# Any fans of Takeshi Kitano here? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2004, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053 "2004-03-29T08:58:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rainbowthief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4bbf92/32.png) [@Rainbowthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rainbowthief)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053/1 "2004-03-29T08:58:37Z")
I just started getting into contemporary Japanese films a few months ago. Before that, the only Japanese directors whose work I’d seen were Akira Kurosawa and Shinya Tsukamoto, who I’ve been a fan of since **Tetsuo: The Iron Man** was released in the U.S. Last year I became a fan of Takashi Miike, and while looking him up his name at IMDB to see what he was up to, I saw that his upcoming movie is starring Takeshi Kitano, who I remembered from his role in **Battle Royale**. I checked out Kitano’s profile and became really interested in his movies after learning that he’s directed eleven movies, especially after reading more about him at the IMDB message boards. So, I bought two of his movies, **Hana-Bi** (released in the U.S. as **Fireworks** ) and **Dolls** , which a lot of reviews claim is a disappointment from Kitano, but it sounded interesting to me. _ **MINOR SPOILERS BELOW** _ (Though nothing you won’t see in reviews of the movies or in product descriptions at online retailers.) **Hana-Bi** is about a tough cop who, during a stakeout, is urged by his partner to take a few hours off to visit his terminally ill wife at the nearby hospital where she is being treated. While he’s gone, things go terribly wrong and his partner is left paralized while another cop is killed. To make her last days happier, he borrows money from a yakuza (gangster), but when he can’t pay him on time, the yakuza sends his thugs after him. I liked it, though I don’t think it’s the masterpiece it’s been written up to be. I probably need to see it again, though, since I’ve only seen it once. In addition to directing **Hana-Bi** , Kitano also starred in it (billed as “Beat” Takeshi, as he always is as an actor) and painted all the artwork in the film. He has great screen presence and plays his role with toughness, humor and heart. The scenes with his wife during her last days are poignant and touching, but believable, unlike the “tender” scenes in action dramas starring Hollywood actors. **Dolls** is three interwoven stories (the characters from the different stories don’t really have anything to do with each other, but they walk past each other at various points in the movie). The first is about a man’s guilt and devotion to the woman he loves. After causing her a breakdown that nearly costs her life and leaves her unwilling to speak, he binds himself to her with a red rope to keep her from harming herself and they travel by foot across Japan for months searching for what they’ve lost. The second is about an aging yakuza reflecting on the sacrifices he made for a successful life in crime. He remembers the girlfriend he left to go make something of himself and her promise to meet him at a park every afternoon for lunch, so he decides to go to that same park to find her. The third story is about beautiful young pop singer who meets her most devoted fan after she becomes a recluse following a car accident that leaves her disfigured. **Dolls** was easily my favorite, a beautiful story with gorgeous visuals, full of sadness and melancholy. A huge departure from the tough guy movies Kitano is known for, which I suspect is why many critics and fans were disappointed. I think I was able to appreciate it more because I didn’t know what to expect in a Kitano film, so I watched it with an open mind. The story of the couple joined by the red rope was by far my favorite, though it’s also the most fully developed one (and I think it’s the one that anchors the movie). The final six minutes were among the saddest I’ve ever seen in a movie, as sad as anything in Lars Von Trier’s **Breaking the Waves** , **Dancer in the Dark** or **The Idiots**. I really can’t wait to watch it again, though. Anyway, I also ordered **Zatoichi** , his newest film, which is a samurai epic, and hope to have it within the next two weeks. I don’t know of any other message boards where movies of this type are discussed and since Dopers have pretty varied tastes in movies, I was hoping that a few of you here were into his stuff also and could maybe recommend what I should get next. Also, did anyone else besides me love **Dolls**? What happened at the end of **Hana-Bi**? The shots are off camera, so I wasn’t sure who got shot and by whom. For those of you who aren’t familar with Kitano’s work, check out [http://www.midnighteye.com](http://www.midnighteye.com) to learn more about him. It’s an excellent site about Japanese movies and I’ve learned a lot from there. I bought his movies at [http://www.yesasia.com](http://www.yesasia.com) (the Korean edition of **Hana-Bi** ) and [http://www.diabolikdvd.com](http://www.diabolikdvd.com) (for **Dolls** ). Most of Kitano’s movies are on NTSC Region 1 DVD (not sure about **Dolls** ), but I bought the Region 3 **Hana-Bi** because I read bad things at IMDB about the U.S. edition being cut. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053/2 "2004-03-29T12:51:43Z")
