There's brutality, but it's not melodramatic (as Hollywood might do), and there's gore, but it's not gratuitous (as Takashi Miike might do). It's just right.
I'll give you one example. In one scene, we see a violent shootout in a crowded mall. Aside from the gunshots, the scene is completely silent. There are no stupid, hysterical people waving their arms and running about. And while there is a lot of blood, it's not shoved in our faces--a lot of it is handled off-camera. To me, this lets the scene speak for itself with no distractions. It's one of my favourite "shootout" scenes of all time.
Takeshi Kitano is an amazing, visionary director. After seeing this movie, I went on to see all of his other work. It's surprising how he can switch from violence to comedy to art to "chick flick" on a dime. I believe HANA-BI is a great blend of all his talents.
By the way, I should mention that he is a painter, and he painted all the images used in this film. So, around midway, when you see several minutes of paintings, you must realize that it's not random. It all fits in to the director's vision. And (here's a secret... don't tell too many people) stick around after the credits. There are more paintings. Perhaps even a hidden message? I dunno.
I rate this movie an 8/10. It lost points only because in comparison I liked his other films DOLLS and KIKUJIRO slightly more. But definitely I think Takeshi Kitano is da bomb. Enjoy.
I'll give you one example. In one scene, we see a violent shootout in a crowded mall. Aside from the gunshots, the scene is completely silent. There are no stupid, hysterical people waving their arms and running about. And while there is a lot of blood, it's not shoved in our faces--a lot of it is handled off-camera. To me, this lets the scene speak for itself with no distractions. It's one of my favourite "shootout" scenes of all time.
Takeshi Kitano is an amazing, visionary director. After seeing this movie, I went on to see all of his other work. It's surprising how he can switch from violence to comedy to art to "chick flick" on a dime. I believe HANA-BI is a great blend of all his talents.
By the way, I should mention that he is a painter, and he painted all the images used in this film. So, around midway, when you see several minutes of paintings, you must realize that it's not random. It all fits in to the director's vision. And (here's a secret... don't tell too many people) stick around after the credits. There are more paintings. Perhaps even a hidden message? I dunno.
I rate this movie an 8/10. It lost points only because in comparison I liked his other films DOLLS and KIKUJIRO slightly more. But definitely I think Takeshi Kitano is da bomb. Enjoy.