Being Takeshi Kitano

"For those who are about to watch Takeshis', please stop all your cerebral activities and 'feel' and 'experience' the movie. And after you have done that, I would appreciate if you would watch it again before you start analyzing it." -- Kitano Takeshi [Paris, 31. August, 2005] There's a scene in Kinji Fukasaku's Battle Royale where a group of terrified schoolchildren are about to learn why they have been brought to a deserted island against their will. In walks Takeshi Kitano, which leads to even greater panic and nervous cries of "Kitano!" Are the kids simply shocked by the appearance of a former teacher, or is it a result of finding themselves at the mercy of Takeshi Kitano (or one of his characters)? It's an amusing little in-joke that is explored in greater detail in Kitano's latest film, Takeshis', which finds the director confronting the blur between his on-screen and real life personas. The apostrophe in the title is appropriately placed, for there have been (and continue to be) multiple Takeshis -- from Beat Takeshi, the name he goes by for his comedic television and other acting work, to Takeshi Kitano, the filmmaker, poet, painter, novelist, video game designer, and film critic -- Takeshis' can be seen as belonging to all of them. Yet even after two viewings (as the director requested) it's still hard to say if the film is truly his 8 1/2, or merely another Secret Life of Walter Mitty-esque fantasy, much like his 1995 comedy Getting Any?. If you've never seen a Kitano film, it's unadvisable to begin here, for much of the material in Takeshis' directly references his previous films. From cast members he's worked with in the past (even Zomahoun makes an appearance), to situations, character types, themes, and even locales, there's quite a bit that will make little sense without a frame of reference -- but then again, even to a Kitano completeist, there's plenty that leaves you scratching your head in bewilderment. There are two Kitanos in Takeshis' -- there's Beat Takeshi, the actor, clad in expensive European suit, with arrogance to match. He gambles with yakuza members, barks at his staff, and chides a fellow actor (Kitano regular Susumu Terajima) for not being formal enough when addressing him. Then there's Kitano, a quiet, humble, towheaded (think Zatoichi) aspiring actor who works in a convenience store. Like a twisted Wizard of Oz, all of the characters in Beat's "real" world appear in Kitano's, albeit in different roles. Though unlike Dorothy's Technicolor fantasy, it's never clear if we are witnessing two parallel worlds, or if one is nothing more than the daydream/nightmare of the other. The director's trademark jump cuts are put to heavy use here, where they are often used as brief flash-forwards to identical moments in the other Takeshi's existence.

Frustrated with his inability to find work as an actor (one casting director rejects him because he "dyed his hair blonde, like Kitano"), the meek doppelganger slowly evolves into a hard-boiled Kitano character, thanks to a series of coincidences and circumstances you'd expect to find in....well, a Takeshi Kitano film. The film's absurdity level rises in parallel with Kitano's transformation, and there are several moments of true comedic genius. Much of the humor comes in twos -- from the dual ramen chefs who yell at customers in (almost) unison, to the pair of sumos who pop up everywhere (often in drag), to the couple who are permanent fixtures in Kitano's hallway, and who do nothing but mock him and create silly variations of classic Hollywood actors' names -- all extremely appropriate, given the schizophrenic nature of the film itself. Takeshi has referred to Takeshis' as both a suicide and a funeral. Claiming he is through with violent gangster films, he gives the genre a grand farewell with a handful of over-the-top bullet ballets, where characters continually shoot each other with no effect. It's a grand bit of self-parody, but is it sincere? Can this truly be an end to the stylized violence that he does so well? Only time will tell. Like Dolls, Takeshis' relies more on elliptical structures than straightforward narrative, though here he cranks the self-reflexivity up a notch. In fact, one might have to view Takeshis' as an exorcism, or cathartic exercise, to explain the occasional lapses into self-indulgence. There are sequences that, while interesting, feel as if their significance lies with the director alone -- including a giant caterpillar, several lengthy tap-dancing numbers (à la Zatoichi), and a song by famed female impersonator Miwa Akihiro (Black Lizard). Some have claimed that Takeshi made the film more for himself than for his audience, and it's an argument worth considering. There are elements of self-criticism and self-doubt throughout the film, including recurring clown imagery, something Takeshi fears he resembles. Perhaps he needed to indulge in a look back in order to move forward. Watching Takeshis' is like being presented with a challenging yet thrilling puzzle, and the director's suggestion to feel rather than think is sage advice indeed. And though the film is immensely entertaining (and stands up well to repeated viewings), it seems premature, almost by design, to call it a success. Is Takeshis' truly the death knell it purports to be, and will Kitano successfully be able to re-invent himself, or is it all just a bit of fun? We'll have to wait until his next film to find out for sure.

Comments

[James]

I love his films, but I hate the eye-twitching.

[Filmbrain]

I believe that is a result of his near fatal motorcycle accident from some years ago -- he suffered paralysis on the right side of his face.

[phyrephox]

I am going to skip this review until I see the film, which I am dying to do. Do you know if it has US distribution? I've been itching to buy the DVD but assume that someone with Kitano's rep would eventually get the movie shown. Also, what's the gist of your opinion of the film---worth blind buying a DVD for?

[Filmbrain]

I've not heard anything about a US release, which doesn't surprise me as its nothing like his earlier films, and far less commercially viable, if I may use such a phrase.

I'm not so sure I would suggest a blind buy. Many have been disappointed with it, and the $40 price tag (for the Japanese DVD) is a bit steep. I believe a Hong Kong DVD is in the works - maybe better to hold out for that one.

You're much more of a formalist, Phyrephox - I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.

[Steve]

Bandai Visual was reportedly releasing a R1 DVD of TAKSHIS' back in April, but it never came out and their website has no information about it. When I saw it in Toronto last year, everyone I was with hated it, but I know that it does have its films. I wish someone would screen it in New York so I could see it again and see if it makes any more sense.

[msic]

Yes, Steve, I certainly liked it a lot. It struck me, in part, as a kind of relentless self-criticism. Kitano seems to be showing artistic approaches quite different from his own, like the dance sequence, as if to impress upon us just how remote these things are from his own bullet-ballets. It's like, "these guys can generate exhilerating beauty with their bodies, and all I have it outsized bloodletting." Similarly, the sequence that reproduces the beach scene from SONATINE, but from a decidely female perspective, shows Kitano revising his own vision to display that which it typically can't accommodate.

Hopefully the abortive DVD release might mean a US distribution deal is in the works? I mean, if DOLLS got released . . .

[Steve]

The self-critique idea is interesting, although apart from BROTHER, I don't think any of Kitano's films are as one-dimensional as the carcicatures presented in TAKESHIS'. I got the impression he was responding as much to his public image and roles in other films as the work he's made himself - after all, he's made non-violent films like A SCENE AT THE SEA and DOLLS.

Maybe Ryan Werner will acquire TAKESHIS' for IFC First Take Films! (I hope he reads this blog.) After all, DOLLS made so much money for Palm Pictures.

[Filmbrain]

The self-criticism is evident, yet I'm still not convinced of its sincerity, or rather...is Kitano simply doing a Charlie Kaufman kind of thing?

I actually believe that one of Kitano's strengths as a director and storyteller is his ability to make such good films with characters who often aren't much more than uni-dimensional -- the corrupt cop, the killer, the low-rent gangster with a heart of gold, etc. The tenderness and beauty of Hana-Bi (for example) has little to do with any great understanding or depth of the characters themselves, but rather the way the story unfolds. We rarely learn anything about characters in Kitano's films, and for some reason it works.

[f-i-n]

His movies are so violent and beautiful. I love them.