Ichi, o Assassino

Be warned - as early as the film's titles - letters rising from fallen sperm - (The costumed killer ejaculated voyeuristically watching violence done by one of the other team of gangster killers). You should either run screaming from the theater or stay for an over-the-top exercise in so much violence it becomes white noise and almost disappears. Seen at the Cinematheque, here in Los Angeles, with an adult crowd - this unrated but surely X-cubed film was a delight to those who stayed A few patrons fled in the middle of the screening but most got the point. Bad guys pursuing bad guys - with genre formula being trashed at every point - the humor built and built. Any good characters (children included) were decimated or tortured. None were spared. Yet the film is a romp - from the complaining co-workers who grumble about having to clean up blood-drenched murder scenes (they found intestines everywhere) to the sado-masochistic special effects. The film has left turns into fantasy - then back again - it has intentional bad-acting scenes (from previously capable actors)- the camera work has a will of it sown - exposition that makes no sense.

This film posits the questions: If you are going to be a bad-boy film director and take screen violence as far as it can go - no farther than that - NO REALLY FARTHER THAN THAT - to the point of blood almost every minute - what would the result be? Apparently the director feels that on the far side of excess violence and blood letting in glorious technicolor and grotesque special effects, the cinema would revert to a twisted sense of innocence (beyond all that killing there is a comic sense of the universe).

A film that should be seen - but you should be prepared for it. Not a classic - but a definite statement - more a cinema-artist's statement than a traditional film. Museums will find a place for it - families will abhor it.

I got into it to my amazement. It stretched my mind about what should be so.

Wow, I certainly didn't know what was waiting for me when I decided to watch this movie... I'd like to think I'm generally hardened, I like horror video games, movies, even read some mangas like Berserk and Junji Ito's horror mangas but wow this movie was a bit too much for me.

Never have I seen such a divisive public when it comes to a movie like this, some people don't like it and some people praise it. I really understand both sides. In fact I first came to know about this movie through a book called "1001 Movies to see before you die" and this movie was amongst them, I really don't remember what was the reasoning for it being there but I can understand in some sense why. This movie is relentless, like every scene that you expect the director to not show the explicitness the director shows it- sometimes I wonder if such violence is needed? Perhaps as a means to not deter from the original vision of where it came from I.e. A manga? With drawings you can stylise violence, make it into a part of the aesthetic of your story and I think that Takashi Miike wanted to do something similar with this and show everything just like in the mangas. Honestly one would believe the scenes involving the titular Ichi would be the most terrible ones because he commits the most gruesome murders ever but since his character and his suit and the way he kills his victims are done in such an overblown cartoonish way it is hard to show it done without it looking very fake with CGI and stuff, unless you want to spend a lot on practical effects which Takashi doesn't so most of the killings Ichi does luckily are mostly implied or not shown a lot in contrast to Kakihara who does drawn out painful torture scenes, these were the ones that I wanted to look away from and had to cover my eyes even! Never have I ever encountered something like this before. It is also interesting how it tries to show different sides of violence from different points of view, both equally brutal.

Violence aside I think this movie oozes style, it has cool camera placements and editing that is really frantic... but I think this film excels the most in how it captures it's characters, the costuming is brilliant- Kakihara's wardrobe is so bright and colourful which is a joy to watch (who's the designer?), same with everyone else on the cast, it is a joy (but also a fright) to see everyone imbue their characters with such effervescence.

A negative of this movie I guess is that the story isn't conveyed really well? Some plot points, motivations and relationships in characters weren't done well enough- which is also the difficulty in adapting a manga to a live action movie cause in the manga you'll always have the advantage of having pages and pages to develop everything. I had to read a summary just to understand what was going on and why some characters did some stuff in the movie. This is also a negative side of the hyperactive and stylistic cutting of the movie, sure it looks very cool but it might confuse more than lead on. Also the ending is a bit confusing, make sure to read the wiki to understand it lol! But as I understood it it's a cycle of violence that repeats itself and that revenge never pays no matter how you do it.

Would I watch this movie again? I don't think so really, maybe look at images of the characters to take inspiration for costuming and such but otherwise I couldn't stomach it- even watching it this time I had to take breaks from watching it and cuddle with my dog before I could see the rest of it. Make sure to watch this with someone because going at it alone is not something I recommend. It made me feel and that is what art is supposed to do, it wasn't pleasant feelings but nevertheless it made me feel, and for that I applaud it. Takashi Miike is brave for doing this but I certainly hope that I won't have to watch anything like it again cause wow this was certainly something different. As I said, I understand why it is appreciated but I also understand why it is hated.

Takashi Miike's "Ichi the Killer" is a masterpiece of insane cinema.This film is surely challenging-filled with enough sadistic violence and rape to satisfy fans of Japanese harrowing cinema.It's based on the popular manga by Hideo Yamamoto.The character of Ichi is truly amazing-he is a mysterious figure who slices various individuals into numerous bloody pieces with razor sharp blades strapped to his boots.The gore is pretty extreme as Ichi literally slices people in half with his razor-sharp boots.The acting is surprisingly good-Nao Omori and Tadanobu Asano are impressive as Ichi and Kakihara.Highly recommended,especially if you have strong stomach.9 out of 10.

