiro (Takeshi) rescue Masao from some bullying teenage thugs, she takes pity on the boy, and on discovering his big plan, insists Kikujiro accompany him on the task of finding the mother, telling the grandmother they have gone to the beach.
Here begin the frolics! When Kikujiro squanders their money on booze and betting before they have even left the city, there is nothing to be done but hitchhike their way, relying on the kindness of strangers and their ability to exploit it. A host of good, bad, and ugly encounters ensue along their expedition, and allow for an emotionally progressive adventure to develop within the characters themselves. And so the end of the film reveals the story not only as an entertaining road trip, but ventures as far as to admit itself a story about a journey of self-discovery…
Takeshi, who has taken himself out of a genre he has previously found great success in, challenges himself by jumping in to a very different one in which he proves his boundless talent – as far as his writing and acting performance is concerned. His character Kikujiro is an outright bully, who has the shameless audacity to openly offend strangers, and manipulate them for his own ends. And yet, throughout the film, the audience find themselves warming to him and his almost clumsy enthusiasm in helping the boy. We see in episodes showing his secret (and quite unsuccessful) attempts to acquire skills others possess and he does not, like swimming and juggling, an amusing but also sympathetic depiction of an innocent quality in an otherwise abrasive man. The slapstick humour in the film surrounding Kikujiro, something Takeshi is known for as a television comedian in Japan, also brings an extra dimension to Kikujioro, and softens an otherwise overly brazen character.
The story is simple but strong, and essentially centres on the relationship of the two protagonists. Shy, polite, respectful Masao balances a loud, brash, selfish Kikujiro. Between them, there is a balancing act of contradictions which cleverly echoes amongst other elements in the film; the uncaring mother, the soft hearted leather-wearing bikers, and Kikujiro’s character itself, the kind-hearted bully.
In the end, equilibrium is achieved through a series of balancing factors and contradictions, and this theme of contradictions aligns with the dark humour in the film. Western viewers, and those unfamiliar with Takeshi’s previous work, might be surprised with certain scenes. In one initially humorous exchange between Kikujiro and an unrelenting lorry driver, Kikujiro ends up beating him with a metal pole. Although the scene is shot from quite a distance, the violence may come as a surprise. Similarly, towards the beginning of the film, Masao encounters a paedophile. Although he is rescued by Kikujiro before it seemingly goes too far, an audience may find it out of place in a film with an almost constant presence of humour in every other scene. Nevertheless, these darker scenes inspire sympathy from the viewer as to how much Kikujiro cares for the boy, and so however unappealing, serve a somewhat insightful purpose in as far as character portrayal is concerned.
Arguably, where the film stumbles is in its length. Takeshi, as a director, is known for his prolonged periods of inactivity in scenes, giving him his distinctive filming style. Indeed, slow shots are an attractive option in order to keep the viewer thinking and retain suspense, which is needed to a certain degree in this film, with no particularly eventful, thrilling storyline to concentrate on. However 116 minutes is a long time to expect an audience to hold its concentration in scenes where, when it comes down to it, nothing happens.
Takeshi boldly attempts a project combining his television comedian personality with his more serious, established filming style to produce a funny, heart-warming caper that’s maybe a bit on the long side. The darker episodes add dimension to an otherwise lacklustre storyline, and Takeshi’s performance is nothing but entertaining, especially to an audience unfamiliar with his work. Those unused to seeing Takeshi in a comedic and non-martial role may find Kikujiro something of a letdown, whereas those newcomers to the man should find it charming in its own distinct way. MI
Film: Brother
Release date: 4th October 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 109 mins
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Starring: Beat Takeshi, Omar Epps, Claude Maki, Masaya Kato, Ren Osugi
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Studio: Park Circus
Format: DVD
Country: USA/UK/Japan
Takeshi Kitano is a man who needs no introduction. The charismatic filmmaker, actor, painter, poet and presenter is revered in his native Japan, but has also received global recognition for his work in film, most notably for 2003’s Zatoichi. Brother, released in cinemas in 2000, was a deliberate attempt by Takeshi to bring his films to a wider, Western audience, and sees him covering familiar ground with its story of warring yakuza members.
