Kikujiro (1999)'I find it natural to react against whatever I did last - in this case, Hana-Bi ... I wanted to go against audience expectations all the way through the film. Hana-Bi was very much in my mind while I was making this.'Kitano's words (quoted in Sight and Sound) speak volumes about Kikujiro. To a Western audience (and myself), Takeshi Kitano is about gangsters, guns and bloodshed. Although Japan has seen many different sides of him, this was probably the first time a (mostly) non-violent film of his was given a cinema release here in the UK. Kikujiro is a road movie with a young boy (Masao) as the protagonist. It is funny, silly and moving with an air of the fantastical about it (Masao's dreams contain what seem to be stereotypical Japanese imagery). It is a very playful film and, at times, it seems that the cast and crew made it just to have some fun. Witness the biker who constantly takes his clothes off simply because it's his comic trademark in real life! In fact, nearly all of the actors are members of a dance troupe called Convoy and this may explain why the film sometimes feels so lightweight. It is not a bad film but placed next to Sonatine and Hana-Bi it quickly becomes forgetable. However, it is a relief to see a film like this in the West and it shows another valuable side to Kitano the film-maker, confirming his considerable talent. |
Kitano Takeshi No EigaFilms directed by Takeshi KitanoViolent Cop (1989) 'The Japanese Dirty Harry'; a genre tale of a Tokyo cop and his rather violent enforcement techniques. Boiling Point (1990) A baseball-playing youth offends a member of the Yakuza ... and they want revenge. A Scene at the Sea (1991) Accompanied by his girlfriend, a deaf garbage collector learns to surf after finding a broken board. Gangster Murakawa is suspicious when his superiors send him to intervene in a gang war. Getting Any? (1995) A slapstick comedy that satirises Japanese society. Kids Return (1996) After his near-fatal motorcycle accident, Kitano returns with a teenage coming-of-age story. Hana-Bi (aka Fireworks) (1997) Detective Nishi attempts to tie up the loose strands of his life after his partner is paralysed.
Brother (2000) A Japanese gangster flies to Los Angeles and tries to take over the local underworld. Dolls (2002) Three tragic love stories, based on the themes of traditional Japanese Bunraku doll theatre. Zatoichi (2003) A story about the Japanese folk hero Zatoichi, a blind swordsman. |
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