Verdict: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
An important film not just for the career of Kitano but an interesting take on the Yakuza genre films.
Sharp cuts, pensive soundtrack and absurdist portrayal of the leading man. When you typically watch gangster films, the violence is glorified and the men responsible for violence seem to enjoy doing it. Spinning that whole genre on its head, Kitano (who stars himself as the leading man) plays himself as a brooding and tired yakuza who is quite indifferent to the violence. While the entire film is very reserved with its dialogues, there’s a short segment in the middle when the lead character is having a conversation with a girl and lays his innermost thoughts in a simple manner:
I wouldn’t carry a gun if I were tough. I shoot fast because I get scared fast. When you’re scared all the time, you reach a point when you wish you were dead.
The film’s ending which is supposed to be a cathartic act of revenge for the leading man, is portrayed with a detachment - machine guns playing like light shows with sharp jump cuts between the scene from the outside and from within. While it sometimes feels a bit slow in the middle, especially if you’re not well-versed with sensibilities of Asian directors, it pulls you in the later half and ends with a memorable scene. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and hope to see Hana-Bi next.