AND NOW FOR SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT : "HANA BI / FIREWORKS"

Having just reviewed a French film called “Le Samourai” that has categorically nothing to do with Japan; I thought it was only fitting to review a Japanese film that… Well actually has nothing to do with samurais either… If you are confused as to what the film is doing here however, not only is it an excellent crime film, it is also a masterpiece from an auteur, Takashi Kitano. Now Kitano’s films also have a slight reputation of being hard to watch. This reputation, I have to say, is justified in pieces. But to be fair, it is all about being used to watching a certain type of film. True, the use of dialogue is minimal, true there are VERY long pauses in dialogue and in action. However the cinematography is so masterful and the way the story is told so touching that once you get out of the “mainstream mindset” there is no reason why you shouldn’t love this film as much as I did. Nishi (Takeshi Kitano himself) is a veteran police officer who is going through an extremely rough patch. His wife is dying of Leukemia, but that’s just to start with. One evening, when his partner of many, many years and close friend Horibe sends Nishi off early so he can spend time with his wife, Horibe is attacked and shot, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheel-chair for life. Horibe’s wife abandons him and Nishi is racked with guilt. But he doesn’t have the time to help is partner as much as he would want because his wife is going downhill very fast. Nishi then looks back at his long, distinguished career and makes a decision. Sometimes, to be able to do what is morally right, one has to transgress the law. This may be particularly hard for an officer of the law, but Nishi has decided that he will do what he has to do. The associations writing this blog has thrown up for me are quite extraordinary when I think about it. Looking back at Hana bi and comparing it with Le Samourai (see above) one can’t help but notice the similarities in layout. In effect, yes, Hana bi is a Japanese film noir. It is, however, a modern film noir and so heavily influenced by Takashi Kitano’s very original and personal style that it may be a bit tough to recognize it as such at first. Yet there it is. Nishi is hard not to sympathize with, despite the fact that he is a man of very few words indeed and a rather disturbing penchant to sudden outbursts of violence. The story is sad, violent in places… Yet with all these familiarities there is something different. And the biggest difference I would suppose is Kitano’s own style. The long silences are never awkward; they are often pregnant with emotion; so much so you may not even “notice” they are silent in places. The other thing is the cinematography. Kitano is, among other things, a painter. And his “painters eye” is very obvious in his beautiful frames. While we are on the subject it is also worth mentioning that all the artwork we see in the film is Kitano’s own artwork. Now, yes, we all have to admit, he is “plugging” himself ever so slightly. But the pictures are so good and the artwork is so appropriate in the film, I honestly think we can give him that one…