Kikujiro

A beautiful movie, I can describe this movie with a plethora of pompous adjectives, but that still won't do it enough justice. One of the best movies I have ever seen, this Japanese movie from Takeshi Kitano, flows like a poem, one that does not need a dictionary or an understanding of rhyme structure to enjoy it.

I watched it about six months ago and saw it again the second the time yesterday, when we bought the DVD. The movie is a search and a journey, undertaken by a six year old boy and a man who accompanies him, which is Mr.Takeshi himself. This film is supposed to be an exploration of a different genre by Takeshi, since most of his other films are associated with yakusas, violence, blood and the like. There is innocence and there is comedy - one that is neither slapstick nor what could be called the thinking man's humor, but something altogether different, something quirky. Kitano has kept up his deadpan acting style, but that only adds to the charm of the movie, the little boy is perfect for the part, so are all the other strange characters they meet on their journey, music by Joes Hisashi is another ace up the sleeve of this movie.

Read More

Hana-bi or Fireworks: Movie Review

Watched Takeshi Kitano's Fireworks(Hana-Bi) yesterday. That was quite a movie. Takeshi Kitano the director himself stars as police detective Nishi, whose wife is terminally ill with blood cancer. The whole films center around Nishi and is characterized by sudden burst of violence, abrupt jumps from past to present and future and vice versa, long silences followed by sudden action and then silence again. It has a good soundtrack and cinematography is commendable.

The film is very 'eastern' in its experience although its theme could very well have been that of a Hollywood movie. The juxtaposition of silence and violence has been utilized to achieve the best results. There is not much talk, especially Nishi(Takeshi Kitano) doesn't talk much but is very quick in his actions. At time film feels comical too, especially at times when you are only shown the 'before' and 'after' shots a particular action, not the violent act itself. (For ex. you see a big porcelain vase one minute, then the camera focuses on two people and simultaneously you hear the vase breaking, then next shot is of the vase broken into pieces and a man lying on the floor in a pool of blood.)

I had watched another movie of Takeshi Kitano's called Kikujiro a few months back, in which the director himself plays the main lead, who is a kind of a dull man, who is taking a little boy on a long journey to find his mother. Both these films make you realize how different is the sense of humor in different parts of the world. Minimal language, silent humor even in some of the saddest moments seem to the trademark of Kitano movies.

Read More