Hana-Bi

(Fireworks)

A film by Takeshi Kitano (Japan, 1997),

with Takeshi "Beat" Kitano, Kayoko Kishimoto, Ren Osugi, Susumu Terajima, Tetsu Watanabe.

Winner of the Golden Lion at the 1997 Venice Film Festival.

Detective Nishi is a taciturn character. He barely feels the need to unburden his mind to other people... even if doctors say his wife only has a few weeks left to live, even if his colleague and best friend is now doomed to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of his days, even if he's just robbed a bank to refund the obnoxious yakuza that covered the hospital charges... All Nishi wants now is to offer to his wife an ultimate gift...

Far from the Titanic love story pattern, Hana-Bi is a hymn to beauty, a plea for honor, a celebration of friendship AND a love story. Don't expect tears, screams, big statements and other melodramatic rubbish but aesthetic still shots followed by spectacular violence "blitz scenes", which come up in a most abrupt way, unexpected always. Takeshi Kitano -the director- plays contrastful scenes, highly aesthetic but always meaningful. Takeshi Kitano's -Takeshi "Beat", the actor- muted act of infallible love and loyalty is even more intense than any other verbal cues. Kitano's understanding of human feelings and conception of life is definitely interesting. Hana-Bi is undoubtedly aimed at a strong-willed audience that should be prepared to give up a sheer entertainment disposition of mind.

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