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Film: Battle Royale
Release date: 28th February 2011
Certificate: 18
Running time: 109 mins
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Chiaki Kuriyama, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Noriko Nakagawa, Tarô Yamamoto
Genre: Action/Horror/Thriller
Studio: Arrow
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Japan
Labelled as “crude and tasteless” by members of the Japanese parliament, a decade on, Battle Royale still proves popular with audiences the world over. Upon its release, the film was nominated for several Japanese Academy Awards, and in 2009, Quentin Tarantino spoke of it as being his favourite film of the last two decades. This 3-disc release from Arrow Video has a host of extras, and a glorious high definition restored transfer of both the theatrical and director’s cut.
Battle Royale opens with Japan at the dawn of the millennium. Unemployment is high and students boycott schools. Adults, fearing their nation's youth, pass the Millennium Educational Reform Act, otherwise known as the BR Act. The purposes of the BR Act quickly become apparent, when we are introduced to a class of students who are nearing the end of their compulsory education. Once a year, a class of students are sent to a secluded island to participate in a game, the Battle Royale, and these are this year's unlucky participants.
The BR Act is promptly explained to its unwitting participants, with the help of an educational video, featuring a morbidly upbeat presenter. Each student is tagged with an electronic necklace and instructed to kill their classmates over the course of the next three days. At the end of the three days, if more than one student remains, their necklaces will detonate, killing all who remain...
It's not difficult to see why Tarantino holds this film in such high regard. Kinji Fukasaku's Battle Royale takes its viewer on a rollercoaster ride, alternating between an extravagant blood bath one moment and a high school drama the next. Its ultra-violent scenes and rather sadistic premise lie at the heart of what has made this film such a success. But the rather elegant, if not extreme, scenes of violence are firmly supported by some terrific dark comedy.
Ultimately, Battle Royale features many of things we'd come to expect from a teenage high school drama. Just as in any high school, the film's characters can easily be characterised into 'geeks', 'outcasts' and 'superficial bitches'. The major difference being, these emotional, jealous and troublesome teenagers are thrown into a big-brother style arena and equipped with knives, tazers and guns.
Whilst most of the film follows the activities of the students over the course of the game, brief flashbacks offer insights into the background of each student. Whilst this isn't enough to form any meaningful, emotional attachment to any of the characters, it does help give the story a layer of depth, beyond all the mindless killing.
That's not to say the film is nothing more than a comic blood-fest. Battle Royale, through all its bloodshed, does make some rather striking comments on society. On one hand, it exposes the perverted nature of reality television, whilst on the other, it condemns society's attitude toward its youth. Admittedly, the film (unlike the book) is a little ambiguous when it comes to this latter theme.
What's more, through all the comic action sequences, the film's young cast give some truly excellent performances. With Battle Royale relying heavily on action sequences to drive forward its narrative and, in turn, bring each character to life, it is quite an achievement to see a cast, whose average age could not exceed 15, giving such exceptional performances.
Ever since its release, Battle Royale has been both celebrated and criticised for its graphic violence. Although, it's hard to see where there is much justification for criticism, as its violence is always humorous in nature. In many respects, Kenta Fukasaku's use of gratuitous violence is rather elegant, as well as humorous. One memorable scene depicts Kazuo Kiriyama, a true 'bad ass', as he fires a handgun at a girl, who also appears to lack any compassion for the students she kills. ‘Air auf der G-Saite’ plays as she stumbles backward with each successive shot. In any other context, and lacking the talented hand of Kenta Fukasaku, this film may well have been a rather morbid affair. But the director's keen eye for humour makes Battle Royale's violence something to applaud, rather than condemn.
Battle Royale is an extremely impressive film, acting as a true representation of Japanese cinema at its best. Kenta Fukasaku has created a film which rivals, if not exceeds the likes of Tarantino's Kill Bill. Unlike many other films that glorify violence, it retains a comic feel and considerable depth, making Battle Royale a truly stunning piece of Japanese cinema. ME
In a world where teenagers have no respect and adults are losing control there can be only one solution: Battle Royale! Now, see what happens when you let a high school class loose on an island, arm them and then give them a simple choice: kill your friends or have them kill you; with poison, cross-bows, machetes and dynamite.
‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano (Violent Cop, Zatoichi) is a teacher pushed to the edge by his unruly charges. Kidnapped and gassed, his class wake up with exploding metal rings around their necks. If they rebel, they could lose their heads. Now they have three days and only one is permitted to survive this grisly battle to the death.
Directed by the master of 1970s Yakuza thrillers Kinji Fukasaku, and featuring Kill Bill star Chiaki Kuriyama, Battle Royale is the movie that helped to define extreme Asian cinema in the 21st century.
This 3-disc edition, which includes the theatrical and director’s cut, features a brand new glorious high definition restored transfer, and a brand new subtitle translation on both features.
includes a panel reversible sleeve containing original artwork; a 32 page comic, Battle Royale: Parent's Day; collector’s booklet by Tom Mes, author of ‘The Midnight Eye Guide To New Japanese Film’ illustrated with stills, artwork and a printed interview with director Kinji Fukasaku; and a fold-out reversible poster of original artwork.
Film: Battle Royale
Release date: 7th March 2011
Certificate: 18
Running time: 109 mins
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Chiaki Kuriyama, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Noriko Nakagawa, Tarô Yamamoto
Genre: Action/Horror/Thriller
Studio: Arrow
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Japan
Special Features:
•
Original theatrical trailer
•
The making of Battle Royale
•
Conducting Battle Royale with the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra
•
Special Edition trailer
•
TV Spot: Tarantino version
•
Shooting the Special Edition
•
Takeshi Kitano interview
•
The correct way to make Battle Royale (Birthday version)
•
Tokyo International Film Festival presentation
•
Opening day at Maro No Uchi Toei movie theatre
•
The slaughter of 42 high school students
•
Premier press conference
•
The correct way to fight in Battle Royale
•
Royale rehearsals
•
Masamichi Amano conducts Battle Royale
•
Special effects comparison
•
Behind the scenes featurette
•
Filming on set
•
TV spots
•
Promos and commercials
•
Kinji Fukasaky trailer reel
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: Battle Royale: Limited Edition
Release date: 13th December 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 109 mins
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Chiaki Kuriyama, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Noriko Nakagawa, Tarô Yamamoto
Genre: Action/Horror/Thriller
Studio: Arrow
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Japan
Japanese cinema never fails to stun its audiences. With its release at the turn of the century, Battle Royale not only caught the attentions of the Japanese Academy Awards but the Japanese government also. Putting a capital E on extreme, this film went on to achieve global recognition. Battle Royale possesses a penchant for blood-splattering violence and political comment that makes it the most explicit comment on ‘reality television’ to date.
In an alternative reality, Japan has reached the millennium in tatters. With an ever-increasing unemployment rate of ten million, and students in their thousands boycotting schools, the government passes an education reformation act called ‘The B.R. Act’. The act states that once a year a class is let loose on an isolated island to play the deadly Battle Royale game. Each student is given a random weapon, an electronic collar, and three days to kill or be killed. The winner is the last survivor, and if there is no winner after three days then the collars self-destruct killing any remaining students.
Former teacher Kitano abducts his former class and takes them to the island, having left their tuition after an act of violence against him by student Nobu. The bewildered teens are terrified to see that Kitano has hand-picked them to play his warped game, and are sent out with only a briefing and survival pack, which includes a flashlight and compass.
As the children begin a three day survival of the fittest, young Shuya is determined to escape the island with Noriko to whom he has sworn to protect...
Koushan Kutami’s little known novel of the same name was not nearly as revered as its filmic adaptation. This perhaps is because although on screen it incorporates the dark comedy, satire and political comment of the book, it is the action that makes this classic so appealing.
Veteran director Kinji Fukasaku installs a narrative pace that makes the multi-deaths and elaborate violence undeniably compelling. With decades of onscreen violence and breakthrough shock fests, Fukasaku became a hero to cult Japanese cinema with hits such as Tora! Tora! Tora! and Virus. He brings this wealth of knowhow with cartoonish action that is irresistibly satisfying in its gore and bloodshed. One particularly memorable demise is that of Nobu - as his collar explodes in a cloud of red blood, a class load of children look on at a spectacle that is as shocking as it is a sign of things to come.
