Product Details
ASIN : B00000JQVP
Editorial Reviews
From Amazon.com
Japanese superstar "Beat" Takeshi Kitano was best known as a comedian and talk-show host when he was cast as brutal police detective Azuma in Violent Cop, but the career-changing twist occurred when the original director dropped out and Kitano took the helm. Half a dozen pictures later, Kitano has carved out one of the most idiosyncratic careers in Japanese cinema, and it all springs from this edgy, explosive crime classic. Azuma is a cop who plays by his own rules: He batters suspects, beats confessions from criminals, and plants evidence. He's a vigilante force the department quietly supports as long as he gets results, but when a volatile drug case results in the death of a colleague, the hair-trigger cop goes rogue as he matches wits with an equally impulsive assassin. Kitano's big teddy bear eyes and soft features maintain a calm, almost bemused expression even in his most violent moments: a Zen "Dirty" Harry with a deadpan sense of humor. For a first-time director, Kitano displays astonishing cinematic control, creating a style of long takes and serene tranquility shattered by startling explosions of gunfire and abrupt blows. It's a violent world in which adolescents attack beggars and grade-school kids pelt bystanders with garbage and insults, but Kitano also shows a tender, caring side ultimately swallowed by the unleashed anger. Ironic, grim, and focused to a mesmerizing intensity, Violent Cop is one of the great Japanese crime films and a brilliant debut. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Reviews
Action Speaks Louder than Words (2004-02-17)  Violent Cop is a definite Five Star Rating all around. Takeshi Kitano is one of the greatest directors to come out of Japan since Akira Kurosawa. This film draws heavily on the types of psychological crime dramas that we tend to associate with France. Like many of his other films, the dialog is very minimal creating an intense dark mood which is constantly built upon. The characters body language and actions give way to an emotionally complex story and make us undeniably attached to these rich characters. Fans of The Sopranos, and early John Woo action flicks will definitely enjoy; but Kitano is in his own league, with an ability to cross over many genres and appeal to more than just your average action fan. This is a great starting point to your "Beat" Takeshi Kitano collection, which only gets better as you watch and collect his other works.
Quiet (When the Guns Are Silent) Brilliance (2003-12-08) Takeshi Kitano plays Azuma, a cop dirtier than Harry ("Dirty Harry") as he's decided that the world truly has descended into anarchy -- an anarchy the results of law or its lack of true enforcement. Taking justice into his own hands (literally), Azuma achieves results but (inevitably) not without a cost of his own. VIOLENT COP is a picture of quiet brilliance, and the intelligence is found largely in moments of silence -- Azuma walking down the street, Azuma staring emotionlessly at a criminal before administering his own form of punishment, Azuma walking several paces ahead or behind of whomever he's with. Once the weapons are drawn, even these moments are captured with tremendous subtlety but plenty of blood. The film cleverly gives Azuma an adversary -- a tight-lipped assassin -- who is as violent as he is, and, once the killer offs one of Azuma's oldest colleagues, a clashing of polar opposites is inevitable ... and well worth the 103 minute wait.
WOW (2003-07-26) The title hit it on the head. Beat Takeshi was perfect.
A Film that Really Deserves it's Title. (2003-01-07)  As the title suggests, it is about a violent policeman. The film starts with violence and ends with violence. But it isn't constant.For those who don't know Japanese films, and want to try them out. This is a good one to start with. This film has many suprises in store, especialy to those who are used to the way that Hollywood makes films. It is a film that has both ultra-violence and Zen style serenity, all in a row. Not something that Hollywood does much.Then theres Kitano himself. His wooden expressions actully make the film better rather than worse. There is also a certain darkness to his character Asuma that is almost Satanic, but at the same time there is allways some reason behind his actions. Even worse, is you find yourself agreeing with him.Perhaps that is where the film's main power lies. It's ability to bring out your own darker instincts. It did more to make me scared of myself than Asuma or the Yakuza. There is also a weird kind of humour to it. Again probably an another instinct brought up to the surface.I'm certainly going to get some more Jap-Films. It is such a break from the predictability of Hollywood.I wonder if Hollywood is starting to look at Japanese films? There are some interesting tricks to learn from them.
A Film that Really Deserves it's Title. (2003-01-07) As the title suggests, it is about a violent policeman. The film starts with violence and ends with violence. But it isn't constant.For those who don't know Japanese films, and want to try them out. This is a good one to start with. This film has many suprises in store, especialy to those who are used to the way that Hollywood makes films. It is a film that has both ultra-violence and Zen style serenity, all in a row. Not something that Hollywood does much.Then theres Kitano himself. His wooden expressions actully make the film better rather than worse. There is also a certain darkness to his character Asuma that is almost Satanic, but at the same time there is allways some reason behind his actions. Even worse, is you find yourself agreeing with him.Perhaps that is where the film's main power lies. It's ability to bring out your own darker instincts. It did more to make me scared of myself than Asuma or the Yakuza. There is also a weird kind of humour to it. Again probably an another instinct brought up to the surface.I'm certainly going to get some more Jap-Films. It is such a break from the predictability of Hollywood.I wonder if Hollywood is starting to look at Japanese films? There are some interesting tricks to learn from them.
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