Kuro no tenshi Vol. 1

This is a film about 3 women who are all inextricably linked together. Taken from her mother at birth the first woman named "Ikko Amaoka" (Riona Hazuki) watches as her grandfather and bodyguards are all shot in front of her when she is only 6 years old. She is saved by the second female who is a Yakuza assassin by the name of "Mayo" (Reiko Takashima) who is also known as "the Black Angel". Knowing that there is no safe place in Japan for the little girl, Mayo arranges transportation for Ikko to Los Angeles where she is cared for until she is 20 years old. At that time Ikko returns to Japan with the intent to kill all of those responsible for the murder of her family which includes the 3rd woman, "Chiaki Amaoka" (Miyuki Ono) who also happens to be her step-sister. Now, initially this was somewhat difficult to understand because of the fast-paced violence combined with the language barrier. However, as the movie continues it eventually explains itself and all of the pieces of the puzzle come together at the very end. At any rate, those who enjoy action movies will probably like this film. Be advised though that there is quite a bit of violence along with some sex and nudity as well. Overall, I rate the film as slightly above average.

This is part one of Takashi Ishii's "Black Angel" double feature. The two films aren't connected by characters, just a similar general plot focused on female killers. Both films have a low-budget feel to them, and evoke moods in much the same way that Wong Kar-Wai's "Chungking Express" films do.

Ishii really does a lot with this film even though it is considerably based on action movie cliches. Fortunately he manages to breathe some life into it with some excellent camera work (including a particularly well-filmed continuous shot), and the great performances of Riona Hazuki and Reiko Takashima (as the two main female protagonists).

One particular scene of note: Early in the film Ishii breaks up the heavy crime drama with a strangely placed song and dance number that is composed of one long 3 minute shot, from one angle. Very strange. It actually made me think of François Truffaut's "Shoot the Pianot Player." Early in that film a ridiculous dance number in the bar breaks up the tension in much the same way.

In this film Takashi Ishii adds a plot and interesting characters to his trademark violence, and the result is a watchable movie. One develops an empathy for the psychopathic and moody Ikko, and wishes her great success in her Arthurian quest to kill everyone who has crossed her. Especially since they're nowhere near as stylish and attractive as she is. Worth viewing.

Black Angel is a film that represents the best of what Japanese contemporary cinema can be. It is that rare thing - an action movie that contains depth, character and intellect. The characters are all fully rounded, fleshed out and fallible. They are shades of grey, rather than black or white, and this ambivalence only lends to their realism. They even have to take time to recover after they receive a beating! It is a testament to Takashi that he can produce such empathy for these characters. His direction is polished and at times superb. One scene employs a single 8 minute take with no edits to emphasize the effect of relativity that the protagonist must be encountering on her fruitless attempts to escape and it is inspired. Takashi's trademark use of wide angle lenses is also at an apex in this movie, serving to enhance the effect of bodily movements while at the same time trapping the characters between the foreground and background, thereby outlining their plight (their lack of freedom is rooted in their desire to fulfil their destiny yet at the same time despising what they do). The violence is balletic and certainly tips it's hat to the Hong Kong heroic bloodshed movies of John Woo, et al but Takashi manages to make the set pieces his own by incorporating these formalistic camera techniques into realistic circumstances to draw the viewer into the world he has created. This is similar to Scorcese's "Raging Bull" where extremely formalistic techniques create a very realistic impression on the audience. The story deals with some familiar themes from Japanese cinema (revenge, rape, male-female power relations, etc...) and Takashi's use of motifs helps to relate the characters to one another and outline their connections. Even the title relates to the dichotomy facing our protagonist. The internal conflict of Ikko is mirrored by the external conflicts upon which she embarks. Black Angel is well conceived, well shot and well acted and deserves to be ranked among contemporary Japanese cinema's finest.

I don't know why so many people love flashy but empty Hong Kong action movies when there are much darker, more violent and interesting crime and horror movies over in Japan! Quentin Tarantino's brilliant 'Kill Bill' is inspired by much of this stuff, specifically Kinji Fukasaku's amazing 'Battle Royale' and Takashi Miike's mind-blowing 'Ichi The Killer', so I'm hoping that it signals the beginning of a lot more attention from Western audiences on the seemingly endless invention of the more extreme end of the Japanese film industry. The work of Takashi Ishii ('Evil Dead Trap' - as writer only - 'Gonin', 'Freezer') hasn't received as much attention as the more flamboyant and controversial Miike, but in his own way he's just as exciting. And while watching 'The Black Angel' I couldn't help but wonder if it was a favourite of Tarantino's. Babelicious Riona Hazuki plays Ikko who returns from the US to avenge her parents who were killed in front of her when she was a small girl. Mayo, a mysterious and beautiful assassin called The Black Angel (Reiko Takashima) helped her escape from Japan as a child, so now as an adult she borrows that name. Ikko is intent on killing yakuza boss Nogi, the man responsible for the death of her mother and father, only she doesn't realize that Mayo is now Nogi's (reluctant) mistress and that there meeting again is inevitable. 'The Black Angel' is an extremely cool movie. Ishii is a very inventive and original director who constantly surprises the viewer, moving from an unexpected light hearted dance number to a confronting torture sequence. His characters aren't cliched and predictable and you are always on your toes. I highly recommend this movie and his other yakuza thriller 'Gonin', another film which takes a familiar theme and subverts it in fascinating ways. Forget old hat John Woo and Jackie Chan, try the Takashis, Miike and Ishii!