Hana-bi (Fireworks)
Feeling responsible for the shattered lives of his loved ones, beleaguered police detective Nishi (Takeshi Kitano) takes desperate measures to try and set things right in a world gone wrong. With his wife suffering from leukemia and his partner paralyzed from a brutal gangster attack, Nishi borrows money from a yakuza loan shark and then robs a bank to clear his debt. The yakuza, however, are not so easily bought off, sending Nishi down a road paved with nihilism and violence. Considered Kitano's first true cinematic masterpiece, HANA-BI demonstrates the auteur's immense talents both in front of and behind the camera.
Cast
- Takeshi Kitano
- Kayoko Kishimoto
- Ren Osugi
- Susumu Terajima
DVD Features
Commentary by film writer for Rolling Stone magazine, David Fear
Making of Hana-Bi Featurette
Collector's Booklet, featuring essay by film writer, Jasper Sharp
Sound: Stereo 2.0
Discs: 1
- "[A] masterpiece…brutal and tender…As writer, director, and star, Kitano creates a beautifully abstract, intricately structured meditation on personal obligation, considering the strong grip that a life of violence has on those who’ve lived it."
- "... an exceptional piece of filmmaking, a drama that blurs the line between the ultra-violent cop movie genre and weepy but moving melodrama, and does it very convincingly."
- "One of [Kitano’s] best and most powerful...."
Awards & Recognition
Golden Lion
Venice Film Festival
Screen Int'l. Award
European Film Awards
Grand Prix
Grand Prix de l'UCC
Critics Award
Sao Paolo Int'l. Film Festival
Golden Aries, Best Foreign Actor
Russian Guild of Film Critics
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