The cartoonish nature of the violence does not just extend to the buckets of blood on show, with every punch comes an exaggerated thrusting sound, and with every stab an exaggerated squelch. Battle Royale doesn’t just glamorise violence, it makes it extremely fun - it’s nearly impossible not to get on board with the bizarre comic tone. Each death is accompanied by an onscreen title that gives the victims name, time of death and place in the contest - this is just one stylistic that trivialises the graphic action. You will blush also as Kitano addresses his class over a loud speaker in the most casual manor - the subject matter is unique but not self-indulgent, with the film happy to poke fun at itself.
Although the political drive is not completely stifled by the onscreen antics, you would imagine it played a much bigger part in the book. The extremity of the situation comments on the Japanese government’s incompetence, as well as growing problems within society. The most biting of the social comment comes with its portrayal of youth, and the similarities with Lord Of The Flies are clear.
The story places a dynamic that brings into question the capabilities of kids - we see some of the youngsters committing suicide, others protecting their friends, whilst many look out for number one. A clique of girls eventually wipe each other out in a show of backstabbing that makes Mean Girls look like child’s play.
It also puts into question the garish nature of reality television. A growing phenomenon at the time of the film’s release, shows like Big Brother have continued to stamp their place into contemporary culture. This is a play on these shows’ ideals, as we watch to see who gets killed as eagerly as we watch for the next Friday night eviction. All the elements of the ‘social experiment’ are there, but the selfish nature, attention seeking and two-faced plotting we see on television are shown here tenfold.
Takeshi Kitano shows why he is such an iconic figure in Japanese cinema as the contrived creator of the game, Kitano. Famed for the direction of films like Boiling Point and Brother, Kitano has starred in classics such as Zatoichi, and is even responsible for the much loved Takeshi’s Castle. He brings here a trademark cool, and acts as a perfect figurehead for the signature madness of the picture.
One of the boldest films of the century so far, Battle Royale is not to be missed. If you are a Japanese extreme cinema connoisseur this is no doubt an essential part of your collection, if you are a novice, it is the best possible starting point. This is essential world cinema. LW
Film: Battle Royale: Limited Edition
Release date: 13th December 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 109 mins
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Chiaki Kuriyama, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Noriko Nakagawa, Tarô Yamamoto
Genre: Action/Horror/Thriller
Studio: Arrow
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Japan
Based on Koushun Takami’s 1999 manga, Battle Royale stunned and outraged the Japanese parliament upon its release in 2000. Ten years on, does it retain its impact?
Could you kill your best friend? That is the question posed to a horrified group of Japanese teenagers who, at the end of their compulsory education, find themselves abducted and taken to an abandoned school, where their former teacher Kitano (Takeshi Kitano) informs them that they have been entered into a deadly game - the Battle Royale - aimed at punishing unruly youths.
The rules of the game are simple: only one can survive. To do that, the ‘contestants’ must murder their rivals. If, after three days, there is no outright winner, then the explosive collars worn by all will explode, and everyone will be dead.
The film follows teenagers Shuya (Fujiwara) and Noriko (Maeda), as they try to stay alive, and figure out a way to do so without having to kill each other…
Too many movies are undeservedly labelled live action manga, but Battle Royale truly deserves the label. Not because its visual scope is overly wacky, or full of imagery one wouldn’t think possible with live action, but because of its boldness and energy. The viewer is thrust into the story with minimal set-up, the characters and dystopian-Japanese setting established with the broadest of strokes; the cinematography is stark, stripped down; and the performances (especially of the young cast) are big and loud. In all the right ways, Battle Royale is a manga come to life as invigorating cinema.
And as the game wears on, and the teenaged contestants enter into a thrilling and horrifying Big Brother meets Lord Of The Flies scenario, Fukasaku treats us to a series of increasingly intense set-pieces, all rooted in the central moral dilemma of what lengths the characters will go to in order to survive. Juxtaposed with rather bland flashback sequences to flesh out the characters, the survival story lacks a certain amount of tension (because we know, for at least the first hour, that certain characters are almost guaranteed to make it to the latter stages), but as the climax nears, and vulnerability increases, even a spacious cinema can feel like a prison cell for the viewer, such is Battle Royale’s sheer intensity.
