Outrage (Takeshi Kitano, 2010)
Kitano's latest film centres around a power struggle between Yakuza families in Kobe. Ikemoto (Jun Kunimura) and Murase (Renji Ishibashi, who wears wonderfully woeful attire) are sworn brothers. Their boss 'Mr Chairman' (Soichiro Kitamura, looking like a cross between Kim Jong Il and a vegas-Elvis) plots and schemes so that Ikemoto and Murase begin a feud over drugs and territorial ownership.
Ikemoto's former protegé Otomo (Kitano) enters the scene, helping Ikemoto with his plans to oust Murase from his turf, but Otomo's naivety is Ikemoto's gain, and between Otomo, Ikemoto, Murase and their ruling chairman, begins a story of lies and deceit. From relative calm grows an ugly and at times very violent turf war.
Apparently Kitano thought up the imaginative scenes of violence before the story. Outrage is certainly not as playful as earlier Kitano efforts, but it still has moments of very dark humour, of which Kitano is famous for. It's good to get a laugh when chopped fingers are flying everywhere... I think.
I must admit I was surprised to hear Kitano making another Yakuza flick. I'd figured his previous 3 movies (largely unavailable in the West) were all about Kitano killing off his movie career. But anyone who's seen his version of Zatoichi knows he can create a wonderfully entertaining movie that can also be commercially successful. Indeed, Outrage is a verrry slick picture, and also a deliberately commercial one, which proved to be a success in his native Japan. Kitano's direction is excellent, and the movie looks very good in cinemascope. It's clear Kitano can muster up a well-made action film whenever he wants, and it's also clear that he's come a long way since his 1989 début Violent Cop. This reminds me of a twisted Yakuza Goodfellas, and I really did enjoy it immensely.
The cast is excellent, not the usual Kitano mixture at all. Ryo Kase & Kippei Shiina stand out, and it's nice to see the lovely Eihi Shiina from Audition fame. Fumiyo Kohinata is also very good in the role of a crooked cop. Where would movies be without 'em?
The Japanese Blu-ray is a treat. It's English-friendly (main feature only) and region-free. Unlike his previous three films, which I call his 'Ba Ka' trilogy, I'm sure this will get a release in the West. After being included at Cannes 2010, it opened in France in November. Very highly recommended. The Sequel is reviewed here.
