violent cop (1989)

[Guest jirpy100]

I watched the R4 Madman release last night. The picture quality was very good, although the black levels were a bit off - meaning the night/dark scenes were a bit too dark. Sound was fine too, and the yellow subs were perfect, and below the picture.

The film itself was pleasant. I imagined it would be a more straightforward detective-drama, but Kitano and the cast were all caught up in a weird minimalistic world. In later films Kitano is the only actor acting this way, but in this film he created almost a unique world where very few people do or say anything, but rather make a point simply by being somewhere or saying something rather concise. The structure and direction makes the film stand above its numerous Dirty Harry-esque moments.

The most energetic scene must be the long car chase, where the cops chase an almost invincible man who seems too fast and deadly for everyone but Azuma (Kitano). And even Azuma has to "cheat" to finally arrest him. The story is not very complex, but due to the intelligent direction, and the quality filmmaking (without being glossy), everything comes together, and somehow Takeshi manages to be as brutal as always, without having the film come off as being nihilistic.

People often talk of Violent Cop the same way they do about As Tears Go By (WKW's first), but after having seen his later films and only now his first, I can honestly say that VC is right up there. Yes, it is slow and elegiac, but he adds even a bit more creditibility to his character by not indulging in the "ethos-of-cool" like many of his later characters.

[Guest Markgway]

Of the Takeshi films I've seen I liked Violent Cop most.

I too have the R4 release.

[Guest sevenhooks]

Anyone know if a soundtrack was ever produced?

I'm pretty sure it's one of the few Kitano Takeshi films that doesn't have a Joe Hisaishi soundtrack, but I still love it and would love to have it.

It reminds me of the jazzier elements of Herrmann's work on Taxi Driver.