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Kikujiro
1999
The story of Masao, a nine year old boy who wishes that he could meet up with his mother again. He along with Kikujiro, a small time gangster, undertake a long journey which brings them closer together. Read more
| Starring | 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano |
|---|---|
| Director | 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano |
| Genres | World Cinema |
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Kikujiro
The story of Masao, a nine year old boy who wishes that he could meet up with his mother again. He along with Kikujiro, a small time gangster, undertake a long journey which brings them closer together.
| Starring | 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano |
|---|---|
| Director | 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano |
| Studio | PATHE DISTRIBUTION |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 40 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | World Cinema |
| Language | Japanese |
| Subtitles | English |
| Released | DVD: 26 Sep 2005 Production year: 1999 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (2)
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With the violence that has characterised so many of his films toned down to slapstick socko, this is Takeshi Kitano's offbeat homage to The Wizard of Oz. As the amoral Yakuza who accompanies nine-year-old Yusuke Sekiguchi on a cross-country mission to find his mother, Kitano gives an inspired demonstration of muddle-headed, short-fused deadpan. The duo meanders from racetrack to fairground, encountering en route a paedophile, a rude hotel clerk and a couple of soft-centred bikers. There are no deep messages here, just dream sequences, unexpected revelations and several achingly funny set pieces. A gem from a genius.
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Kitano's violence-free 'road movie' (inspired by The Wizard of Oz, he says) is his most idiosyncratic film yet. He... read more on Time Out
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Most helpful member's review
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37 out of 37 people found this review helpful
Kitano does cute and funny!
Well I expect if you're looking up this film you know what kind of films Kitano does, violent yakuza gangster and cop ones. Recently though he has produced four wonderful and different films. Firstly Hana-Bi was a sort of crossover with a yakuza/cop plot but it is more reflective with a subplot that was emotional in both a sweet and sad way. Then came Kikujiro (followed by Dolls and Zatoichi).
Kikujiro was the first film of his that I saw, when I bought it 'pot-luck' on VHS a few years ago. I loved it immediately and also Kitano, he has such a fascinating face and manner. So this is the film that introduced me to Kitano and made me want to see his other work.
Kitano plays Kikujiro a small time gangster who is a bit of a looser hang-about, who by chance meets this young boy. The boy is living with relatives (an aunt or grandmother) in the city whilst his mother is away living somewhere else. When the summer holidays come he wants to go and see her but is forbidden to do so. He however is determined and so sets off by himself to try and find her. He doesn't go far before he meets Kikujiro, who is forcefully persuaded by his lady friend to accompany the boy because he can't go by himself. Kikujiro is given to gamboling so at first he tries to make money from the boy?s allowance. But eventually, when they have no money left because he?s lost it all, he takes him under his dubious wing and they set off. Here ensues an unusual little road-trip movie between the unlikeliest couple.
This film is largely done from the boy's point of view, though it isn't in any way annoyingly childish. You see the events through his innocence, confusion and enjoyment of all the new, crazy and funny things that happen to them. There are some scary and sad moments for him, but mostly he has a wonderful time with his unusual guardian and they form a firm friendship. They get into all sorts of trouble and mischief but mostly they have great fun together, and it turns into a real adventure for both of them. They meet all sorts of strange and interesting road characters who are persuaded by Kikujiro to help with entertaining the boy and making games for him. In particular there are two hilarious bikers, who are equally the boy?s unlikely entertainers and throw themselves into this unusual task with great abandon!
Overall it feels like this is the best summer the boy (and by extension we also) could have ever had. Like Hana-Bi the film includes some of Kitano's original artwork, drawings and descriptions from the boy's diary of the summer are used to introduce or conclude sections of the film. This really is a wonderful film, which is equally sweet and hilarious, and I?m glad to see now available on DVD. -
Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Beat it Kitano
I didn't buy into this film at all. In fact it got increasingly irritating.
Mainly cus Takeshi Kitano - the director - overacts the lead role of Kikujiro; his pratfalling joker-cum-loser wannabe small-time gangster 'antics' come across as clumsily flat-footedly attention-seeking. You don't warm to the guy as a charmingly clownish buffoon (the persona Kitano was trying to affect ) - you just want him to stop being such an idiotic show off. And wise up. Or grow up.
Anyway, the story is: he befriends a cute kid and they go on a road trip together to look for, find - but essentially not find - their moms.
The kid does passable cute ok, mostly by bowing his head and looking down alot with a vacantly sad mute face. It's blatantly manipulative; Kitano wants the little boy lost thing going on cus he wants the audience to identify, and sympathize, with how forlornly orphan-like the kid - but also he - is. 'We're both lost little boys' seems to be the message. Both lost our mommies.
It's exploitatively self-pitying this film. In a shamelessly Hollywood kind of way (even the soundtrack 'theme' has a Disney feel to it) I was thinking: this isn't a Japanese film - it's American slushy sentimental pap. Wants me to suck on it's cutely contrived sweetness till I'm, well - doing a snotty little cry into the sleeve of my shirt.
I didn't wipe away any tears. But i did feel very snotty. With scorn. -
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