A visual, visceral triumph, for sure, but not without its flaws. Any substance to the set-up is marginalised in favour of the arresting style. Quite what led to Japan being in the state that we find it in the opening act (explored in greater detail in the manga) is never full established, and, as such, there is very little to connect the viewer to characters - very little to demand sympathy beyond the recognition that the young people are in a horrible predicament. That the teens being generally identifiable movie archetypes suggest that this may be the point - a rush without emotional involvement, prompting guilt from the contemporary audience. Battle Royale certainly has a drum to bang about the demonising of youth - but it bangs that drum without any real rhythm or melody; its overall message unfortunately muddled. Scenes where characters gun down several others feel like simple stylised, exploitative, ‘cool’ violence - rather than the sort of profound, socio-political metaphor that the opening reel seems to promise.
But there’s no denying the effect of its stylistic choices. The intensity of the opening, as the ‘chosen’ children learn their predicament, and the bitter righteousness with which teacher Kitano establishes his dominance over them is instantly gripping, and visually horrifying. And as the game wears on, the viewer is held in rapt attention. But even such moments as these do not always enthral the viewer to the point of true emotional involvement and investment. It is established early on that that the emphasis is on a heightened, manga-like reality - with the teens in identical uniforms, forcibly sedated on a coach-trip and stalked by a power-suited lady in a gas mask, the viewer knows that Battle Royale exists within a slightly skewed, dystopian version of the real world. This endures throughout the film, and the effect is breathtakingly cinematic, but further undermines the raw power of any social comment Fukasaku seeks to make (of course, on this issue, the film certainly will play differently to international audiences after the fact than it does the contemporary local viewer).
As stated above, the performances - in keeping with the manga origins and stylised sensibility - are big, save for the standout supporting turn by Takeshi Kaneshiro, whose quiet rage and subtle insanity utterly sells the outrageous conceit. Those around him do a lot of wailing, shouting, panting and crying, and Kaneshiro - in a directorial choice perhaps designed to represent the brick wall off which youth angst and trouble so regularly bounces - presents a chillingly cold conviction. His role is small, his presence is big.
The younger actors don’t have much to do in the way of covering new thespian ground, but they fulfil archetypes well, and show the appropriate amount of fear as the battle royale goes on. Tatsuya Fujiwara, as Shuya, is the de facto hero, and he brings the right sort of earnestness and a quiet charisma to the role; Japanese popstar and actress Aki Maeda nicely shows Noriko’s early fear giving way to a wayward resilience at the demands and rigours of the experience; western viewers may recognise the actress Chiaki Kuriyama, in the role of Takako, her steely glare (which one may retrospectively term ‘Lisbeth-like’) almost identical to the one she employed in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 1.
But, though the cast do good work, none of them truly stand out, although that may be exactly the filmmakers’ point. Indeed, as the teens’ crushes and anxieties - pure adolescent fluff that would grace any ‘typical’ teen movie - come to the fore, intensified by the deadly context, one wonders if Fukasaku is intentionally presenting cliché - deliberately over-playing the yearnings and emotions we’ve seen in dozens of movies before. Is he offering some twisted form of optimism, saying that innocence, friendship and love are the best shields against a progressively more violent and oppressive world? Or is the director being more cynical, daring a viewer to ask themselves why they can feel for fictional youths while demonising the ones they interact with in reality? That there is evidence for both makes Battle Royale an endlessly fascinating picture, if not quite a true classic.
Battle Royale deserves every bit of its enduring cult success. Ten years on, it remains as shocking, powerful and twistedly exhilarating as it was upon release. Sensational. JN
Both the Blu-ray and DVD format releases feature brand new restored high definition transfers of both the ‘theatrical cut’ and ‘director's cut’, brand new subtitle translations, limited edition packaging numbered #/5000 (with certificate) and a whole host of new and exclusive extra features.
In a world where teenagers have no respect and adults are losing control, there can be only one solution: Battle Royale! Now, see what happens when you let a high school class loose on an island, arm them and then give them a simple choice: Kill your friends or have them kill you; with poison, cross-bows, machetes and dynamite.
‘Beat’ Takeshi Kitano (Violent Cop, Zatoichi) is a teacher pushed to the edge by his unruly charges. Kidnapped and gassed, his class wake up with exploding metal rings around their necks. If they rebel, they could lose their heads. Now they have three days, and only one is permitted to survive this grisly battle to the death.
Directed by the master of ‘70s Yakuza thrillers Kinji Fukasaku and featuring Kill Bill star Chiaki Kuriyama, Battle Royale is the movie that helped to define extreme Asian cinema in the 21st century.
