violent cop ( 1989 film )
sono otoko, kyobo ni tsuki (violent cop, takeshi kitano, japan 1989) .
a film that lives up to it' s title: takeshi kitano is definitely one violent cop .
chris, t those covers for violent cop and boiling point are absolutely awful .
availability: violent cop is available on dvd, which can be obtained through netflix .
'' violent cop'' is not for the squeamish. but for fans of unsentimental police action rooted in commentary on a society,'' violent cop'' packs a punch .
violent cop ,
a hard - surfaced 1989 japanese film now getting its west coast premiere, was renaissance man takeshi kitano' s first as star and director. it manages to be grim and exhilarating at the same time .
( nb: although released in some territories the year before, we' ve gone by this film' s us release, which was 1989. )
violent cop, the debut directorial effort from beat kitano, has that nostalgic quality which shines beautifully in the kitano oeuvre .
some might argue that violent cop’ s too celebrated to count as an underappreciated film, but we’d counter that, as the film recedes into history, now’s a good time to remind younger readers of the brilliance of kitano’s 80s and 90s output - boiling point, sonatine and hana - bi are all worth tracking down. violent cop, meanwhile, is quite possibly kitano’s finest film .
in short: violent cop is a great film. kitano plays a cold, dirty harry style cop well. the film is very well - paced and uses its screen time adequately. violent cop is kitano’s first film as a director and it does not disappoint. watch it for an enjoyable hour and forty minutes, and enjoy the climax that will leave you with your mouth wide open while experiencing an ending that you kind of knew would happen .
from a crazy early nic cage role to a lesser - known film starring robert de niro, here' s our pick of 25 underappreciated films from 1989 ...
violent cop: police drama. starring and directed by takeshi kitano. (not rated. 103 minutes. at the roxie. )
in the 1990s, quentin tarantino took part in placing japanese cinema into more of a spotlight, more specifically the yakuza (gangster) genre. his extremely popular gangster film pulp fiction (usa 1994) was reminiscent of takeshi ‘beat’ kitano’s sono otoko, kyobo ni tsuki (violent cop, japan 1989), a film that had a very similar approach to violence :
as much as there are certain things here i appreciate and think work more than in any other kitano directorial effort, i just didn’t need to watch a portrait of a violent cop being violent in 2018. too soon .
i rather wait for a third window release for
violent cop
and
boiling point
because those covers are some of the ugliest i' ve ever seen .
through april 28, filmstruck subscribers have access to four of takeshi kitano’s earliest films including boiling point (1990), sonatine (1993), the blind swordsman: zatoichi (2003) and my personal favorite of the bunch, violent cop (1989). violent cop was the first feature film kitano directed and its impact should not be underestimated. as he continues to gain new admirers around the world, i thought i would revisit the movie that launched kitano’s filmmaking career and transformed his public persona from a fun - loving clown into a cinematic powerhouse in japan and abroad .
kitano is also a very good director and actor, but his directorial debut violent cop isn' t a perfect film. some key scenes are left out of the film for the viewer to fill in the blanks for, which is kinda annoying when the scenes are pivotal to the climatic finale .
in haskell’s
i walk alone
, lancaster is the defying muscle in an organisation lead by douglas’ brain. in boorman’s
point blank
, marvin is the defying muscle taking on a crime syndicate. the same in
violent cop
. kitano is the defying cop, who relies on brute force to get justice done, while the police force is more concerned about its image than law and order. its this sensation of transition, that makes
violent cop
such a strong and dark film .
the violent cop poster is one of the 5 best movie posters ever. visually incredibly succinct and beautifully laid out. i often try to rip it off. i am always unsuccessful .
slow - paced to point that there’s an extended slow - motion fight scene, takeshi kitano waltzes through the film as the titular violent cop, slapping, punching, kicking, and beating in deadpan fashion, with little enjoyment, empty and nihilistic .
violent cop marked the directorial debut of “ beat ” takeshi kitano and i still find it an intriguing film. it' s very violent and azuma (as beat takeshi) is an intense character. i' m glad i finally got to see it is a reasonable digital presentation - as i said, far from demo, but still very watchable. fans of the film or director should definitely consider indulging. another competent technical blu - ray transfer from film movement !
when the original psycho cop movie was released in 1989 the slasher film was on life support and psycho cop' s underwhelming reception did little to help it but in 1992 the genre had one last gasp of air with psycho cop' s lone sequel, psycho cop returns where robert r. shafer reprises his role as officer vickers the killer ex - cop who stalks a group of a office workers who have planned an after hours party in their office complex complete with all the booze your liver can' t handle and strippers. why a bunch of grown men need to party in their place of employment instead of at one of their homes or a hotel room or anywhere that would be more comfortable is beyond me but it makes for an interesting slasher film setting .