Under the threat of assassination, a high ranking yakuza flees Japan under an assumed identity and joins his younger brother in America to start a new life. It’s not long before he begins to build a new crew, bringing the brutal methods of the Japanese yakuza to the streets of Los Angeles.
One by one, he mercilessly dispatches or assimilates his competitors on his new territory, and establishes himself as the head of a powerful new crime empire. It’s not long, however, before his merciless assent to power has repercussions very close to home in the form of reprisals from embittered rivals, and Yamamoto’s world begins to crumble around him…
This is undoubtedly Takeshi’s film, and his central performance as Yamamoto is captivating; cool, effortlessly slick, wry and brutal. Whether cheating at dice, shooting rival gang leaders in the knees, or slinking about the dark city streets in his immaculate suit, Takeshi oozes charisma in every scene. The film happily pivots around this magnetic performance, and Takeshi carries it easily. He is backed by some strong, solid work by the supporting cast, most notably Claude Maki as his younger brother Ken, and friend Denny played by Omar Epps.
The idea of a yakuza abroad building a new empire on American soil feels like a fresh new take on both the gangster and yakuza genres, and Takeshi should be congratulated for finding a new approach to this well-trodden ground. Much is made – both comedic and otherwise – of Yamamoto finding his way in unknown territory, and the use of dual languages (English and Japanese) is a clever tool which actively engages the audience in the culture clash happening onscreen.
Brother is all about style. The suits are flawless, the dialogue is snappy and dry, and the colour palette is dark and monochromic. It could be argued that there isn’t too much substance under all this – the story itself is very simple, and the relationships between the characters aren’t that more complex – but the film never pretends to be more than is. Takeshi’s direction style is typically functional and no-nonsense, often bordering on the static, but this is no bad thing, allowing the characters plenty of room to breathe. The city of Los Angeles, where the action takes place, is shot beautifully, and full credit must go to Katsumi Yanagijima’s cinematography for some extraordinary work. Things are paced slowly and patiently, and this suits the slowly unfurling story of Yamamoto’s growing empire perfectly. Also prevalent is Joe Hisaishi’s beautifully elegant and sorrowful score. This was Takeshi’s fifth film collaboration with the composer, and, by the results here, it is easy to see why.
Morally there are some issues. Brother is a film which arguably glamorises gang violence and lionises gangsters, but it’s all done with such taste and, crucially, a healthy sense of humour and sense of itself that it’s easy to forgive. The death count is high, and there are enough fingers being sliced off and gang brutality to please gore-fans, but overall the violence stays over-the-top and cartoon-like enough to keep things from becoming truly unpleasant. It’s a ratio which works well - Brother emerges as a thoroughly entertaining, satisfying experience which happily leaves no bitter aftertaste.
If there are any criticisms, it is a tendency towards sentimentality and melodrama towards the end, but it’s not too much to become cloying or spoil all the good brutal, stylish fun that’s gone before. There’s also an area of confusion in the middle where it’s not quite clear who’s being killed by who, in which gang and why, but, again, it’s not something which detracts from the film.
Brother is a hugely enjoyable, multi-cultural gangster epic which has been seen by some as a low point in Takeshi’s catalogue, but actually deserves far more recognition. Violent, morally questionable it may be, but it’s also sharp, stylish and wicked funny - and rooted by a captivating central performance by the man himself. LOZ
Film: Sonatine
Release date: 11th May 2009
Certificate: 18
Running time: 94 mins
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Starring: Beat Takeshi, Ren Osugi, Susumu Terajima, Aya Kokumai, Tetsu Watanabe
Genre: Crime/Action/Drama/Thriller
Studio: Second Sight
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Sonatine, a gangster film set in Tokyo and Okinawa, seeks to take the Yakuza genre in a sideways direction. What is a gangster to do when he has spare time on his hands?