The box set (some exclusive to the Limited Edition) includes a 32-page comic; a 36-page booklet (featuring short stories, an extract from Koushan Takami's original novel, original promotional material, including Director's statement, cast and crew biogs); 16-page booklet (including concept artwork and drawing for the limited edition set); 5"x7" Postcards of stills from the film; and a fold-out/reversible poster of the original artwork.
Film: Battle Royale: Limited Edition
Release date: 13th December 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 109 mins
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Chiaki Kuriyama, Tatsuya Fujiwara, Noriko Nakagawa, Tarô Yamamoto
Genre: Action/Horror/Thriller
Studio: Arrow
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Japan
Special Features:
•
Original theatrical trailer
•
The making of Battle Royale
•
Conducting Battle Royale with the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra
•
Special Edition trailer
•
TV Spot: Tarantino version
•
Shooting the Special Edition
•
Takeshi Kitano interview
•
The correct way to make Battle Royale (Birthday version)
•
Tokyo International Film Festival presentation
•
Opening day at Maro No Uchi Toei movie theatre
•
The slaughter of 42 high school students
•
Premier press conference
•
The correct way to fight in Battle Royale
•
Royale rehearsals
•
Masamichi Amano conducts Battle Royale
•
Special effects comparison
•
Behind the scenes featurette
•
Filming on set
•
TV spots
•
Promos and commercials
•
Kinji Fukasaky trailer reel
Film: Hana-Bi
Release date: 26th February 2001
Certificate: 18
Running time: 99 mins
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Starring: Takeshi Kitano, Kayoko Kishimoto, Ren Ohsugi, Susumu Terajima, Tetsu Watanabe
Genre: Crime/Drama/Romance/Thriller
Studio: Momentum
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Hana-Bi marks Takeshi Kitano’s seventh successive film, and as well has having directed and written the film, Kitano himself also plays the lead role. Since its initial release in 1997, Hana-Bi has gone on to win countless awards, including the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival. The unexpected international success of Hana-Bi, coupled with Sonatine’s critical acclaim, established Kitano as a pioneer of Japanese filmmaking.
Kitano plays Nishi, a former police officer who is dealing with: the trauma of losing a friend on the job; the guilt that another colleague is wheelchair bound; the upset of caring for his dying wife; and debt problems – continually hounded by loan sharks.
Nishi takes it upon himself to help those around him by robbing a bank and borrowing more money from the debt collectors, before embarking on a road trip with his wife, which enables them to spend some long overdue quality time together.
However, Nishi’s wrong doings soon catch up with him, as the film heads towards an inevitable tragedy…
Hana-Bi is a masterpiece of filmmaking and, without a doubt, still Takeshi’s best piece to date. Almost every aspect of this film is unbreakable and unwavering. Much like the spirit or message the film carries with it, Hana-Bi is the unsung hero of cinema. A film that quite rightly set Kitano on his way to total success within the Japanese film industry.
Hana-Bi’s soundtrack is composed by musical genius Joe Hisaishi, a man familiar with award-winning scores, who has worked on many of Kitano’s other projects, as well as a number of Studio Ghibli pictures. The music captures the mood perfectly, and adds so much to a scene it becomes integral to Hana-Bi’s overall plot. The music often lends scenes a melancholic feeling, which is then enforced by the cast’s performances.
Takeshi gives an unforgettable performance as the sublime anti hero who is willing to sacrifice the rules in order to help others. Much like many of his other performances, Takeshi shows signs of knowing exactly what works and exactly how he wants his character portrayed - intimate and touching scenes with his wife during her final days, for example, really allow Takeshi’s raw persona to shine through, and allows the audience to experience the mind of someone who has to deal with the situation that surrounds him.
Other honourable mentions go to Ren Ôsugi and Susumu Terajima, both of whom have worked with Kitano before, and deserve a mention in their own right. They both make great use of the script, and give outstanding performances as the crippled wheelchair bound retiree and the young hot shot detective. Ôsugi, in particular, is granted a lot of screen time, and is often left holding the audience’s attention for lengthy scenes - one depicts Ôsugi contemplating painting, and the scene lasts long enough to really emphasise the point of Ôsugi’s isolation, and inability.