**Brother** and **Battle Royale** are the only ones you listed that I’ve seen, but he’s pretty good in both of them. I’m also looking forward to **Zatoichi** coming out on DVD; it’s part of a recent new wave of samurai films that add modern or just uncharacteristic elements to the genre (you wouldn’t think tap-dancing would work in a samurai film, but it kinda fits somehow). Some other good films he’s been connected with are [**Gohatto**](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0213682/combined) (also known as **Taboo** , and directed by Nagisa Oshima, who made the very controversial [In the Realm of the Senses](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0074102/combined) back in the 70’s), [**Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence**](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0085933/combined) (one of his earliest films, and another by Oshima) and [Ano natsu, ichiban shizukana umi](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0103704/combined), which he directed but didn’t act in. To be honest, as good as his work is, I have to make an effort to take him seriously. He’s built up a reputation outside Japan as a skilled actor and a director of some incredible films, but in Japan he’s mainly a TV guy who’s done one variety show after another essentially being a middle-aged Beavis & Butthead in a silly costume (Takeshi’s Castle was probably one of his more mature, refined performances from back when he was still a low-ranking talent. Once he’d built his reputation, the networks seemed to let him pretty much do as he pleased). Interesting guy, and very hard to categorize. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053/3 "2004-03-29T15:42:13Z")
I thought **Battle Royale** was excellent, but I’m not sure how much credit to give to Takeshi. Sure, he was good in it (especially in the classroom scene in the beginning), but the appealing and interesting things about the movie were the “hunt-or-die” concept (and execution thereof) and the social statement. **Brother** , **Violent Cop** , and **Sonatine** were pretty good, but not ones I’d watch over and over. I did not care for **Gahatto** , although if you like fruity samurai this is the movie for you. I don’t know much if anything about Takeshi’s television career or celebrity personality, so no help there. I heard that he was in a motorcycle(?) accident a while back that paralyzed half his facial muscles. Of course, the joke goes, viewers can’t tell which side because his acting is so stoic (critics might say “wooden”) that he never moves his facial muscles anyway! ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053/4 "2004-03-29T15:49:31Z")
Hana Bi is my favourite movie. Takeshi Kitano also has a part in a movie I’m very fond of: Tokyo Eyes. It’s the story of a bespectacled gunman and the girl he loves. ---
**Author:** ![Headcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6bbea6/32.png) [@Headcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Headcoat)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053/5 "2004-03-29T17:22:25Z")
He reminds me a lot of Harvey Keitel, in both appearance and acting style/competency. I guess they also have a similar body of work. The guy is just very charismatic on screen, and can express a lot without words. Was Brother his only American movie? Because that was absolutely terrible, one of the worst plots in a gangster movie I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Kaitlin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/59ef9b/32.png) [@Kaitlin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaitlin)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053/6 "2004-03-29T19:36:43Z")
I have a soft spot for his movie [Kikujiro no Natsu](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0199683/). It’s a very quiet, quirky film. The pace of the film can be kind of frustrating, though. It’s hard to sit through a second time. The movie is about a little boy’s visit to his mother (who he has never met), taken to see her by Kitano’s character. It’s funny and a bit sad. The soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi is quite lovely. ---
**Author:** ![Sinungaling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Sinungaling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinungaling)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053/7 "2004-03-29T23:57:15Z")
I find it fascinating how the host of Most Exreme Elimination Challenge on Spike TV (a.k.a. Takeshi’s Castle in Japan) managed to parlay that job into his present position. ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053/8 "2004-03-30T00:29:53Z")
> [@Sinungaling](#): > > I find it fascinating how the host of Most Exreme Elimination Challenge on Spike TV (a.k.a. Takeshi’s Castle in Japan) managed to parlay that job into his present position. Taking it one step further, how did he get the gig on [Takeshi’s Castle](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375466/)? According to the IMDB, it didn’t start airing until 1990. [Violent Cop](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098360/) came out in 1989 and [Boiling Point](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098967/) came out in 1990. How does a guy go from directing films like that to sitting around in a goofy neon kimono, watching people launch themselves into mud pits? Anybody know of a good english-language biography of Kitano? ---
