Takeshi Kitano

[(kelvin)]

I first saw his chef-d'oeuvre "Hana-Bi" and at first I couldn't believe that someone dared to mix aching beauty and rough violence in such a deeply honest and intimate film. Since then, I am a great admirer of this truly unique artist, filmmaker, painter, singer, writer, and comedian. (although I do not appreciate so much his songs and comedy shows...very weird and very japanese...). I would also recommend "Sonatine", which is great as well.

[budgie]

good for u buttercup

may have misquoted by the absence of a comma

[Pubrick]

may have misquoted by the absence of a comma

and a kiss.

[budgie]

may have misquoted by the absence of a comma

and a kiss.

My flesh is weak.

[Duck Sauce]

I saw Hana-Bi a long long time ago and it was pretty interesting, whats Sonatine about?

[(kelvin)]

Sonatine is about some tired yakuzas that try to escape their meaningless lives on a far-away beach, kidding and playing childish games. Amazing beauty, harmony, violence and pitch-dark humour describe this film pretty good. Enjoy it.

[Pwaybloe]

Sonatine is about some tired yakuzas that try to escape their meaningless lives on a far-away beach, kidding and playing childish games. Amazing beauty, harmony, violence and pitch-dark humour describe this film pretty good. Enjoy it.

Yeah, I really liked that movie... up until it added on the John Woo ending.  

But, the gangsters hanging out and playing games was perfect.

[(kelvin)]

Hmm...I don't think that the film had a "John Woo ending"...the violence at the end was the only plausible consequence to their meaningless existence. Woo would have presented a one-man-army-Chow Yun Fat dancing a final bullet ballet against all the evil guys. Kitano's violence is much more rough and sharp, it's not aesthetic, just cold-blooded and calculated. His anti-heroes are nihilists by definition. They just kill until they are killed themselves. The yakuzas in the film tried to escape this logic, unlike the Hong Kong-gangsters who are all driven by a certain desire (they belong to the more "conservative" mobsters ).

[xerxes]

hana-bi was really amazing... i remember not liking sonatine as much though

[Cecil]

brother is amazing. i didnt find violent cop to be THAT good. it was pretty good, but not as good as the rest

[(kelvin)]

Has anyone seen Dolls? Since I saw it, Kitano resides for me at the sides of Kubrick and Welles. I really think he is the best filmmaker alive, although he paradoxically knows hardly anything (as far as I know) about film history in general. That is why he makes films like there had never been a century of cinema before.
Just saw the trailer for his new movie Zatoichi...a samurai film...

[rustinglass]

His first film, Violent Cop, is very good.

[©brad]

u guys and ur silly directors!

[(kelvin)]

u guys and ur silly directors!

Well, that is a contribution...
no , seriously, anyone who hasn't seen Dolls or Hana-Bi has missed an opportunity to reconsider the art of filmmaking. Kitano is to cinema what Nietzsche was to philosophy, I would say: the guy with the hammer...

[(kelvin)]

His first film, Violent Cop, is very good.

It is quite interesting to see how Kitano develops his style. An even better example for this is Jugatsu.