the original title
sono otoko, kyobo ni tsuki
means
watch out, this man is dangerous
. the common known title
violent cop
is the 1998 us rename .
so if there were an award for truth in titling,'' violent cop,'' the sharp, shocking, cynical account of his conflict with corruption, would surely be a contender - - if it were not a 10 - year - old film .
ah, 1989. the year the berlin wall came down and yugoslavia won the eurovision song contest. it was also a big year for film, with indiana jones and the last crusade topping the box office and batman dominating the summer with its inescapable marketing blitz .
the versatile, prolific takeshi kitano is one of the best and most celebrated actor - filmmakers in japan, and violent cop ’s one of his masterpieces. as its title implies, violent cop’ s about a brutally amoral law enforcer who seems to be careening towards self - destruction. in some ways, it’s japan’s answer to bad lieutenant, and kitano’s performances is on a par with harvey keitel' s here .
violent cop
is actually a quiet impressive debut. its simple and static compositions match the stark simplistic nature of both the characters and the plot, even though it lacks discipline and at times are somewhat rigid .
with boiling point, his follow - up to violent cop, takeshi kitano planted his stake in the ground and announced himself as a serious filmmaker worthy of paying attention to. boiling point was kitano’s second film, released only one year after violent cop, but it was his first as a screenwriter rather than a hired gun, and the difference in tone and execution from one film to the next is quite startling. whereas violent cop is a relatively straight forward story told with some unusual acting and scripting choices that make it feel like a special entry in a firmly established genre, boiling point is something else altogether. this follow - up is a statement from kitano that he had his own views of what makes a film successful, and that he would not be beholden to expectation in delivering his own version of a story from the lower levels of organized crime .
toraro, d. , 2004. ‘sono otoko, kyobo ni tsuki / violent cop’. in: j. bowyer, ed. the cinema of japan and korea. london: wallflower press, pp. 129 - 136 .
2. develop an awareness of the history of japanese cinema follow the career of three film artists whose careers span virtually the whole of japanese film history .
detective azuma is a dirty - harry style rogue cop who often uses violence and unethical methods to get results .
it doesn' t matter that the first psycho cop film hasn' t been released on dvd or blu - ray because psycho cop returns is a fucking blast. vinegar syndrome gives this unsung hero of early 90s horror a home in hd and i' m calling a must own for slasher fans .
film: merry christmas mr. lawrence (senjo no merii kurisumasu, 1983 )
violent cop (その男、凶暴につき) is a film about azuma (kitano), who is a cold detective that doesn’t care how he treats others. there is no basic plot, just one scene after another of violence, kitano style. normally i wouldn’t give praise to a film like this, but it is so well - done that it deserves it. camerawork is superb, acting is equally good, and the music, though minimal, comes in at just the right times. kitano, who had this film handed over to him after fukasaku kinji left it, establishes himself as a top - notch director with violent cop. there are many familiar faces that will appear in later kitano films, such as terajima susumu .
film movement include a 20 - minute video entitled that man is dangerous: the birth of takeshi kitano that has colleagues discuss their awareness and relationships with him, and his persona and style. there is both an original violent cop trailer and new hd re - release trailer, as well as 6 other film movement trailers. the package contains a, liner notes, collector' s booklet, featuring film essay by tom vick, the asian film curator for the freer and sackler galleries (the smithsonian' s museums of asian art); cast and crew credits .
another very good release of a very good film from film movement, boiling point on blu - ray is an upgrade that kitano fans will want in their collections .
police detective azuma (kitano) is loose cannon dirty harry - like cop who is constantly in hot water with his superiors .
like violent cop, boiling point gets a making - of featurette (okinawa days: takeshi’s second debut) with the participation of the producer, who provides great stories about kitano’s directing style and the genesis of the project. this set also includes a booklet with an essay from tom vick, who further explores the film’s unusual structure and place in kitano’s career .
future learning and skills – giving everyone the opportunity to build a lifelong relationship with film .
violent cop is the explosive and critically acclaimed directorial debut from japanese master film maker' beat' takeshi kitano. kitano is azuma - a vicious detective who deals out harsh justice with an iron fist - dirty harry style. investigating a drug dealer' s murder, azuma and rookie detective kikuchi find fellow officers are on the take. when azuma is caught for beating a gangster he is forced to quit the force. after the gang kidnaps his sister as retribution, azuma goes on a merciless rampage of revenge. with kitano' s zen like direction violent cop is a stylish, smart and skull shattering reinvention of the japanese yakuza genre .