Starring Beat Takeshi as Murakawa, the writer/director/editor and overall one-man-film crew heads a territory of Tokyo under the rule of his boss and overall crime lord (uncredited). Beat and his gang are to make their way to Okinawa and mediate a conflict between his extended 'family' and the indigenous gangsters on the Island.
From the moment the gang arrive, it is made clear that mediation is under way, and their presence will only subvert any progress for a tentative peace. As such, the group are relocated, or forced to a beach house and left to amuse themselves.
Friendships are garnered through close proximity, which leads the gang to seek any activity available, including emulating cardboard sumo wrestling games, firework forts and some rather nifty dancing on the part of the more aged Yakuza in the gang. Asking if this game playing were not a little childish, one of the gang receives a joyful smile back from Murakawa, and the games continue.
Murakawa, by chance, rescues a somewhat odd girl, who subsequently becomes fascinated with and keeps returning to the gang – Murakawa, in particular. Her bond with Murakawa opens up the opportunity for redemption not only for himself but the gang as a whole….
While this film is touted as a gangster film, it leaves out entirely the conflict that so often predicates such a genre – for example, there are no police. This is a film that centres its attention solely on the activities of a rag tag group of crooks. Conflict does ensue eventually, and blood is spilled, in the form of a hired fisherman/assassin sent to wipe out our happy gang, but for the most part jokes are enacted, and general oddness persists (listening to the soundtrack, you’d be forgiven for hearing some Exorcist overtones, which is completely out of place, but oddly enough fits comfortably within the Kitano Takeshi framework).
One of the earliest and most widely received of the director’s extensive catalogue; the film has a sense of joy and childlike humour that infests (happily) the script, while still offering that violent and surprising aspect of gangland activities. We are treated to a series of sociological acts, Murakawa's penchant for using live bullets in a fake fire-fight, in contrast with his playful taunts about his friend's wayward dress sense.
Performances come subtly from Beat’s supporting cast, many of whom will reappear in subsequent films, and are typified in scenes where dialogue is secondary to the action. The relationship between two recently introduced Yakuza shows the bond of ‘brotherhood’, and while they lark about repeatedly, their understanding that they are essentially on an enforced holiday from their regular gangster duties rarely leaves them, with the older of the two friends pointing out that respect is a constant to the younger man. Murakawa and the girl's relationship, and the games played by them all, seek to humanise and endear the murderous gang to the viewer.
Our love interest is essential to the dynamic of the gang and to Beat's character. While he shows a clear waning towards his chosen career path, this vacation from the norm seems to invigorate both himself and his ‘brothers’. The wayward girl, rescued by Murakawa early on in their holiday, creates a random bond towards him and succeeds in becoming part of the fixtures. There is no worry on their part about her involvement in the gang (possible law complications) and less shown in Murakawa, who even allows her the pleasure of 'having a go' with an automatic rifle.
The location is minimal and the cinematography does little new. In saying that, this is essential. Style never detracts from the story, but the reluctance to glamorise this film only capitalises on what there is, namely a star turn from Beat (smiles that surprise and worry you in their unexpected delivery), but also a jumpy, poetic approach that endears the viewer to both the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ guys. It's the men's acceptance that when they have fought, it is over. No reprisals.
With minimal dialogue, the script is light but covers all the bases with ease, whilst direction is subtle on Beat’s part, but adept. Short, slow, languid shots bind you to the characters and their environment. You can feel the film in a most palpable way. Despite its setting on the other side of the world, Okinawa gives a sense of home, with understated use of light and colour.
You have also to appreciate the wardrobe design - 'Hawaiian' T-shirts raise the biggest smile. Beat, as ever, makes light work of a possible limited wardrobe budget, and revels in his non tie wearing suit combo that only adds to the comical brilliance of this piece.
