loading...
Violent Cop
1989
In his directorial debut, famed Japanese screen personality Takeshi Kitano (acting under the alias Beat Takeshi) plays Azuma, a brutal but honorable cop at the end of his rope. Azuma's trying daily routine involves dealing with a naive new partner and caring for his drug-dependent, mentally challenged sister. When a friend on .. Read more
| Starring | 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano, Maiko Kawakami, Makoto Ashikawa, Shiro Sano |
|---|---|
| Director | 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Thriller, World Cinema |
loading...
Violent Cop
In his directorial debut, famed Japanese screen personality Takeshi Kitano (acting under the alias Beat Takeshi) plays Azuma, a brutal but honorable cop at the end of his rope. Azuma's trying daily routine involves dealing with a naive new partner and caring for his drug-dependent, mentally challenged sister. When a friend on the police force is killed and his sister is kidnapped by drug dealers, Azuma begins walking a mercilessly vengeful path that leads to a shocking finale.
VIOLENT COP is a stunning first feature from Kitano, who took over for veteran director Kinji Fukasaku after he left the project. Primarily known as a television comedian, Kitano rewrote the script to better suit his surprisingly dark vision of the film, which serves an intriguing introduction to his unique directorial style, combining scenes of extreme violence with beautifully meditative shots. Elevating the then-waning yakuza genre to a more artistic level, Kitano's film is a landmark in late 20th century Japanese cinema.
| Starring | 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano, Maiko Kawakami, Makoto Ashikawa, Shiro Sano, Ittoku Kishibe |
|---|---|
| Director | 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano |
| Studio | MIA VIDEO ENTERTAINMENT LTD |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 38 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Action/Adventure, Thriller, World Cinema |
| Language | Japanese |
| Subtitles | English |
| Released | DVD: 03 Dec 2001 Production year: 1989 |
| Format | DVD |
-
Critics' reviews (3)
View all -
Although he was already a massive star in Japan, this brooding thriller made actor/first-time director Takeshi “Beat” Kitano the hip name to drop in film circles over here. The plot itself could have come from any mainstream blockbuster: a tough, unconventional cop (Kitano) and his new, inexperienced partner find themselves up against their fellow officers when investigating a drugs case. However, the usual Hollywood clichés are turned on their head by Kitano's highly stylised direction, the splashes of quirky black humour and sudden jolts of extreme violence. And, on the screen, Kitano's charismatic performance is riveting.
-
"...VIOLENT COP is one of the most striking first features in recent cinema....There are a number of terrific cinematic ideas..."
-
Most helpful member's review
View all -
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful
Takeshi's Castle was never like this....
Takeshi 'Beat' Kitano is back, as a mad, angy, maverick cop. Truly menancing throughout, this time Kitano-san plays the other side of the law from his usual Yakuza mobster characters, but is no less shocking and malevolent for it.
A surprising ending. But so good I brought the film! -
Most recent members' review
View all -
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful
Poor
I got this because of its star - the brilliant 'Beat' Takeshi. But this was very poor. Basically it consists of scene after scene of the cop (Azuma) behaving violently to various people. That's it. No real plot, storyline, caharcterization, and only the barest of dialogue. The whole thing seems pretty pointless.
-
More like this
View all
Related user collection
cool films from around the world (30)
72.6% from 23 members