much more visually and thematically restrained than his later works, violent cop is a typical debut for a director who' s bread - and - butter is the crime genre, almost completely comprised of noir elements and setting the stage for much more experimentation later in his career .
now, this is how you make a nihilistic, minimalistic action flick. there are moments in violent cop where the images and editing are so stark and the characters are so still (stilted ?) that it borders on bressonian. yet, somehow, there is also humor .
definitely not your average
rogue - cop
picture... especially when azuma decides to take his brutality with him off duty .
readings: oshima nagisa. “is it a breakthrough? (the modernists of japanese film) ”
richie, d. 2001. a hundred years of japanese film. london: kodansha international .
in order to add a bit of context to the film, film movement commissioned a new behind the scenes featurette titled, that man is dangerous: the birth of takeshi kitano. the featurette brings together several key players on the film, with kitano being noticeably absent, to tell the story of violent cop from different perspectives. it’s an interesting look at the film’s production, cramming numerous anecdotes about kitano’s directing style as well as the daily struggles of the performers to keep up with him on set into a 20 minute overview. i would’ve loved even more, but i’m happy with this. also included is a booklet with a nice essay from tom vick that further contextualizes not only the film, but also kitano’s unique place in japanese culture for fans unfamiliar with his work and history .
1989 was clearly the year for movie stars to go to prison, after their absolute innocence had been established. so it is that the script to lock up makes it abundantly clear that sylvester stallone has done nothing wrong, before promptly sticking him in chokey and basically throwing away the key .
this film is not currently playing on mubi but 30 other great films are. see what’s now showing
balmain, c. , 2008. introduction to japanese horror film. edinburgh: edinburgh university press .
perfect it is not but psycho cop returns is a damn entertaining slasher film that makes me upset they didn' t role with more sequels for officer vickers to appear in. robert shafer did sign a contract for five pictures after all ...
a selection of trailers for other tokyo bullet releases including
violent cop
, plus a small production stills gallery and a takeshi biography and filmography. subtitles are offered for both 16: 9 and 4: 3 formats, but the problem is that chunks of dialogue have been missed out in some scenes .
notebook is a daily, international film publication. our mission is to guide film lovers searching, lost or adrift in an overwhelming sea of content. we offer text, images, sounds and video as critical maps, passways and illuminations to the worlds of contemporary and classic film. notebook is a mubi publication .
as was the case with film movement’s blu - ray of violent cop, this edition of boiling point is not exactly reference material, rather a solid upgrade from the previously available discs. boiling point improves on visual clarity and color fidelity, but not in a way that will make fans drop their jaws. audio is similarly improved, leaving this release as the best presently available, which is good enough for me .
to fully understand the impact of violent cop on the gangster genre and in particular its brusque, laconic treatment of violence, one must remember that the film was made five years before pulp fiction [ … ]. much was made of the way tarantino deployed violence in an offhand manner [ … ] the template for this type of ‘off the cuff’ violence may certainly have been influenced by kitano (toraro 2004: 135) .
azuma slaps a guy in a bathroom repeatedly 23 times. he beats up a kid. he stops a knife with his hand and chases a criminal for a lengthy period of time, eventually running him over with a car. he also takes care of his mentally deficient sister and visits an art gallery. he shows no emotion, except anger when he interrogates a guy that slept with his sister. azuma is an interesting character that is played brilliantly by kitano. watch violent cop to discover kitano’s roots and to enjoy a good dirty cop / yakuza - style film. recommended .
'' violent cop,'' opening today at cinema village, 22 east 12th street, is being released here now because it was the first film by takeshi (beat) kitano, the japanese renaissance man who is an actor, stand - up comic, director, film editor, painter, poet, essayist, journalist, author, television personality and tough guy who has won international renown in recent years for films like'' hana - bi'' ('' fireworks'') and'' sonatine.''
violent cop was originally conceived as a comedy, before it was re - written as a drama, with kitano reportedly unhappy with the reaction from test screenings, wanting less laughs and more gasps. i' m not convinced it was thoroughly re - written though - kitano plays said violent cop, azuma, and accompanied by a theme tune that sounds like something out of laurel and hardy, he deadpans his way through acts of casual violence, defying you to take it seriously. from head - butting a teenager in his bedroom, to repeatedly slapping a drug dealer in the toilets of a bar (this scene had me on the floor: …
violent cop, or as its delirious japanese title says, sono otoko, kyōbō ni tsuki (that man, he is dangerous), is the story of a renegade cop who goes off the rails in his single - minded pursuit of a particular kind of justice. crazy cop stories had already been a staple of western genre films for decades, but japanese films seemed to have been a bit more staid in their portrayal of the men and women (mostly men) committed to maintaining order. when cops did go rogue, for the most part, it’s because the story was focused on the villain and their redemption or revenge. violent cop turns the tables and makes the protagonist a largely unsympathetic, but strangely relatable, hot - head determined to gain vengeance for wrongs committed against himself and his family. it’s a bold move, from a script largely rewritten day by day when kitano came on board, that creates an unforgettable central performance from the actor and his capable supporting cast .