A small cast film that addresses violence in a charming and original manner. Not the kind of gangster film you'd ever expect to see, but a delight from beginning to end. DWI
Film: Battle Royale
Release date: 5th April 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 109 mins
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Starring: Beat Takeshi, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Chiaki Kuriyama, Aki Maeda, Noriko Nakagawa, Tarô Yamamoto
Genre: Thriller/Action
Studio: Arrow
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Could you kill your best friend? For anyone who is not familiar with Battle Royale, the tagline printed along the top of the DVD case says it all. 42 students let loose on an island with an assortment of weapons and the promise of death can mean only one thing.
Having wasted no time in spotting the potential in Koushan Takami’s graphic novel published in 1999, Kinju Fukasaku promptly presented the film viewing public with his adaptation in 2000. The crux of the plot is basic enough. At the turn of the millennium, Japan is in chaos. Unemployment is rife, with 15% of its population left jobless; this means a total of ten million people trying to live on no income. Given our own present economic climate, this very detail hits a nerve and drives the problem home with a sledgehammer. Especially when we see what a society in such turmoil has turned to in order to conquer its demons.
Youth runs riot and school children skip school “‘cos we felt it”, as they write on Kitano’s (Beat Takeshi) blackboard. When they do choose to turn up, anarchy ensues, and Kitano is literally stabbed in the back. In an effort to control the new generations, the Battle Royale act is passed: every year a randomly selected class is subjected to three nights of pure survival; not that many see the third night. School children are told to kill or be killed and it isn’t long before they begin to realise just how serious their situation is, and begin to play the lawless game…
The plot’s simplicity leaves plenty of room for character profiles. The viewer is introduced to several students and allowed glimpses of their personal lives. Kitano is also given his own plight; initially, the defiant teenagers that he has to deal with beg the viewer to sympathise with and even pity him. But his participation in the barbaric regime awards him a dose of smug arrogance, and he finally appears to have some control over his tormentors. Finally, a reminder of his home life humbles him once more before his surreal finale that combines both sides of his story. Kitano isn’t the only one with a history; whilst Shuya Nanahara (Tatsuya Fujiwara) is the hero of the piece, and it is actually his tragic story that audiences are most familiar with - each pupil has their own string to add to the story’s bow, their own priorities and their own interests at heart. Fukasaku falls back onto teenage stereotypes that make Battle Royale more of a high school drama than the speculative science fiction film that its premise may imply.
There are the geeks, who take their hands to science and technology with a view of crashing the Big Brother-esque system that controls their fate. There are the stunningly attractive girls on the edge of womanhood who are superficial and unstoppable in their quest for self-fulfillment. Then there is the dark and mysterious loner, the enigmatic outcast. But these cliques work, for what are stereotypes if not short-hand versions of real personalities? In a film that discloses so many character-driven subplots, a cast of complex individuals would confuse and busy the story to an unbearable degree.
Despite the severity of their circumstances, true to that high school genre of film, characters are largely hormone driven. Between doing battle with cross-bows and embedding exes in each other’s heads, they manage to find chance to squabble over who feels what for whom, which ones are the virgins, and who stood who up. Such trivial tribulations of adolescent life enhance the violence, which is motivated by grudges and vendettas. At its most rudimentary level, Battle Royale is a whirlwind of blood and hormones.
It’s not all about fast-paced fight scenes, though. Of course, this is what the film is famed for, and no doubt always will be - there is certainly no denying the delightful excess of gore, but Fukasaku brings more to the story. He builds an omnipresence of distrust and paranoia that persistently bubbles beneath the bloody surface. In rare scenes where fighting has subdued to dialogue, nerves tighten in anticipation of the next revelation that will subsequently lead to renewed aggression. Similarly, in Kitano’s scenes, Beat Takeshi exudes a black aura of tongue-in-cheek humour, and the novelty of severed heads and torn flesh gives way to the novelty of Kitano’s dry quips.
