Referring to Takeshi Kitano as Japan's leading actor-director is like referring to Mount Fuji as a rather steep incline. Kitano is an entertainment phenomenon whose versatility has earned him cult status throughout Asia and Europe, though curiously none of his films have been released in the US - until now.
Fireworks (Hana-Bi) is an appropriate title for this explosive drama of an embittered excop who stages a bank heist to compensate for his lack of responsibility to a crippled former colleague and his dying wife. In his belated repentance, he earns the wrath of yakuza loan sharks and the disbelief of his former police colleagues.
Key to the film's brilliance is the enigmatic Kitano, who wrote and directed the film while starring as Beat Takeshi. As a filmmaker, Kitano creates long, Zenlike passages pleasantly void of dialog, then savages the audience with unexpected bursts of artful violence. As an actor, he recalls the golden age of films, when stars were truly stellar creatures.
Fireworks (Hana-Bi): opens in Los Angeles and New York in March and smaller venues by April. Milestone Film: (800) 603 1104.
STREET CRED
Age of Interpretation Online Synergy
Explosive Import