so here are all 14 of kitano’s features to date, in their best graphic interpretations. from top to bottom, left to right, glory to the filmmaker (2007), a turkish poster for takeshis’ (2005), achilles and the tortoise (2008), getting any? (1994), violent cop (1989), brother (2000), hana - bi (1997), dolls (2002), sonatine (1993), kids return (1996), a french poster for a scene at the sea (1991), kikujiro (1999), boiling point (1990), and a uk quad for zatoichi (2003) .
even though he’s on the proper side of the law in violent cop, kitano was already crafting his iconic on - screen persona with this performance. kitano has made an acting career of portraying stone - faced villains who bottle up their rage until it reaches a level that can no longer be contained, usually erupting in spectacularly bloody violence. in violent cop, his officer - on - the - edge portrayal of azuma is one of carefully moderated madness. he is constantly needled throughout the film by villains and his own bosses alike, leading him to explode in all directions while attempting to make things right in his own extremely vicious way. it’s a role that kitano would later layer into his performances as yakuza bosses and underlings in the years after, and it’s one that he’s very nearly perfected .
however, one thing that should be noted is that this is the only one of kitano’s films that isn’t actually written by him. violent cop was originally being developed by kinji fukasaku and when he couldn’t finish the project, the studio asked kitano if he was interested in directing it. having done comedy all his life, he agreed but demanded rights to rewrite parts of the story. that might be the reason why this film does seem somewhat uneven at times .
as the film' s main theme. it sounds beautiful in the uncompressed and there are optional english subtitles. the
ezra, e. and t. rowden, 2006. transnational cinema: the film reader. london: routledge .
in'' violent cop,'' azuma, partnered with an eager rookie, becomes part of an investigation of a drug - related murder. the trail will pit azuma against a sadistic killer and his smooth overlord, bare the corruption of a friend and reduce azuma' s unstable sister to a victim of kidnapping, gang rape and narcotics addiction .
beat takeshi, a prominent actor, meets a lookalike named kitano, who is a struggling actor, but after the meeting, kitano' s dreams take a violent, surreal turn .
to get it out of the way, the plot of this film concerns azuma (takeshi kitano), the violent cop of the title. the opening scene is a pretty good indicator of what’s to come. as the film opens, a group of schoolboys beat and humiliate an old man. after they are finished and the old man is lying on the ground motionless, azuma, who has been watching at a distance, follows one of the boys home. after the boy goes up to his room, azuma knocks on the door of the house. the mother tells azuma that the boy is in his room, so he jogs up to the room, forces the boy to let him in, and proceeds to smack the shit out of the kid. he then tells the kid to turn himself in in the morning. this scene illustrates azuma’s character pretty well. he’s not the kind of cop to try to thwart a crime. he likes to let the criminals do their job so that he can do his. he’s also very brutal. shouting “rodney king” isn’t going to get you out of a beatdown with this guy. he probably wouldn’t even know who you’re talking about anyways (the film was made in 1989) .
violent cop on blu - ray is not the kind of visual feast or auditory revelation that we see from bigger, more expensive restorations, but it is a good upgrade from other presently available options that adds context to a film that holds up very nicely 27 years down the road. i wish the cover art weren’t so awful, but it’s a small price to pay (besides, i’ll only ever see the spine on my shelf, so all is well). recommended .
at some point, we' re going to have to get around to looking at the directorial work of the late michael crichton in a lot more detail. having made runaway with tom selleck' s moustache five years' earlier, 1989' s physical evidence saw him recruit burt reynolds' facial hair. we' ll never know which he preferred .
i guarantee you at least six minutes of this film is literally just walking sequences. that’s why it loses a star !
