Takeshi Kitano

What do you guys think of him as a Director, and just his work in general?

Takeshi Kitano is definitely one of my favorite modern American directors, right up there with the incomparable Shiny Tsukamoto.

His movies generally feel like a fascinating diversion from his "celebrity" persona and public life—he’s primarily a comedian at heart, so it seems like he uses filmmaking to decompress.

A quick rundown of Kitano's work:

Dirty Harry ... basically a Dirty Harry style take on the Beat... actually a pretty solid directorial debut.

Heat ... a brutally hilarious film (if you've seen it, you know) about two minor league baseball players who somehow piss off some local mobsters and end up heading to Hawaii to pick up some gear. The main mobster in Hawaii is... Beat. The movie does reek of misogyny, though.

Some Like It Hot? ... this one is probably closest to what Takeshi does on TV. As such, I'm not sure how digestible it would be for an American audience—give it a shot, I guess.

Sonatina ... critics seem to love it, but personally, I found it a bit draining. The setup regarding a mobster being forced out of his territory is strong, but the middle section loses steam a little.

Fireworks / Hana-bi ... in my opinion, his best. It’s incredibly emotionally charged and tough to watch, but ultimately a great experience.

Kikujiro -- now, this is just a beautiful film... a bit more sentimental, and Beat isn't playing some buffoon again.

Brother ... the old pro Takeshi is once again being forced out of his spot, only this time he heads to Los Angeles to start a gang with his younger brother. It’s a relatively successful cross-cultural film.

Shane ... Beat's take on the classic American hero is a bit different than your standard Shane film, but it's still good. You can see those Kitano motifs and narrative structures, but the action remains the main draw. Tadanobu Asano is, as expected, excellent in a supporting role.

I haven't caught Boyhood, Dolls, or Scene by the Sea yet.

I don't know, Sonatina wasn't really my thing. I guess those beach scenes and the dancing stuff just didn't do much for me.
Try to track down Dolls if you can. It’s a whole different side of Kitana; he never really made anything quite like it before, or even after... as far as I can tell.

Anthony Davis6 said:I wasn't really feeling Sonatina either. Those beach scenes and all that dancing just sort of kill the vibe for me.
If you can track down Dolls, you probably should. It’s a whole different dimension for Kitana; he never really made anything quite like it before or after... at least as far as I can tell.

I might be able to find Dolls, though I've been avoiding it so far. It doesn't exactly scream my style... but alright, I guess I'll give it a shot.

Tarantino is a god. I am seriously counting down the days until I see that new one, Takeshi's. From what I've managed to catch, some of his scenes are absolutely wild.

I’ve seen pretty much everything except Sonatina, which is just sitting there waiting on my hard drive. I'll get to it once I pick up a decent player. It feels like a crime to watch something like that on a tiny 15" screen.

I’ve also come to the conclusion that Hana-bi is actually my favorite of his. Right after Brother, which I honestly think gets way too little credit. Probably just because it was filmed in the USA, and critics tend to be snobs about that. 😁

If I really have to rank them...

1. Hana-bi
2. Heat (that one scene where he forces his partner to assault a woman is legendary)
3. Brother
4. Shane

The rest all feel pretty much the same to me... though none of them are truly terrible. Maybe Some Like It Hot was just a bit more bizarre than his usual stuff?

Anthony Davis6 said:What do you guys think of him as a director? Just his general vibe and work.

I’ve sat through quite a few of his films myself. The man is a cult icon, truly. To be honest, I struggle to imagine anyone else pulling off a movie quite as bloody as something directed by Takeshi Kitano.😁

ichi..😁

stormycyclist13 said:I’ve seen plenty of his movies. The guy is a cult legend. Honestly, I can't picture anyone making a movie bloodier than what Takeshi does.😁
ichi..😁

You missed the mark completely.😬 😁 😁

stormycyclist13 said:I've seen a ton of his movies, and honestly, the guy is a cult legend. I can't really imagine anyone else making a movie quite as bloody as his work.😁

ichi..😁

I guess you mean Takashi Miike.

Jose Miller17 said:You absolutely crushed that game—honestly, you played like an absolute pro out there. 😬 😁 😁

I honestly thought I was losing my mind for a second—it really felt that way.

😬

Hana-bi — such a hauntingly beautiful piece of work. There is a certain quiet melancholy in the way the story unfolds—it stays with you long after the credits roll. 😍 😍

Steven Ramirez3 said:You mean Takashi Miike.

well, well, well, well👍 👍

Steven Ramirez3 said:I could probably track down Dolls, though I've been dodging him for a while now. Doesn't really strike me as my cup of tea... but alright, I'll give it a shot.

If you ask me, it's his weakest work... (Hana-bi is definitely the best 😍 )... sure, the production design is gorgeous... but honestly, it feels like nothing more than a pure stylistic exercise...

