Hana-bi (1997)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

Takeshi Kitano

Writer:

Takeshi Kitano (written by)

Release Date:

20 March 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Nishi is a cop whose wife is slowly dying of Leukemia. One of his partners gets shot on the job and...

Plot Keywords:

Leukemia | Guilt | Police | Gangster | Suicide

Awards:

21 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Takeshi Kitano	...	Yoshitaka Nishi (as 'Beat' Takeshi)
Kayoko Kishimoto	...	Miyuki, Nishi's wife
Ren Ôsugi	...	Horibe
Susumu Terajima	...	Nakamura
Tetsu Watanabe	...	Tesuka
Hakuryu	...	Yakuza Hitman
Yasuei Yakushiji	...	Criminal
Taro Istumi	...	Kudo
Ken'ichi Yajima	...	Doctor
Makoto Ashikawa	...	Tanaka
Yûko Daike	...	Tanaka's widow
Tsumami Edamame	...	Businessman Throwing Rocks
Yûrei Yanagi	...	Chef #1
Sujitarou Tamabukuro	...	Chef #2
Tokio Seki	...	Old Hick

Also Known As:

Fireworks (International: English title) (USA)
Hana-Bi (UK)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

New Zealand:R18 | Iceland:16 | France:U | Czech Republic:12 | Brazil:16 | Austria:16 | Hungary:16 | Israel:16 | South Africa:16 | Ireland:18 | Mexico:B15 | Italy:T | Poland:18 | Iran:18+ | Romania:I.C.-14 | Taiwan:PG-12 | USA:R (cut) | Spain:18 | Argentina:16 | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Japan:R-15 | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:R(A) | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | Australia:MA

Company:

Bandai Visual Company

Trivia:

The Japanese title translates into 'Fireworks", but if you look further into the basis of the Japanese character for 'fireworks', you will see that it is composed of two smaller words - 'fire' and 'flower'. And like the linguistic basis of the title, the story and style of "Hana-Bi" is the synthesis of two opposing images, one being an agent of destruction, and the other a symbol of birth and renewal.

Quotes:

Yoshitaka Nishi: Next time, I'll kill you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cure (1997)

Kitano's Masterpiece!

Takeshi Kitano's "Hana-bi" aka. "Fireworks" of 1997 is a sad, funny, violent, melancholic, brilliant film, an absolute masterpiece which is, in my opinion, not only one of the best movies of the 90s but one of the best of all-time. Hardly ever have I seen a movie which is as brilliant and unique in both its tragic and its funny moments, as it is the case with this ingenious work of art.

I am a very big fan of director Takeshi Kitano, who also stars in the leading part (as 'Beat' Takeshi) in this, and "Hana-bi" is my absolute favorite of his movies.

Yoshitaka Nishi (Kitano) is a mostly calm, but occasionally irascible and ultra-violent cop, whose wife Miyuki (Kayoko Kishimoto) is terminally ill of leukemia. After his partner Horibe (Ren Osugi) is wounded, and another police officer is killed, Nishi decides to quit his job at the police and spend more time with his dying wife. In order to help Horibe, who is now in a wheelchair, and the dead police officer's widow, and in order to make the remaining time as comfortable as possible for his wife, Nishi, who also owes money to the Yakuza, needs money and he is determined to acquire it.

There is no doubt in my mind that Takeshi Kitano is an absolute genius, which he has proved by writing and directing this masterpiece. But not only is Kitano a genius as a writer and director, his acting performance in "Hana-Bi" is also uniquely superb and one of a kind. Nobody else could have played the role of Nishi with such brilliance as 'Bito' Takeshi Kitano, who rarely says a word in the first half of the film and is (nevertheless or therefore) absolutely impressive in his role of the cop with the constant poker face, which typical for Kitano. By the way, the impressionist and very original pictures which are shown occasionally throughout the movie were also painted by Kitano himself.

The rest of the acting is also great, Ren Osugi delivers a particularly memorable performance as Horibe, Nishi's partner who is struck by fate and has to live in a wheel chair, and Kayoko Kishimoto is great in the lovable role of Nishi's dying wife.

An absolute genius as a writer, director and actor, Takeshi Kitano is without doubt one of the greatest cinematic multi-talents alive, as far as I am concerned he is one of the greatest cinematic multi-talents who have ever lived. His arguably greatest film, "Hana-bi" is one of my favorite movies of all-time. Simply put - a perfect film! 10/10