3. develop an awareness of the history of film studies study the debate over authorship from the 1950s to the 1990s .
most of these features came to us by way of uk specialist label third window films, who' ve previous released hana - bi, kikujiro, dolls, and a scene at the sea, and continue their winning record with kids return. however, now there' s another label helping to fill in the gaps, film movement with their recent releases of kitano' s first two directorial features, violent cop and boiling point. are they worth the upgrade? check out our thoughts below .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans. it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
violent cop
opens with a gang of kids beating up an old man. azuma tracks the gang leader right to the door of his room in a middle - class family' s home. he does not pound on the boy' s door. he raps twice, matter - of - factly but firmly. when the kid opens the door, azuma slugs him .
i had to fight with my crew to get the scenes shot with very little movement
, kitano says and continues ,
as the film came out, everyone told me, that i didn' t knew how to make a film .
outside the top 10 highest - grossing list, which included back to the future ii, dead poets society and honey i shrunk the kids, 1989 also included a plethora of less commonly - appreciated films. some were big in their native countries but only received a limited release in the us and uk. others were poorly received but have since been reassessed as cult items .
while kitano is reluctant to talk about his style and motifs, there are elements visible (in hindsight): the duality of emotions (the emotional pendulum), the duality towards pretending and the kitano fatalism. possibly the need to be taken serious made kitano write things for him important into the script: if so ,
violent cop
may well be a blueprint for kitano motifs .
such depravity also eventually consumes kitano’s sister, a mentally handicapped innocent whose violation is the final straw for the violent cop. as a director, kitano employs long takes to heighten his protagonist’s isolation. the tension reaches a fever pitch during a final confrontation in which the eponymous antihero finds even his own extreme measures ineffectual against the spread of degenerate corruption. a forlorn saga about the futility of fighting crime and sin, violent cop oozes with despondency. and yet despite this bleakness, there’s a deadpan quality to kitano’s tragedy. that black comedy is felt not just in more straight - faced punchlines, but also in the action’s periodic blasts of bloodshed, none better than a prolonged chase sequence that ends with kitano repeatedly running over a junkie perp with his car and then kicking him for good measure .
this list collects every film from the starting list that became they shoot pictures don' t they' s 1000 greatest films. this…
director takeshi kitano' s unflinching début is a poignant practice in violence and nihilism. the plot (though initially slightly slow) follows the titular' violent cop' azuma as he commits elevating acts of brutality in a fashion similar to that of' dirty harry' in order to solve a case. where azuma distinguishes himself from harry callaghan, however, is in his ethos, and the deep existentialism running throughout' violent cop' allows it to become a more thought provoking character study then' dirty harry' ever was. in a directorial sense' vc' is poetically beautiful and minimalistic, with shots lingering on both small moments of beauty and extreme violence, reminding viewers that both inhabit the same existence and that (for our protagonist) neither one is more shocking then the other. azuma' s acts of violence are often linked to those of the film' s primary antagonist and assassin kiyohiro, with the two even sharing dialogue throughout. in a sense' violent cop' presents itself as a study of oppressed, traditional masculinity in 20th century japan, and the untameable nature of those men who haven' t given in to the confinement of modern existence, azuma' s regard to the rules and those around him (his disabled sister especially) act as testament to this, and the outstanding final confrontation is a natural amalgamation of the brooding violence that preceded it. outstanding .
glory to the filmmaker indeed. as reported on the auteurs yesterday, takeshi kitano is currently the toast of paris, prompting movie poster of the week to take a look at kitano’s career in one - sheets. starting as a stand - up comedian in 1972, “beat” takeshi soon became one of japan’s most popular entertainers and television personalities. he started acting in movies in the early ’80s, most notably in oshima’s merry christmas, mr. lawrence (1983) but it was almost by accident that he started making his own films, when the original director of 1989’s violent cop fell ill. since then he has written and directed 14 movies in the past 20 years, though his reception in america has veered wildly from adulation to indifference. his first film to be picked up in the states, 1993’s sonatine, was held back for years by miramax until it was finally released five years later, hot on the heels of his 1997 venice golden lion winner hana - bi (fireworks) .
violent cop remains a stunning debut feature. it must have genuinely stunned, being as it is a fierce and destabilizing portrait of cold and cruel gangland warfare, as good as if not better than anything by kinji fukasaku (who was originally meant to direct it), directed by an ever - present comedian and tv personality. and of course it is funny, gleefully so (if nonetheless resolutely deadpan). a master arrives .
to the best of our knowledge, the only western film based on the zatoichi series, blind fury stars rutger hauer as the swordsman of the title. the fights are outlandish (and nicely choreographed by director philip noyce), but hauer plays it straight, delivering a charismatic and excitingly physical performance. interestingly, blind fury was one of two movies directed by noyce and released in 1989; the thriller dead calm, starring sam neill, nicole kidman and billy zane, was the slightly higher - profile of the two, though neither was exactly a huge hit .
