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Reviewer Ed Farolan

 

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Violent Cop

(Sono otoko, kyôbô ni tsuki)
Japan 1989. Dir: Takeshi Kitano. 103 min. DCP

Dates and Venue 23-26 Feb | The Cinematheque, 1131 Howe Street

Kitano is the "dirty Harry cop" in this film. He plays the role of Detective Azuma, a cop battling yakuza gangsters and corrupt police officials following the suicide of a colleague and the kidnapping of his own sister. Kitano's style is almost Bergmanish,with moody long takes. Unlike the Dirty Harry movies where Clint Eastwood always comes out winning, this film does the opposite and our violent cop hero ends up beingan anti-hero.

 

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Boiling Point

(3-4x Jûgatsu)
Japan 1990. Dir: Takeshi Kitano. 96 min. DCP

Dates and Venue 23-26 Feb | The Cinematheque, 1131 Howe Street

Kitano, this time playing a perverted bisexual gangster, again directs another outrageous and violent film. It's still the world of gangsters but focusing now on a timid, stupid character who reaches boiling point and becomes violent. What I found problematic were the many sub-plots. I got lost when one gangster, Iguchi, ended up secondary. The plot at first takes us to him but then, he disappears and we end up with Takeshi playing a rogue yakuza. That's when the cluelessness starts. After all the violence, the film begins and ends peacefully in a baseball match.

© 2017 Ed Farolan