Ichi the Killer is definitely not a film for people who have weak stomachs or who are easily offended. This film contains some of the most shocking images you'll ever see and includes some very disturbing characters that won't be forgotten in a hurry. It is always a very brave move for a film maker when they decide to adapt from a manga as manga often has aspects within it that can not be replicated in to a live picture. Takashi Miike makes the transition possible and blows away all walls of reality with an outstanding and totally unforgettable film.

The plot involves Yakuza boss Anjo going missing with a huge stash of cash, his gang members investigate and a classic game of cat and mouse is involved. This seems simple enough but what is out of the ordinary is that the leader of the investigation, Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano), is a major masochist and Anjo's killer, Ichi (Nao Omori) is the ultimate sadist with a tormented soul. This is where Ichi the Killer's shocking and graphic imagery really come in to force. Miike is uncompromising in his approach with regards to what he delivers on screen. There are no subtleties, no off camera goings on; it is all there for the audience to see, in full detail! The torture scenes, and their results, are especially horrific. If this film had been made in America or Europe, it would have been banned within a second of being made, it's that graphic. What disturbed me more than the disgusting imagery however, were the characters. Ichi's character I found genuinely terrifying as whilst he often comes across as a cartoonish character, there is a disturbingly real quality to his character. Ichi's childlike naivety draws many parallels to past psychotic killers that have existed in real life and his sexual excitement at causing pain and death is incredibly unsettling. Also unsettling is the character of Kakihara. His badly scarred face and clips either side of his lips immediately make him appear a scary figure and the only thing more disturbing than his pleasure for torturing others and watching their pain is his unparalleled love for being beaten and tortured himself.

What I like about many Asian films is that the acting is often very good and Ichi the Killer is no exception. Tadanobu Asano is brilliant as Kakihara. His performance is charismatic and terrifying, he does a great job of making the role his own. Nao Omori plays Ichi perfectly. The way that he can act tormented, childish and merciless all in one scene is incredible to watch and, as I said before, gives the film a genuinely disturbing edge rather than just immense gore. Alien Sun is very sexy as Karen and the way she speaks more than one language in an almost random fashion adds further mystery to this film. The fact that Karen is the only character who has Ichi's past explained to her from Jijii makes the audience able to empathise with her character more than anyone else. Shinya Tsukamoto is also very good as Jijii. His character is unravelled throughout the film and Tsukamoto is very convincing in his portrayal of what turns out to be a very complex character.

The purpose of this film is to shock and it achieves its goal to the point where you almost can not watch. With extremely graphic gore and some intense surrealist imagery that Salvador Dali himself would have been proud of, Ichi the Killer will never be forgotten and deserves to be watched by a lot more people (even if they can only watch it once!). Miike is very clever with his direction. The way he blends Kaneko's flash back sequences with the present does wonders to keep the audience's attention. The ending is also done with great style and is very effective in ending the film so it is down to interpretation of the audience.

Despite being very hard to palate, Ichi the Killer is a fantastic film. Directing, acting, writing and score are all spot on and the quality of the film is very good. Not a film I could handle watching too regularly but definitely a film I'll want to watch a few more times in the future.

I wish somebody would clone Takashi Miike. This man churns out gory masterpieces with speed and consistency not seen since the 1970s giallo boom. Ichi The Killer is the movie that brought Miike to international attention and it still holds up as one of the filthiest exercises in film-making that I have had the pleasure to watch.

Quentin Tarantino has earned millions ripping off Asian genre classics, so it makes a nice change to see an Asian director take some inspiration from him. Ichi The Killer has clearly been influenced by "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs" in both content and construction. However, Miike takes things to a new level both stylistically and through his mind blowing use of violence. This is one of those films that has to be seen in its uncut form, preferably without the hideous cockney dubbing.

The film follows Kakihara, a Yakuza assassin, on his mission to avenge his boss' murder. After a few false turns, Kakihara learns that Ichi was responsible for the killing and faced with the extent of Ichi's butchery, comes to believe that he may just have met his match in the sadism stakes. Miike expertly weaves several subplots into the film, all of which have the common element of being bloody. As captivating as the story is, it is the breathtaking violence that sets this film apart. Miike splashes blood like an artist uses paint. One of the most striking examples is Suzuki's torture, which sees him suspended on hooks, pierced with skewers and covered with boiling oil. Luckily for gorehounds, Miike is just warming up. This film contains enough blood and severed limbs for two horror movies.

Miike directs the film with his usual sense of style and flair. His affinity for all things surreal is given expression in Kakihara's fist swallowing scene and Jijii's pre-murder bodybuilding poses. The film also has a healthy dose of black humour, largely thanks to Kakihara's masochism. The actors are uniformly excellent, with Tadanobu Asano particularly brilliant as Kakihara. The only significant fault with the movie is the character of Ichi himself, who seems under-developed in comparison to his more interesting Nemesis Kakihara. There is also a slight lull in the film when it explores the ex-policeman's relationship with his son. However, these are small complaints and do little to detract from the film's many great qualities.

Ichi The Killer is subversive film-making at its best. Takashi Miike has carved himself a unique place in world cinema. The astonishing thing is that he keeps on coming up with the goods, time and time again.