fox lorber - region 1 - ntsc vs. mia - region 2 - pal vs. film movement - region' a' - blu - ray
the film works either way because of the strong direction and acting from kitano, but it would be bland without him. he makes the movie .
the transition extends and is completed with the death of azuma. while the ending of
violent cop
notes upon a cyclic reading - kikuchi, azuma’s apprentice, walks over the bridge in the exact same framing as azuma did in the beginning of the film - it is an illusion, as kikuchi walks up to the new yakuza boss, who shot azuma, and is paid off. quiet ambiguous, one has to ask: was kikuchi corrupt all along? did he become corrupt after the death of azuma? was azuma’s death in vain? the ending stands open, as it is ambiguous .
sound mono is mono, but at least this 2. 0 mix is clear and lacks annoying hiss or other distortions that can render a film miserable .
' beat' takeshi kitano directs and stars in this cult japanese thriller as a cop waging war on the yakuza. given that even the yakuza think him dangerously brutal, it' s worth noting that the title of the film is well deserved. released on the new dvd only tokyo bullet label from mia, here' s what we thought of the disc ...
robert de niro was still at the top of his game when he made this relatively obscure drama about a traumatised vietnam veteran struggling to come to terms with his past. the 80s saw no shortage of films examining the psychological fallout of the vietnam war on the american psyche - brian de palma’s casualties of war also came out in 1989 - and it’s possible that the sheer number of them left audiences a little fatigued by their number. but jacknife is, unlike many other' nam films of the era, a quiet, unshowy film, with de niro at his restrained best as the haunted protagonist .
pas le meilleur kitano. on aime les personnages, on aime retrouver ce personnage hirsute, qui emmerde tout, violent mais avec une droiture bien à lui. mise en scène rien de folichon et un scénario qui s' emmêle un peu .
this is a cop who keeps slapping a dope dealer he confronts in a men' s room until he bleeds. azuma is not above the dirty trick of leaving a knife where a suspect he wants to nail can grab it - - if he is foolish enough. when a fellow cop tells the story of azuma' s accidentally shooting a
punk
with a wild shot, azuma straightens him out .
i aimed for him .
obviously influenced by alien and the thing, leviathan’s pure schlock, seemingly rushed into production as an answer to james cameron’s expensive the abyss, which also came out in 1989. the creature effects, devised by stan winston, are variable at best, but some of them - like the bit where daniel stern gets attacked by a toothsome tentacle - are really effective. best enjoyed with a beer and some unhealthy snacks, leviathan’ s perfect for an evening’s trashy entertainment .
independent us distributor film movement, mostly known until now for their monthly dvd club that shares under - the - radar indie films with fans at home, has taken up the challenge of releasing this film, along with kitano’s follow - up boiling point on blu - ray for the first time anywhere. the result is a solid presentation that represents a demonstrable step up in quality from the available dvd versions of violent cop. the presentation isn’t exactly reference quality, but there is a noticeable bump in image quality both in terms of fine detail clarity and color fidelity. the audio presentation is similarly improved with an uncompressed lpcm stereo track that delivers clear, sharp dialogue, and does what it can with one of kitano’s least compelling background scores. overall, it’s a definite upgrade from any of the dvd versions previously available .
the look of the film is sharp - edged and detached. the violence is first presented slightly off - camera, but that changes as the stakes get higher .
we miss you, patrick swayze. next of kin was the film he made that was sandwiched between road house and ghost. it' s also a blast .
describing the plot of boiling point (re - titled for international markets from the far more obtuse ３－４ｘ１０月 or 3 – 4x october), is a bit tricky as the film is far more free flowing and less linear that violent cop. the story focuses largely on masaki (yurei yanagi), an inept member of a local baseball team, whose boss is threatened and attacked by a local yakuza. masaki travels to okinawa to purchase some guns to take his revenge on the yakuza and along the way meets up with uehara (kitano), a hot - tempered, ill - mannered yakuza who hops along for the ride, inciting all kinds of madness along the way. as the film progresses, masaki approaches the titular boiling point from which he cannot turn back, and a trail of bodies seems to impede his path at every step .
goldberg, r. 2004. ‘demons in the family: tracking the japanese “uncanny mother film” from a page of madness to ringu ’. in: b. k. grant and c. sharrett, eds. planks of reason: essays on the horror film. revised edition. oxford: scarecrow press, pp. 370 - 383 .
