Ichi, o Assassino

Ichi (Nao Omori) is a disturbed and brainwashed killing machine who dresses up in a superhero costume and is controlled by his mentor named Jijii (Shinya Tsukamoto).

Kakihara (Asano Tadanobu) is a sadistic gangster who loves three things: giving and being given pain and looking for the killing machine named Ichi, the person who killed his boss and ran away with his three-hundred million yen. His quest with looking for the mysterious Ichi causes the streets to become a battleground with the gangs of Shinjuku. As the film goes by, the battle with the gangs of Shinjuku becomes more gory than ever.

ICHI THE KILLER is a rare film that we get these days. It contains good cartoon like violence, humour so black yet it would make people laugh, an awesome soundtrack and great makeup effects. Sure, it may not be for everyone but for those that are open-minded or are Miike fans and want to watch something different, this film would be for them.

Ichi the Killer is the story of a Yakuza gang run by Anjo, whom his underlings find missing (possibly killed) with 100 million yen gone as well. The functional head of Anjo's gang while he's absent is an off-the-wall sadomasochist named Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano). There is a former affiliate gang, now somewhat rivals, run by Fujiwara (Toru Tezuka), and there are a number of gang outcasts who hang out at a bar/brothel, with Jijii (Shinya Tsukamoto) as their head. Jijii is manipulating/grooming a bizarre killer named Ichi (Nao Omori), who is gradually taking out Anjo and Fujiwara gang members for him.

If you haven't seen infamous Japanese cult film director Takashi Miike's Ichi the Killer yet and you're considering it, there is one "test" that might make the decision easy for you--do you like fairly regular over-the-top violence, torture and gore? If that's enough to turn you on to a film, do not pass Ichi the Killer up--you're sure to love it. This is one of the most brutal and gory films I've seen, and yes, I've seen Andreas Schnaas films. However, if those things are enough to turn your stomach instead, you shouldn't come near this film with a two-foot needle.

For me, I don't mind over-the-top violence, torture and gore, but that in itself isn't sufficient for me to like a film. Despite some admirable stylistic flourishes, including some very unique cinematography and editing as well as an unusual but extremely effective soundtrack, there were a number of things in Ichi the Killer that didn't quite work for me. I ended up liking the film, but just moderately. A 7 is a "C" in my rating system.

One problem I had with the film, which might be clear from the description in my first paragraph, is that the plot isn't exactly easy to follow. Writer Sakichi Satô, adapting the script from a manga (Japanese comic) by Hideo Yamamoto, introduces a large number of characters in each scene, and we do not always get their names or very clear dialogue explaining who they are. There were quite a few characters for whom I was never very sure about their identity. In conjunction with this, the film didn't always flow as well as it should have. It tends to feel like long scenes of establishing exposition alternated with violence/torture showcases.

But by the final "act", there are some very interesting revelations about characters and their relationships to one another. So it's not that the kernel of a good story isn't there. It's just told a bit awkwardly. This might not have been helped by the fact that Miike has stated that he was shooting for a kind of open-ended vagueness that is characteristic of Asian genre films. The impact of the revelations is somewhat dissolved by the time we get to the dénouement due to the intentional ambiguity.

The beginning of Ichi the Killer employs a lot of extended cinematographic techniques in rapid succession ala Oliver Stone--different film speeds, stocks, tinting and processing methods, and so on. While these are interesting, Miike forgets about them quickly as he works his way into the story. They pop up occasionally later in the film, as do a couple shots in the vein of Dario Argento, such as a tracking shot through someone's ear. Even when more conventional, the cinematography and production design remain admirable throughout--I particularly liked the shot of Kakihara sitting in front of a red background, with his purple coat and green scarf, but there is a lot of outstanding visual composition in the film.

Whether intended or not, Ichi the Killer frequently reads as more of a black (morbid) comedy. This is because the violence is so over-the-top that it is frequently cartoonish and ridiculous. Those are positive qualities in my book, but anyone looking for realism should beware. On the other hand, the emotional reactions from "victims" are fairly realistic throughout the film, including the fact that people do not die immediately after they are injured.