Another notable element to Hana-Bi is its cinematography, which is, at times, both imaginative and picturesque, but can change unexpectedly towards the shock and horror factor, depicting scenes of extreme violence – for instance, the shoot out in the mall that instigates Takeshi’s downfall has a bleak and long lasting image of Takeshi’s blood spattered face, which really drives the point through. Hana-Bi’s violence, however, doesn’t serve Japanese horror/gore fanboys looking for their next fix. Instead, Hana-Bi’s violence is used as a tool or instrument. Kitano has made this clear in past interviews, and persists that his films are not glorified violence but violence with a message.
Although extreme at times, the violence in Hana-Bi is distracted by its heart-warming sense of humour. The happiness of Takeshi’s life steams from the charming scenes of him and his wife on their road trip, where the humour is touching and sensitive. A sense of humour that can be found in most of Kitano’s works, and one that’s more than welcome when a film like Hana-Bi tackles dark themes and issues not often found in films with comedy.
Hana-Bi is a cinematic masterpiece. Its dark content balanced with light humour and amazing visuals gives the film a unique and original feel. Along with its imaginative and artistic style cinematography, and an ending that will truly leave an impression, Hana-Bi is a triumph not only for Kitano but for Japanese cinema as a whole. LS
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: Getting Any?
Release date: 11th May 2009
Certificate: 15
Running time: 105 mins
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Starring: Dankan, Tokie Hidari, Beat Takeshi, Shoji Kobayashi
Genre: Comedy
Studio: Second Sight
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Around the time of its release back in 1994, Getting Any? marked a departure from Kitano’s previous work. Up until this point, Kitano’s movies were a mix of slow burner crime thrillers (Violent Cop, Boiling Point and Sonatine) and a truly beautiful romantic drama entitled A Scene At The Sea. However, before becoming an actor and director, he was as famous as a comedian, so, in some ways, Getting Any? represent’s the real Takeshi Kitano.
The movie follows Asao. A naive and totally goofy man obsessed with sex. He tries to pursue his sex-crazed fantasies, one being to own a car and have car-sex with many different women, but after this scheme goes pear-shaped, he tries to find other ways to attract women into having sexual intercourse with him. Without ever thinking of simply getting to know a woman, he goes to ridiculous lengths to pursue this dream, plotting schemes in order to achieve popularity.
At every chance of succeeding - for example, stealing money from a bank, finding treasure or becoming an actor – Asao somehow always fails. Eventually, he gets caught up into some sticky situations, which might literally crush his dreams forever…
Those who are familiar with Kitano’s work will be aware of the style of his filmmaking. His movies tend to avoid cinematic conventions, a traditional narrative pace or structure, have sudden eruption’s of graphic violence, elements of repetition, dead pan acting, and subtle moments of comedy and slapstick – this subtlety is lost here.
Kitano once stated: “I’m a comic and famous as such, but this film is a film made by a comedian to make fun of himself. Usually, a comedian who makes a comedy takes his jokes quite seriously. Here I did anything I wanted and strung the gags together crudely.”
That statement is reflected in Getting Any?, which contains some of the funniest moments of any Kitano movie. Fans who admire the humour in his movies will be enthusiastic as Kitano throws in countless jokes and punch lines - and it’s certainly unpredictable (Kitano’s humour shifts from genius to sheer craziness, and you may wonder whether you are laughing at the jokes or the movie itself). But you couldn’t dismiss Getting Any? as simply a series of comedic sketches - in the midst of all the bizarre events that unfold, you still find yourself rooting for the pathetic central character. This is because Kitano ensures you are acutely aware of this man’s determination and desperation.
Kitano undermines and parodies many famous Japanese films and characters throughout. These include The Lone Wolf And Cub series, Godzilla, and even an entire segment parodying a later film he would make: Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsmen. These parodies completely undermine their iconic statuses - not only re-inventive but also incredibly hilarious. This is, of course, if you know these references.
In other cases, there are prolonged references to classic American popular culture films and music. The Michael Jackson parody is not that memorable, whilst the long finale - a direct reference to The Fly - borderlines on Scary Movie territory. However, this is the point that Kitano is making, he is undermining the audience with his mockery of the comedy genre. Whether you like it or not, his constant surreal comedy is both hilarious and totally bonkers.
Getting Any? certainly creates a false representation of Kitano’s work, however, if you are a fan of Monty Python or surreal comedy, this will be right up your alley. TJP
