Top 100: Hana-Bi (Takeshi Kitano, 1997)
"Do some work, you glue-sniffing bum!"
Writer/Director/Actor/Painter Kitano's 7th feature film as director finds him at his peak. Hana-Bi ('Fireworks') meshes Kitano's several early (violent) yakuza films with a softer, more tender side Western audiences had rarely seen.
Kitano plays Nishi, a tough cop who's wife has been diagnosed with leukaemia. His partner Horibe (Ren Ôsugi) gets shot whilst on a stakeout and is confined to a wheelchair. Tired of the job and in debt to the local yakuza, Nishi quits the force and decides to rob a bank. Now he can payoff his debt to the yakuza, donate some money to the family of a recently killed cop, and spend the rest going on a road trip with his terminally ill wife. Of course, when it becomes common knowledge that it was Nishi who robbed the bank, both the Yakuza and the cops are hot on his tail, with the cops always one step behind.
As is typical in all of Kitano's Yakuza films, violence is rife, as is his playful sense of humour. Also, Kitano's paintings are also sporadically on show throughout the film. This blend of art, humour & violence is pretty much perfect, and very, very typical of Kitano's output during the 1990s. There's never a dull moment, and the performances and slightly odd pacing of the film are pitch-perfect. Tetsu Watanabe, for example, is very funny in a brief role as a mechanic/junk-yard owner.
I've no idea why Kitano's work has been delayed this long on Blu-ray... It's been far too long a wait. 2016 looks like the year things finally began to change, and Hana-Bi was the first of 3 releases from UK-based third window. The Blu is sourced from a new 2K master, and it is indeed quite a substantial upgrade from my old DVD. It looks and sounds damn fine! I hope this sells well so that his entire back catalogue can get a release. Yes, even those obscure 'ba ka' films like Achilles and the Tortoise, Glory to the Filmmaker, and the more recent Ryuzo and the Seven Henchmen!
I'm a huge fan of Kitano's and Hana-Bi is long overdue on Blu. This is his masterpiece. More please!
Takeshi Kitano 'Hero' Page | Outrage review | Outrage Beyond review | Yasha review