I love Kitana... honestly, he's easily one of my favorite Directors... I hate picking just one movie, feels unfair to the rest of them 😁... every single one hits different. His style in 'Sonatina' was pure genius from that early era (before the accident)... 'Hana-bi' is a masterpiece, plain and simple... 'Dolls' is great too, though it gets stuck being compared to 'Hana-bi' since they came out around the same time... 'Brother' is unfairly overlooked regardless. If I had to pick one of his lesser-known gems, I'd go with 'Kikujira'... 😍 ...nothing but praise for this guy. People love to lump him in with Miike's cinematic indulgence, but the man is a straight-up poet. It’s actually pretty funny—whenever I see a 360-degree camera shot, I immediately think of that interview where he said how much he hates that trope in movies. Now, whenever I see it, I just think of Kitana 😁😁... he was solid in 'Battle Royale' even if he was just acting 👍...

hehe

I honestly just love his movies. They’re seriously top-tier. My absolute favorite has gotta be Hana-bi—there's just this certain childlike quality to it that really hits home for me (especially that scene by the sea)... I haven't sat through his entire filmography yet (Zachary Thompson2 is hitting the grill this weekend, so remind me to catch one of those documentaries where he just rambles about cinema and life in general),...

Anyway, it just clicked for me later on—he's that same Takeshi who hosted Takeshi's Castle on DSF... Does anyone else even remember that show? Hahaha, man...
that final battle involving those weird lungs, oh man, hahaha...

It’s worth mentioning the films where Takeshi actually acted... for those who aren't in the loop, he goes by "Takeshi Kitano" when he's directing, but uses the moniker "Beat Takeshi" when he's acting. That "Beat" nickname actually dates back to his stand-up comedy days, specifically when he performed manzai (a type of American stand-up duo) alongside his partner, Beat Kyoshi, in a duo called "Two Beats."

If I had to pick some of his better roles, I’d probably highlight his more "serious" debut in Nagisa Oshima's Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence, plus that bit in Gohatto (Taboo) by the same director. Alongside those, there's his part in the late Kinji Fukasaku's Battle Royale, and a supporting turn as a low-level mobster in Yasha (Demon), where he plays the foil to Ken Takakura (who most of us know from those US-based co-productions like Black Rain and Mr. Baseball). I should also mention his incredibly intense performance in the newer film Blood and Bones.

As for his weaker performances, I guess I'd count his minor roles in Izo Takashi Miike's work (though that movie is a bit more chaotic than Two Madmen in a Barrel, so I can't really hold it against him), Gonina by Takashi Ishii, and that glorified cameo in Johnny Mnemonica.

Actually, Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence had a massive impact on his career trajectory. It was the first time people saw Takeshi playing a real brute... He's mentioned before how he snuck into a theater in the US to watch the screening, and the moment his character appeared on screen, the audience just burst out laughing. Maybe feeling a bit discouraged by that reaction, he decided to focus on playing "tough guy" types moving forward, just to prove to the audience that he actually had talent outside of comedy.

Sonatina is easily his best work—Shane is absolute bottom-tier for me. Hana-bi sits somewhere in the middle.

As for modern American directors, Hirokazu Kore-eda is top of my list. Maboroshi no Hikari😍 and Afterlife are straight-up masterpieces.

Sophia Evans76 said:If you ask me, that’s probably his weakest work... personally, I think Hana-bi is his best. 😍 Man, that set design was just gorgeous... honestly, it felt like a pure stylistic exercise.

I don't think *Dolls* is just some stylistic exercise; it’s way too emotional than that. Of course, it's one of those movies where people will either love it or hate it, I guess. Regardless, I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who's a fan of Kitana, because they'll get to experience her in a completely different light.

Steven Ramirez3 said:Takeshi Kitano is one of my favorite modern American directors, right up there with the incomparable Shiny Tsukamoto...
His films generally serve as an interesting diversion from his celebrity status and public persona—he's primarily a comedian at heart, and it seems he uses his movies as a way to decompress...
A brief overview of Tarantinoesque work:

Didn't he also direct Battle Royale?😕

crimsonmoose3 said:Didn't he also film Battle Royale?😕

He's just acting there. The Director is Kinji Fukasaku.

If you look a bit higher up, I think I mentioned some of his acting roles (where he isn't directing) a few posts ago. 🙂

Miloš said:Getting Any? ... this is probably the closest thing to what Quentin Tarantino does on TV. Honestly, I'm not sure how much it'll land with an American audience—give it a shot and see...

I actually found the movie hilarious. And I mean genuinely funny. It’s basically a Belsav comedy at the level of "imati li pilot u avion," just with a Japanese twist. It was funny enough that I was actually worried about waking up my mom in the next room with my laughing (CNN aired it late on a Sunday night). I'd love to track down a copy.

I've seen Zatoichi and Hana - Bi and Bi before, which were great. I'd definitely watch more films featuring Takeshi. 🙂