Violent Cop

This is Takeshi Kitano's directorial debut, and damn, it's a good way to open a directing career. Violent Cop is a film about, well... look at the title. While it may not be 100% in the style that Kitano's later films are, you can see many aspects of his later films were started.

Kitano plays a cop who goes above and beyond when it comes to the kind of wild things that Dirty Harry did. He's an even looser cannon than Harry, and that's saying something. Kitano plays the role well, doing his usual stoic face act. He comes across as quite scary and threatening. All the other side characters do a good job too.

Visually it does a lot of the things that Kitano is known for. Long shots, close ups, interesting editing, etc. You can see the foundation of Kitano's later films within this one. Now since this was his first attempt at directing, it can occasionally feel a bit slow. When I was about half way through, it felt like I had been watching for longer. Also the plot can be a bit confusing at times. Scenes occur that sometimes feel like they didn't have a lot to do with the main plot, or characters appear that you aren't exactly sure if you have seen briefly before or not. Kitano's later films tighten up the plot for sure, so I understand that this one is a little bit more rough since it's his first directing gig.

Over all, it's an interesting tale of a loose cannon cop. If you're a fan of Kitano and haven't seen it, check it out. Also watch it if you are in the mood for an unique Japanese film or a movie that shows that late 80's/early 90's vibe, because this movie certainly has that.

I find it very difficult to rate a movie like this, as most of its interest is in who made it and how it points to his much superior later movies like Hana-bi. The script here is obviously just a standard actioner - the usual elements we've all seen a million times are there, the hard man cop with his innocent rookie partner, his one weakness (in this case, his sister), his 'no nonsense get things done attitude'. But this being Kitano, its full of mysterious, compelling scenes that in themselves often don't often make sense. The ending was never really in doubt, but the fascination of Takeshi movies is how he gets there. There really is nobody out there making movies quite like him now - such weird blends of Japanese sensibility, American action tropes and European art movie editing and camera-work. It shouldn't work, but somehow it does. Violent Cop is nowhere near his best work so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone curious about watching it, but its certainly worth a view for those who have seen his later movies and want to explore his strange vision of the world.

A shallow description would refer to this as a Japanese version of Dirty Harry. And it does bear some resemblance to that film, but while Dirty Harry broke the rules in order to get a criminal at any cost, Kitano's character Azuma seems to seek vengeance due not only to his lust for revenge but because he's psychotic. There's a sense that Azuma won't rest until he gets his man not out of duty but out of madness. Kitano gives what might be his best performance in this film; he is absolutely riveting. And the film itself is beautifully shot, and the score is especially good. But the best part of this is perhaps the end - the film ends on a perfectly cynical note that couldn't be topped. Seek this out.

Violent Cop is the first directorial work of comedian and television host Takeshi Kitano. He wasn't even supposed to do this job but when the initially hired director pulled out of the project due to scheduling conflicts, Takeshi Kitano took over and rewrote large parts of the script in the process. People must have been surprised when this film was initially released because it has nothing to do with Takeshi Kitano's quirky, funny and entertaining shows throughout the seventies and eighties. Violent Cop does its title justice and is brutal, cynical and nihilistic. It is often compared to the Dirty Harry franchise but while the titular hero of the American franchise is able to keep his cool, Takeshi Kitano's main character is unstable, unpredictable and pitiless.

Takeshi Kitano plays brutal veteran detective Azuma who doesn't show much respect for his superiors, colleagues and rookies. He treats criminals the way they would actually treat their victims. The opening sequence is quite revealing in that regard as the detective follows the leader of a group of teenagers who beat up a helpless old man and proceeds to beat him up in his parents' house. The only person this detective seems to care about is his fragile sister who spent time at a hospital to treat a head injury. Once we are introduced to the detective's life, the actual plot unfolds. The detective discovers that his partner is involved in drug trafficking but before he can conduct further investigations, his partner is found hanged under a bridge. Azuma understands that the suicide had been staged and tries to track down the boss of the drug trafficking ring by any means necessary.

The cinematography of this movie is very experimental and foreshadows Takeshi Kitano's later works. The movie has few dialogues and especially the main character prefers to use his fists before asking any questions. The movie features long moments of silence and static camera work before they are interrupted by hectic sequences and brutal acts of violence. The movie is quite brutal indeed and the body count rises quicker and quicker as the film progresses. Innocent bystanders get killed, a helpless homeless man gets beaten to pulp and even a pitiful woman gets executed. The film's conclusion is particularly cynical and nihilistic but offers an unexpected twist and some food for thought.

Fans of Japanese V-cinema and enthusiasts for brutal yakuza movies will adore Violent Cop. It has an intriguing atmosphere, unusual characters and lots of violence. Despite its cynical, nihilistic and pitiless attitude, the movie is never shallow and actually offers some food for thought. The film has aged quite well and shows the dark side of Japan's society.

Yes, it´s true: all the real great movies of the 1990s seem to be produced in the land of the rising sun! This dark cop thriller is no exclusion, because "Violent Cop" is suspense-packed, dramatic, sinister - and the actors don´t say a word too much! The dark poetry often reminded me on the films of Paul Schrader or Abel Ferrera as well as the visual brilliance and the excellent cinematography this Japanese gem contains! And, of course, main actor Takeshi Kitano is the new God of Eastern cinema! Masterpieces like "Brother" or "Hana Bi" blew my mind, and his performance of the emotional broken cop is powerful and amazing! A highly recommended film!!!