Reviewed by Michael Edwards
Stars Takeshi Kitano, Ittoku Kishibe, Maiko Kawakami, Makoto Ashikawa, Shiro Sano, Masahiko Ono, Yuriko Ishida, Takahiko Aoki, Kuroudo Maki, Hiroko Oshima, Sabu Kawahara, Tokie Hidari, Yojin Hino, Akiji Kobayashi & Ken Kaneko
UK certification 18 | UK RRP £49.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 665 minutes | Directed by Takeshi Kitano
Everyone knows Takeshi Kitano. Not personally, obviously, but he has become a household name across the world for his unique concoctions of violence, wit and emotional complexity. If you don't think this is possible, or you think I'm making some sort of mistake, then you're the first person who should buy this box set. It contains six of the director's finest films, and excludes his more readily-available output like Battle Royale and Zatoichi — which, as great as they are, might seem somewhat overhyped against these classics. The set also includes two films never before released on DVD in the UK. For those of you who don't know his work, here's the lowdown of what this collection has to offer:
Violent Cop (1989) follows a maverick detective whose methods are, to say the least, somewhat dubious. When he finds his life in threat by the Yakuza he takes the law into his own hands. Originally scripted as a comedy but rewritten as a drama, supposedly to allow Kitano himself to exhibit his acting talents rather than be assumed to be relying on his well-known TV personality status in Japan, the movie is skillfully interspersed with a little bit of both. Assuming you find extreme violence funny.
Boiling Point (1990) makes less of an attempt to move away from Kitano's comic talents. Less violent and intense than Violent Cop, Boiling Point is a master class in the canon of the "out of your depth" comedy. Rather than simply showing a series of silly errors, this film creates characters whose attitude creates the movie. Again drafting in the Yakuza for subject matter, this movie sees baseball-playing outsider Masaki fall foul of them. As he tries to stand up for himself, he drafts in a former Yakuza member, a gun merchant and a tough guy in a similar scenario. Needless to say each new plan and each new accomplice makes the situation worse and worse as the film builds to its climax.
A Scene at the Sea (1992) is one of the films that're new to the UK. An interesting departure from his previous two films, A Scene at the Sea exhibits Kitanos more nuanced and sensitive side as it charts the relationship between Shigero and Takako. Shigero is a refuse collector and they're both deaf. Sound quirky? It continues that way. When Shigero finds a discarded surf board he decides to fix it up and learn to surf, with Takako eagerly in tow. The film unfolds as a touching, light-hearted drama that's visually playful. An interesting digression for the director.
Sonatine (1993) is the third of TKs Yakuza films and is widely regarded as one of his best works. Combining the all-out action of Violent Cop and the quirky comedic elements of Boiling Point the film follows Murakawa (played by Kitano), a Yakuza gangster, as he is thrown into a mission that sees him confront the dark reality of gang life with its flashes of violence and moments of painful contemplation which Kitano depicts so well. A classic of the gangster genre that can't afford to be missed.
Getting Any? (1995) is where we see the "much loved TV personality" express himself on film. An unrestrained comedy filled that revels in its own silliness, Getting Any? is the story of one man's mission to get laid. A hilarious satire of Japanese culture that puts The 40-Year-Old Virgin (its nearest Western equivalent) to shame. That said, it's a strange one to add into the box set, being so different in style and tone, and may slightly disillusion those fans who know and love Kitano for his dark and moody side that runs riot in his more violent outings.
Kids Return (1996) is the second newbie to the UK DVD market. A bleak tale of a couple of a boxer and a gangster who look back on their time as juvenile delinquents and ponderously recount their development into the men they eventually become. A strong expression of Kitanos perennial themes of life on the outside of society, the consequences of violence and the brutal reality of a world which punishes mistakes without mercy.
EXTRAS ** A 68 minute documentary on the man himself, and commentary by the guy who wrote "Outlaw Masters of Japanese Film" accompanying Violent Cop and Sonatine.