A Japanese gangster is exiled to Los Angeles where his brother lives with a small but respectable multi-racial gang, who he inspires to expand their influence.
The boss of a major crime syndicate orders his lieutenant to bring a rogue gang of drug traffickers in line, a job that gets passed on to his long-suffering subordinate.
As the police launch a full-scale crackdown on organized crime, it ignites a national yakuza struggle between the Sanno of the East and Hanabishi of the West.
The blind masseur/swordsman comes to a town in control of warring gangs, and while bunking with a farming family, he meets two women with their own agenda.
Beat Takeshi, a prominent actor, meets a lookalike named Kitano, who is a struggling actor, but after the meeting, Kitano's dreams take a violent, surreal turn.
A young, naive boy sets out alone on the road to find his wayward mother. Soon he finds an unlikely protector in a crotchety man and the two have a series of unexpected adventures along the way.
Dropping out of high school, two friends at first find success, one as a up-and-coming boxer and one as a low level gangster. Yet, their life decisions still find a way of catching up with them.
Takeshi Kitano plays a version of himself in which he's a struggling director cycling through a number of different genres in an effort to complete his latest project.
A Japanese Yakuza gangster is exiled to the United States. Takeshi settles in Los Angeles where his younger, half brother lives and finds that although the turf is new, the rules are still the same as they try to take over the local drug trade.Written by
Anonymous
When the driver of the car carrying Aniki is shot from behind, we see his blood splattered on the windscreen. There's also a crack on it, but when we cut to the car crashing from the outside, the windscreen is clean. See more »
The UK Region 2 DVD from Film Four is the full cut of the film. It includes the extra POV chopstick death scene, a full pan across on the severed head in the stairwell, as well as many other small cuts made in the U.S. to attain an "R" rating. See more »
"Brother" may be Kitano´s most well-known and successful movie, but after all it´s just another sign that success at the box offices doesn´t make the perfect movie, because it lacks in many respects: the story is too one-dimensional and delivers nothing really new, the characters are not developed enough, excluding the brilliant play of Omar Epps and, of course, Kitano himself. However, if you like heavy gunfight violence in the style of "Reservoir Dogs" or Takeshi´s elder "Violent Cop" this is the right film for you! The body count is higher than in all Quentin Tarantino/Sam Peckinpah films together and even some gore like cut off fingers and heads is brought on here and there. Once more the violent pictures are laid under with beautiful piano music what gives some disturbing aspects as well as emotional rollercoasters to this film. Definitely one of the better gangster movies of the last few years, but not the best as often said. A good film which is a little bit overrated... Can´t await to see Kitano´s "Battle Royale" - this one must be really brilliant..!
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"Brother" may be Kitano´s most well-known and successful movie, but after all it´s just another sign that success at the box offices doesn´t make the perfect movie, because it lacks in many respects: the story is too one-dimensional and delivers nothing really new, the characters are not developed enough, excluding the brilliant play of Omar Epps and, of course, Kitano himself. However, if you like heavy gunfight violence in the style of "Reservoir Dogs" or Takeshi´s elder "Violent Cop" this is the right film for you! The body count is higher than in all Quentin Tarantino/Sam Peckinpah films together and even some gore like cut off fingers and heads is brought on here and there. Once more the violent pictures are laid under with beautiful piano music what gives some disturbing aspects as well as emotional rollercoasters to this film. Definitely one of the better gangster movies of the last few years, but not the best as often said. A good film which is a little bit overrated... Can´t await to see Kitano´s "Battle Royale" - this one must be really brilliant..!