Crying Freeman (1995)

A lethal assassin for a secret Chinese organisation, who sheds tears of regret each time he kills, is seen swiftly and mercilessly executing three Yakuza gangsters by a beautiful artist. ... See full summary »

Director:

Christophe Gans

Writers:

Kazuo Koike (based upon the comic books created by), Ryoichi Ikegami (based upon the comic books created by),

Stars:

Julie Condra, Kevan Ohtsji, Mark Dacascos

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Julie Condra	...	Emu O'Hara
Kevan Ohtsji	...	Takeshi Shimazaki
Mark Dacascos	...	Yo Hinomura / Freeman
Debbie Podowski	...	Customs Agent
Murray Lowry	...	Head Customs Agent
Byron Mann	...	Koh
Mikal Tang	...	Koh's Driver
Rae Dawn Chong	...	Detective Forge
Jerry Wasserman	...	Chief Randall
Tchéky Karyo	...	Detective Netah (as Tcheky Karyo)
Mako	...	Shudo Shimazaki
Tong Lung	...	Shimazaki's Bodyguard
Kiyoto Matsumoto	...	Shimazaki's Bodyguard
Paul McGillion	...	Detective
Russell Ferrier	...	Detective

Storyline

A lethal assassin for a secret Chinese organisation, who sheds tears of regret each time he kills, is seen swiftly and mercilessly executing three Yakuza gangsters by a beautiful artist. She is captivated by the grace of his kill and later falls in love with him. An intense power struggle for the leadership of the Yakuza Clans ensues as they seek vengeance for the death of their leader. They soon realise the fatal mistake of underestimating the deadly skills of the Crying Freeman.

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Plot Keywords:

yakuza | gangster | based on comic | shot to death | slow motion | 

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Taglines:

Once in a lifetime comes the perfect killer.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Canada France Japan USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

24 April 1996 (France)

Also Known As:

Crying Freeman - Der Sohn des Drachen

Filming Locations:

British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

FFR 30,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

August Entertainment, Crying Freeman Productions, Davis-Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Julie Condra and Mark Dacascos met and co-starred in this film, and then they married in real life.

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Quotes

Shido Shimazaki: [sits at a table with laughing police men. With a forceful loud bang onto the table he breaks their laughter and says:] 'The Sons of the Dragon' exist! And so does the Freeman!

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Crazy Credits

Leaves Wrangler: insert unit, Los Angeles - Gilles "James" I

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Connections

Referenced in Fulltime Killer (2001)

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Soundtracks

"Va, Pensiero, Sull'Ali Dorate"
from The Opera Nabucco
Written by Giuseppe Verdi (as Guiseppe Verdi)
Performed by Deutsche Opera Berlin (as The Chorus and Orchestra of the German Opera)
Giuseppe Sinopoli (as Guiseppe Sinopoli), conductor
Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon, a division of Polygram

User Reviews

Best thing next to the Manga version

Marc Dacascos is well cast in this role. he has a Manga like face that seems very perfectly symmetrical and too innocent to be a killer. Which adds to the legend that the Freeman is simply a hermit artist, a potter who keeps to himself and, were it not for the Sons of the Dragons, would have stayed that way.

The movie is a close adaptation to the Manga without trying to do the inimitable. Marc Dacascos is an acknowledged martial artist and acrobat which adds only to the credentials he brings to the movie. Of course, as all avid manga watchers will know, there is always a perverted dimension to the Manga movies. This is not so apparent in this movie adaptation, but suffice it to say that the romantic interest in this movie, has a face which seems so beautiful and tender, it could have come right out of a Japanese novel.

Superb watching. I recommend it to anyone who liked the Manga.