Inevitably, Battle Royale’s reputation will always precede the film itself, but this is the curse of the niche being absorbed into the mainstream. Potential viewers must not let this hype deter them, for Battle Royale truly is a classic of the future. Already a decade since its production, it feels as contemporary as the latest blockbusters and even more poignant. RS
Film: Takeshis’
Release date: 8th March 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 108 mins
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Starring: Beat Takeshi, Kotomi Kyono, Kayoko Kishimoto
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Studio: Artificial Eye
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
“500% Kitano - nothing to add” was the simple message that promoted Takeshis’ at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival: never could a description be truer. Not only did he write, direct, produce and edit the film, he also acted in it. Twice. So is this more than a little piece of self-indulgence for one of Japan’s most loved exports?
Takeshis’ kicks off with an overstated introduction to the Beat Takeshi that many hold dear. “Overstated” is the key word here; cheesy or even vulgar may be more accurate. Dialogue is sparse and gunfire plentiful as Kitano coolly takes on the room of enemies that surround him, naturally defeating the lot within seconds. Much to the viewer’s relief, this is not Beat Takeshi’s film: it is Mr Kitano’s latest effort.
Mr Kitano is a film star with a penchant for playing mah jong. Full of confidence and ego, which is only multiplied by the gang of yes-men and women who surround him, he has developed a typical superstar attitude. This seems to be put on hold when he meets his timid look-alike.
Also named Takeshi, this retiring stranger is struggling to break into Mr Kitano’s world of show business. The aspiring actor is first seen painted up as a clown, but there is nothing funny about the banality of his life. When he’s not acting the fool, he is trapped in a job serving ungrateful customers in a grocery shop, where his ambitions to become another Mr Kitano are stalled in reality, but fuelled in mentality. After their meeting, the film star speculates on the life that such a humble individual must lead, delving the viewer into Takeshi’s meek existence…
The first and last lines spoken in the film are “now what?” During the interviews included on the DVD, Takeshi Kitano refers to Takeshis’ as a film to consolidate all his work to date, and implies that he is now looking to end that era and begin a new one. This sense of ambiguity is conveyed by the entire film, from plot to character identity. Mr Kitano discovers working class Takeshi and wonders about his life, whilst Takeshi dreams of becoming his hero and has embarked on a journey to fulfil that. But, now what?
As the film progresses, identities interweave and merge as if being watched through bleary eyes, but somehow the distinction between the two main characters loses importance. Fantastic and bizarre scenes grow more prominent, further moving emphasis away from plot. There are even moments when Takeshis’ teeters on the edge of becoming a musical. The sporadic explorations of dance and movement that are scattered throughout the film come to a head about two thirds of the way through, to provide viewers with a spectacular tap number from dance troupe The Stripes, whom he also used in Zatoichi. However, it’s when Beat manages to transform this into a tap dancing caterpillar that the film truly plunges into the surreal.
The film has an air of reflection about it, as a commentary on Beat Takeshi’s mindset and a commentary on the industry that he works in. The director-come-actor displays undeniable self-awareness in his portrayal of Mr Kitano, and happily pokes fun at himself and at celebrity. The sight of Beat sombrely staring at himself from behind a mask of clown make-up is unlikely not to stir some kind of reaction from the viewer, be it a chuckle or sympathy for the reticent character onscreen.
“Acting isn’t easy,” Mr Kitano says early in the film, and Takeshis’ appears to be a chance for Beat to demonstrate that, but to also show he can do it - and he can do it well. Although he had an authoritative hand in most processes of making this film, attention seems to lie primarily with acting. Playing multiple characters in film is, of course, nothing new, but Beat really does prove himself capable and willing to experiment. The two Takeshis initially are two completely separate characters. Their appearance distinguishes them from each other, but that’s not just down to the hair dye. Beat delivers each personality to such effect that they even look different. Takeshi’s whole demeanour sets him apart from Mr Kitano: he looks lean and his face almost gaunt, whilst his eyes are darker and deeper set than his idol‘s. As the characters fuse, the distance between them is lessened both in appearance and personality in a true testament to Beat’s acting dexterity.