still, even though i do consider this film to be somewhat flawed, it’s still a pretty decent film. not one of kitano’s best works (i’d say that this is one of his worst, but that’d be ignoring the crapness of his godawful getting any. nothing else kitano has ever done comes even near that piece of shit when it comes to bad films .), but still a film worth checking out. but if you’re new to kitano, i’d suggest seeing sonatine or hana - bi first .
although rarely cited as vintage ridley scott, we' ve got a lot of time for black rain. it' s a film that brings together michael douglas and andy garcia as a pair of cops who are tasked with arresting a member of the japanese yakuza, and escorting him back to his home country. what follows is a very hard - edged cop movie, where the shift in locale means a shift in rules .
violent cop. so, this was originally supposed to be filmed by kinji fukasaku (battle royale, graveyard of honor, yakuza papers) who dropped out, thankfully. takeshi kitano, who was only starring in the film, took over and japanese films haven' t been the same for me since. unlike other yakuza films, kitano' s violence is quick and cold - blooded. different from american vigilante cops such as dirty harry, who care so much for their victims, kitano' s character azuma doesn' t seem to care about anything but personal revenge. if you' re a fan of beat takeshi (and you should be) don' t pass up this directorial debut .
were horrible. this may have been one of the first comparisons we did - way back in 2001 - ish and i' m unaware of newer digital releases. the film movement
japanese films are our primary texts. one film will be screened each week at the time and place noted above. one (free !) booklet will be distributed in class .
the fact that genre films from distant cultures have nowadays become so accessible to popular understanding is a sign of the increased transnationalism of film culture. as elizabeth ezra and terry rowden explain :
as if in illustration,'' violent cop,'' written by hisashi nozawa, begins with a casual, brutal nighttime assault by a group of adolescents on a homeless man. but it isn' t long before azuma appears on the doorstep of the fine home of one of these punks, talks his way past the boy' s mother and goes upstairs and into the youngster' s room. there he proceeds to punch, slap, kick and head - butt before leaving the bloodied boy with four words of advice:'' give yourself up tomorrow.''
it' s a shame, then, that the harder - edged lean on me tends to get overlooked. notwithstanding the fact that it earned morgan freeman a lot of acclaim (although not an oscar nod), john g avildsen' s film does veer into hollywood sugar coating from time to time, but its leading man is utterly magnetic in the starring role. freeman plays joe clark, in a film based on a real story. the film then tells how clark transformed his approach to a troublesome collection of students, and in turn, began to clean up their school .
a shallow description would refer to this as a japanese version of dirty harry. and it does bear some resemblance to that film, but while dirty harry broke the rules in order to get a criminal at any cost, kitano' s character azuma seems to seek vengeance due not only to his lust for revenge but because he' s psychotic. there' s a sense that azuma won' t rest until he gets his man not out of duty but out of madness. kitano gives what might be his best performance in this film; he is absolutely riveting. and the film itself is beautifully shot, and the score is especially good. but the best part of this is perhaps the end - the film ends on a perfectly cynical note that couldn' t be topped. seek this out .
streamline is the official blog of filmstruck, a new subscription service that offers film aficionados a comprehensive library of films including an eclectic mix of contemporary and classic art house, indie, foreign and cult films .
vojković, s. , 2009. ‘reformulating the symbolic universe: kill bill and tarantino’s transcultural imagery’. in: w. buckland, ed. film theory and contemporary hollywood movies. new york: routledge .
“beat” takeshi kitano has been making headlines recently. late last year the 70 - year - old japanese filmmaker, actor, author and entertainer was awarded france’s coveted legion of honor for his contribution to contemporary arts while film retrospectives in new york and rio de janeiro, along with a spate of fresh blu - ray releases from film movement and third window films, have spawned renewed interest in his work. kitano is also wrapping up production on his latest directorial effort, the third film in his lauded crime trilogy outrage: final chapter (2017), and we can look forward to seeing him in the highly anticipated live - action adaptation of ghost in the shell (2017) soon. as a longtime admirer, it has been a joy to see the arc of his career take shape from popular television comedian to celebrated film auteur and beloved cultural figure .
azuma has a double in the underworld, a sadistic assassin for a big - shot drug boss. the cop has a sadistic streak of his own. investigating policemen discover the killer in bed with a boy, and it' s no accident when azuma sticks a gun barrel into the man' s mouth .
in conclusion, this review is long and rambling and does not do the film justice. see it. this is one of those movies that really gets to you and has you feeling shitty after watching it. while i don’t like feeling shitty, i never forget when i feel shitty, and as a result, i’ll never forget this film. this film stays with you long after you have seen it, and that is as good a reason as any to see it. very few films affect me in any way these days, but this one sure as hell did, and by doing so it gets my full recommendation. so there .