But Miike's concern, as with his other films, is more surrealist. The behavior of the principal characters is particularly wacky, especially Ichi, who often seems borderline mentally deficient--he cries and cowers before he brutally attacks his victims, and has a very odd sexual dysfunction associated with his violence. Ichi is also portrayed as something akin to a superhero, and Miike constantly bounces back and forth between showing him as an admirable vigilante and an anti-hero. Kakihara, who is giving something of a venerable "bad boy" rock star/punk persona, is also almost a hero through much of the film, and he also has some bizarre sexual dysfunctions, as do a number of other characters. This is one of the main subtexts of the film; it isn't entirely dissimilar to the later A Snake of June (2002). There is also another character who undergoes something of a superhero transformation, as he sheds his public appearance and becomes a muscle-bound avenger near the climax.

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.

This has to be one of my greatest experiences in the Asian cinema. I have been watching Asian movies since the eighties where I saw my first martial arts movies and I have been an Asian fan ever since.

They have a unique way of making movies and a boldness you don't see in western cinema. I have a few friends that share my sick fascination in the gory and shocking side of Asian movie making and Ichi the killer is the best in it's genre. I have seen a lot of Miike's movies which I won't mention here but Ichi is by far my favorite Miike movie.

Takashi Miike spits out movies faster than speeding bullets and some of his works are not even worth watching. But once in a while he hits the spot and delivers a masterpiece and Ichi is by all means a masterpiece. A lot of people only see the blood, torture, gore and humiliation of the human body in Miike's movies but mostly he has a hidden or at least partly foggy agenda.

Ichi is basically a film about a loyal yakusa henchman trying to find meaning in his life after his boss has been murdered and a murderer trying to find himself in a labyrinth of deception and lost memories. It is well played and very well made.Tadanobu Asano excels as Kakihara and Nao Omori is extremely good as the violent insane killer Ichi. The special effects has a realistic feel about them and you can almost feel the pain inflicted in this movie and there is plenty of pain to go around.

Ichi is not a film for people with weak nerves or a dislike for blood. Miike likes to shock his audience and is a master in this field. He delivers the meat for the gore hounds and has a weird sense of humor....

I give this little blood feast a 8.0

What My title for this comment says should be a warning to some. That is why the viewer should probably be strongly warned of what this film has in it. Extreme Comic Book Violence. Before I watched this film, I knew that it would have a lot of violence, but I wasn't expecting it to reach heights greater than what I thought. I didn't think it was going to be as extreme as it is before I watched it. The film did shock me a bit.If you think films like Dead Alive, Battle Royale, Audition, Salo', and Caligula are as depraved as movies can be, be prepared to be disarmed. With that said, I will now talk about the film. The story is this. Kakihara is a bisexual sadist who enjoys doing sadistic things such as hanging people by hooks and dumping hot grease on them or pulling the flesh off of people's face's with his arms and legs. He is looking for his Yakuza boss who disappeared. Kakihara is sad because his boss used to play crazy and weird sexual games with him. Kakahara is sort of unaware of a boy named Ichi who runs around in a superhero outfit the the number 1 on it and has blades in his boots that he uses to kill evil people with in gory unrealistic fashions. Ichi is being summoned by a supposedly retired cop. From there on, the story of madness, rape, murder, and mayhem gets a little more complicated. This film, when you look past all the gallons of blood and the sadomasochism, is brilliant. It is full of humor and entertainment but that is not what makes it good. I admired it's story and it's completely risky way to tell what the adventure of all these corrupt people. The film is unafraid of shocking it's viewers or going a little bit over the top to show who the characters are. The film's style is that of a MANGA. It is very fast paced and quick in going on with the scenes. there is one scene in particular where a woman's fingers are snapped. This scene is more shocking then it sounds due to the fact that you don't realize it until it is made obvious. once it becomes obvious enough it jumps away from that scene. Not everyone will agree with me that this film is as good as it is. There are many people that see it just as a gross shocker with no purpose other then grossing us out. There is a purpose in this film though. Even if the meaning is harder then ever to decipher. But I like films that have a hard message to figure out. It makes me want to watch them more. I find this film to be a true Japanese classic that should be remembered by the few people that see it. Words cannot describe how much I love this film. ICHI THE KILLER is a true masterpiece that has a good plot, a good meaning, and a good, yet shocking, ending twist that will haunt you for days. Watch out for the gratuitous adult content though.