For viewers who are apt to sit watching a film, picking at the story, insistent on solution, Takeshis’ will be frustrating. However, as director himself has said, the intention is to leave audiences in the depth of confusion and the unknown, and he certainly achieves this. RS
Film: Zatoichi
Release date: 26th July 2004
Certificate: 18
Running time: 111 mins
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Starring: Beat Takeshi, Tadanobu Asano, Gadarukanaru Taka
Genre: Action/Adventure/Comedy/Drama
Studio: Artificial Eye
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Acclaimed actor and director, Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi) proves he is a true master with this tongue-in-cheek entry in the Zatoichi series.
Wandering blind masseur Zatoichi makes his way to a village terrorised by gang boss Ginzo (and his suitably unnerving mob), who has hired ronin Shinkichi as his bodyguard in an effort to dispose of a rival gang-leader and assert total unruly control.
Zatoichi befriends one of the put-upon villagers, Aunt Oume (at the start of the film we see her being threatened by Ginzo’s gang members, who insist protection must be paid daily), her loser nephew (whom he impresses with his gambling skills), and two geishas (brother and sister), who are seeking to avenge the murder of their parents some ten years earlier.
As we learn, via a number of flashbacks, what has brought these characters to this time and place, Zatoichi soon becomes the only hope to save them from the merciless gang...
Takeshi clearly revels in the role of the infamous Zatoichi – a wonderfully charismatic actor who has the necessary presence, despite a very humble and understated performance, to allow suggestion very often to be more than enough (when he draws the blade concealed in his cane it says as much as decapitating an opponent – in fact, when he swiftly takes hold of his cane this makes enough of an impression before even revealing the deadly weapon inside).
Zatoichi is ruthless, and without weakness (even when he loses hold of his cane he can quickly outwit opponents to regain possession). At the start of the film, we see him dispose of wrong doers who had followed him on his travels without breaking a sweat, whilst his heightened senses as a blindman have made him a master gambler and intuitive of a person’s character (used to good effect when the geishas originally planned to murder/rob him and the nephew).
Though he shows no remorse in disposing of enemies in sometimes sadistic ways, the violence is delivered in such a blithe manner that it borders on comical – OTT squirts of blood and unrealistic penetration ensure this never weighs too heavily, and, more importantly, that the viewer’s warmth towards Zatoichi is never lost. He may be a lethal killer, but he’s also willing to help an old lady home with her groceries and chop wood for her.
It’s no surprise then that although there’s plenty of action and swordplay on offer, and some fairly heavy subject matter is tackled (the male geisha turning to prostitution as a child to support his sister), this is equal parts a comedy (highlighted by its jovial soundtrack), whether overtly via the useless nephew (from trying to improve his luck gambling by imitating the blind Zatoichi to dressing up as a lady “to be beautiful”), a number of neat touches (the sharecroppers who work to a tune), or in illustrating Zatoichi’s powers (when one gangster wants to try out his new sword on the “hopeless old blind man” passing by, he soon finds this prized possession has been cut in two), and asserting his better sense compared to his adversaries (in one early scene, when Zatoichi is under attack, an enemy draws his sword only to slice the arm of one of his accomplices). Takeshi looks to be having a blast throughout, and you may spot his difficulty in trying to hold a straight face on more than one occasion.
The intense Tadanobu Asano is perfectly cast as the merciless ronin, and although he is ultimately only taking work as a bodyguard out of necessity to pay for his ill partner’s medication, you never sympathise – he’s the perfect bad guy contrast (even if his showdown with Zatoichi, built up throughout via beautifully choreographed dispatches, could have been more spectacular).
You do wonder why there’s an idiotic neighbour running around screaming in some scenes (other than giving Zatoichi the chance to knock him over with a piece of bark), and it seems out of sync at times with otherwise beautifully shot images (the use of the elements in particular impresses), but this doesn’t slow the film’s momentum, building to a well executed conclusion that offers a few unexpected revelations.
Comedy, mystery, martial arts, adventure… A brisk and riotous reimagining of an age-old character that film fans of any idiom would lap up. DH
