After an accident where a detective and his partner get in a shoot-out with a criminal resulting in the partner's being shot and crippled, the detective quits the force and decides to spend the last remaining days with his lukemiatic wife. Constrasting extreme violence with light and contemplative humor, Takeshi Kitano's "Fireworks" is a loving story about the importance of living life and aspiring to enjoy it.
I'm not quite sure what all the graphic violence is about, but it's certainly interesting watching the mostly blank-faced "Beat" Kitano kick butt on a bunch of greedy money sharks that follow him around. Also, the parallel story of the crippled partner and his expressions of suicide through painting are very mesmerizing and beautiful. Indeed this movie seems to take a real joy out of experiencing life as one wants to experience it.
It's shot and edited a lot like Kikujiro, so if you liked that one you'll definitely like this. It's a very distinctive style, though I don't know what it's all about. I can't say that his films are my favorite or even the best example of stuff to search for in the video store, but they are fun and friendly, and pretty much accessible to anyone who wants some sweetness with their cinema.
--PolarisDiB
I'm not quite sure what all the graphic violence is about, but it's certainly interesting watching the mostly blank-faced "Beat" Kitano kick butt on a bunch of greedy money sharks that follow him around. Also, the parallel story of the crippled partner and his expressions of suicide through painting are very mesmerizing and beautiful. Indeed this movie seems to take a real joy out of experiencing life as one wants to experience it.
It's shot and edited a lot like Kikujiro, so if you liked that one you'll definitely like this. It's a very distinctive style, though I don't know what it's all about. I can't say that his films are my favorite or even the best example of stuff to search for in the video store, but they are fun and friendly, and pretty much accessible to anyone who wants some sweetness with their cinema.
--PolarisDiB