as vicious as its title suggests, violent cop nonetheless boasts a wit typical of its director / star takeshi “beat” kitano, a former stand - up comedian who laces his behind - the - camera debut—which he took the reins of after the initial director backed out—with a dry humor that enhances its bleak brutality. boasting a classical sense of composition and camera movement, the film concerns kitano’s rogue police officer—who almost never speaks or emotes, preferring to let his hands do the talking. slapping criminals about with uninhibited malice, kitano is a robotic dirty harry tolerated by his superiors only because they too recognize the cesspool in which they work. filth and misery are all - encompassing, and as kitano stalks the city’s streets, he comes across as a granite slab of quietly righteous fury, wielding his swinging fists and kicking feet to combat a rising tide of drug - fueled vice .
kitano is nothing if not a filmmaker willing to stretch his films to meet his own desires and challenge his audience. in kids return he does just that. while the film is a middling effort among his oeuvre, it maintains the sense of freedom that makes kitano’s work stand out. the film maintains two largely independent storylines without much trouble at all, and in the instances in which the storylines intersect, it always feels quite natural .
the end of this film can be described in one word: brutal. this is one of those films that slowly rises in intensity until it explodes in an orgy of violence. yes, i know, that sounds like something you would read on a box cover a b - grade action pic, but hey, i lost my thesaurus. this is a hard film for me to describe. the best comparison i can make with this movie is to the radiohead song “exit music (for a film) ”, off of their 1997 album ok computer. both the film and the song start slow and quietly, build up slowly in intensity, and then culminate in an outburst of all of the repressed and muted emotion that came before it. if you’ve never heard the song, then that will mean nothing to you. don’t let that stop you from seeing the movie, though .
it doesn' t take long for officer vickers to make his presence felt at the party, with a gruesome pencil to the eye murder almost as soon as the booze starts flowing. it immediately lets us know that writer dan povenmire has written a screenplay that isn' t fucking around and that director adam rifkin under his rif coogan moniker, is going to let loose and show us the goods in this picture. psycho cop returns is a gleefully violent and gory film letting robert r. shafer really sink his teeth into the officer vickers role and run with it. shafer comes up with some great one liners and memorable quotes and his charisma sets him apart from the traditional mute stalk and slash villain. shafer is perfectly campy which fits the tone of the film to a t. the filmmakers understood the movie they were making and in the special features even admitted they weren' t expecting it to be nearly as good as it turned out to be but the outcome was a success when you have a cast that is putting their all in to it, a solid script that flows well and a director who understands that he needs to create a fun film. in 1992 there was really no room for dreadfully serious and dead pan slasher movies, but this one proves that the formula could still work if you create something fun and light .
psycho cop returns is precisely that. we may be dealing with grown adults in their late 30s and 40s but this is every bit the exact same movie as the teen summer camp slasher film just replacing the jerky frat boy for a jerky middle aged man and the sexy co - ed who gets hacked up after having sex with someone for a slightly older but no less sexy stripper, including former penthouse magazine pet of the month julie strain. the tropes and formula are exactly the same but we' ve traded in our tents for cubicles and dark wooded trails for elevator shafts and it works. adam rifkin even gets a bit of social commentary in at the end with a reverse take on the rodney king beating which is a great scene for the final act of the film .
despite this film having some issues, and wearing it' s dirty harry love too much on its sleeve, i did enjoy myself. kitano' s poker faced bulldog violence is so hilariously deadpan, and some of the antagonists in this film were quite memorable. there are a few highly memorable scenes here, shot with invention and studious influence. kitano is that most extreme form of silent violence, which give his films several feelings all at once.
violent cop ( その男 、 凶暴につき sono otoko , kyōbō ni tsuki , lit . ' that man , being violent ' ) , also known as warning : this man is wild and so no otoko kyobo ni tsuki , is a 1989 japanese film directed by and starring takeshi kitano . it was kitano 's directorial debut , and marked the beginning of his career as a filmmaker . 
violent cop (その男 、 凶暴につき sono otoko, kyōbō ni tsuki, lit.' that man, being violent'), also known as warning: this man is wild and so no otoko kyobo ni tsuki, is a 1989 japanese film directed by and starring takeshi kitano. it was kitano's directorial debut, and marked the beginning of his career as a filmmaker.
violent cop (その男 、 凶暴につき sono otoko, kyōbō ni tsuki, lit.' that man, being violent'), also known as warning: this man is wild and so no otoko kyobo ni tsuki, is a 1989 japanese film directed by and starring takeshi kitano. it was kitano's directorial debut, and marked the beginning of his career as a filmmaker.