**Author:** ![RealTronic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@RealTronic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealTronic)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053/9 "2004-03-30T00:58:38Z")
I’m a huge fan of Takeshi Kitano, regarding both **Hana-bi** and **Kikujiro no Natsu** as some of my favorite movies. I’ve not seen his earlier work, but I’d love to see them because I’ve heard so much good about both **Violent Cop** and **Sonatine**. I was totally blown away by **Hana-bi** by the way - it’s just so incredibly beautiful and amazing. I highly recommend it - although it may not be for everyone’s taste. It’s definately a strange mix of violent gangster-action and slow-paced typical Japanese art-house fare. As for the ending, Rainbowthief, Wasn’t Kitano’s character killed by the Yakuza? At least that’s how I interpreted it. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053/10 "2004-03-30T01:45:34Z")
I’ve seen _Boiling Point, Borther, Sonatine_ and _Taboo_ (I guess we aren’t counting his work in _Johnny Mnemonic_). I find him interesting, but also find the movies he directs lacking, I always feel a tinge of disappointment when one ends. Maybe I’m missing something culturally, but gunplay and nihilism get old quick no matter the language if that’s all a film has going for it. There’s usually a moment or two of quirky dark humor that I like in his films. I just wish they weren’t buried in long stretches of nothing and pointless psuedo-philosophical dialogue. _Sonatine_ seemed like it should have been called _Wait Around, Get Killed_, since that’s what the characters did for most of the movie. That said I still want to see other films of his, since I heard good stuff about _Hana-bi_, and I wonder if he’s capable of more than what I’ve seen to date. ---
**Author:** ![RobuSensei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@RobuSensei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobuSensei)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053/11 "2004-03-30T02:17:33Z")
Just picked up _Zatoichi_ a couple of days ago. Haven’t finished watching it yet, but I’m enjoying it. (Thank goodness for English subtitles…) Some links: A mini biography at [Japan Zone](http://www.japan-zone.com/modern/kitano_takeshi.shtml) and an article about the new Zatoichi from [Time Asia](http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/article/0,13673,501030915-483348,00.html). ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053/12 "2004-03-30T02:28:36Z")
> [@RobuSensei](#): > > A mini biography at [Japan Zone](http://www.japan-zone.com/modern/kitano_takeshi.shtml) Thanks for that link **RobuSensei**. What a career! I can’t imagine anybody in the American entertainment industry doing all that. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053/13 "2004-03-30T03:05:24Z")
> [@chukhung](#): > > Taking it one step further, how did he get the gig on [Takeshi’s Castle](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375466/)? According to the IMDB, it didn’t start airing until 1990. [Violent Cop](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098360/) came out in 1989 and [Boiling Point](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098967/) came out in 1990. How does a guy go from directing films like that to sitting around in a goofy neon kimono, watching people launch themselves into mud pits? > > Anybody know of a good english-language biography of Kitano? [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitano_Takeshi) has a short biography on him. basically, he started by acting like a sadistic goof and then got into directing films (while still acting like a sadistic goof on TV), rather than the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![Rainbowthief](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/4bbf92/32.png) [@Rainbowthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rainbowthief)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053/14 "2004-03-30T07:34:21Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > To be honest, as good as his work is, I have to make an effort to take him seriously. He’s built up a reputation outside Japan as a skilled actor and a director of some incredible films, but in Japan he’s mainly a TV guy who’s done one variety show after another essentially being a middle-aged Beavis & Butthead in a silly costume **Sublight** , it’s interesting that you write that, because someone posted at the IMDB boards that he asked people in Japan about Kitano and the response was “That vulgar comedian?” It’s a shame because he’s one of Japan’s finest filmmakers and together with Takashi Miike, Shinya Tsukamoto and Kiyoshi Kurosawa, they’re reinventing the art of film like no one out there except for Von Trier. > [@irishgirl](#): > > Hana Bi is my favourite movie. > Takeshi Kitano also has a part in a movie I’m very fond of: Tokyo Eyes. **irishgirl** , I’ve heard quite a bit about that movie and will definitely make a point to watch it soon. > [@RealTronic](#): > > As for the ending, Rainbowthief, > > Wasn’t Kitano’s character killed by the Yakuza? At least that’s how I interpreted it. **RealTronic** , I need to watch the movie again, but I could’ve sworn that I heard two shots, so I’d assumed Kitano’s character killed his wife, then himself so they could go together before the cancer consumed her body or the Yakuza could get him. **RobuSensei** , thanks for the outstanding links! Part of what intrigued me about Kitano as a director was his total artistic output: actor, screenwriter, director, painter, novelist, poet, musician…the guy really is a true Renaissance man. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-fans-of-takeshi-kitano-here/237053/15 "2004-03-30T12:10:26Z")
Battle Royale is one of my favourite movies ever. _picks up axe_ This pack is SUPER LUCKY!!!