Violent Cop (1989)

Director: Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi)
Starring: Beat Takeshi, Maiko Kawakami, Makoto Ashikawa, Shirô Sano, Sei Hiraizumi

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There's something I've never really felt comfortable with watching certain Japanese movies. I'll watch for a while keeping in mind that the Japanese cinema is that of flourishes--a cinema that generally values style of substance--and then I'll go refill my drink or use the restroom or something. I'll come back and discover that some character that I didn't think was important at all is dominating the action. Usually this isn't a problem; I'll lean over and ask the person I came with what happened in the time I was gone. The answer is usually something like, "I don't know. I think this guy stole some drugs, and this other guy's making a power play. He found a gun under the chubby dude's pillow. Oh yeah, and like six cops have died." This is a fine explanation because what the characters do and the events that happen in the film don't always stick to what I call "reason" or "reality". I think it has something to do with the way some Japanese directors don't use dramatic emphasis when it would be pretty helpful. There's a section in Violent Cop, for example, when we cut from hanging out with the cops--violent or otherwise--and we watch a drug deal that goes bad. I had no idea who the fuck these guys were, and so I didn't care when one killed the other. So we're back with the cops, and Takeshi and the rookie hook back up with the main squad after a night's drinking. They arrive at the scene of last night's crime, and they're investigating hardcore. Fine, except that they don't investigate any of the other murders in the film, and there are like a bazillion of them. Why this one? Why not. Why is Takeshi's character so violent? Why not. It's a pretty fun movie, if you don't mind that the narrative has very little to do with itself. It's easy to see that this is Takeshi's directorial debut, however, but read the Boiling Point entry on how he does on his second attempt.

July 1
New Beverly Cinemas, evening

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