HANA-BI
Japan, 1997, 104 minutes, Colour.
Beat Takeshi, Kayoko Kishimoto, Ren Osugi.
Directed by Takeshi Kitano.
Takeshi Kitano is one of Japan's celebrities, comedian, TV host, writer, painter, actor and in more recent years, director. His films have tended to be hard-hitting cop and yakuza dramas, stylishly but violently done. Hana-bi (which means flower and fire and is translated Fireworks) was grand prize winner at Venice, 1997 and is a very skilful and arresting film combining Kitano's interest in the police and the gangsters (and some startling violent sequences) along with a contemplative approach, a meditation on life and death, vengeance and honour, and a beautiful look at marriage. Specialist but fascinating viewing.
1.The career of Takeshi Kitano? Gangster films? Meditative films? His work as an artis? Television comedian? The blend of these themes in this film? Its acclaim and awards?
2.The settings, Japanese city life? The work of a detective? Retirement? Hospitals and the ill wife? The bank robberies? The musical score?
3.The title, fireworks? Flowers and fire?
4.The focus on Nishi? His work as a detective? His being taciturn? Yet the audience understanding his character and the way that his mind worked? With Horibe? Horibe and the stakeout, the killer? Nishi and his visiting his wife, her terminal illness, hospital? The doctor and the discussion about Miyuki’s death? The news about Horibe, shot, wounded?
5.The background of Nishi, Detective Nakamura, Detective Tanaka? The killer? Stalking him? The shopping mall? Nishi and his attack on the killer? The wounding of Nakamura, the death of Tanaka? Nishi shooting him? Nishi and his emotions, firing all his shots into the killer?
6.Horibe, his wounds, wheelchair? Abandoned by his wife and his child? His suicidal behaviour?
7.Nishi, leaving the police force, his care for his wife, her convalescence at home? The significance of the debt, borrowing money, the loan sharks, the background with the Yakuza – and Nishi giving money to support Tanaka’s widow?
8.The issue of art, paintings, his buying the materials, the beret, giving them to Horibe, for Horibe to paint?
9.The loan sharks, the criminal background, refusing to give him more money? The credibility of Nishi’s decision to rob the bank? Paying off his debt?
10.Life seeming to start a pattern? Horibe’s painting? Nishi and his wife going on a trip, to Honshu, to Hokkaido, recreating their honeymoon?
11.The pursuit by the criminals, their awareness that he has robbed the bank, their attack on him, his killing them?
12.Nakamura, his intuition that Nishi had robbed the bank, following him, discovering the dead criminals? His confrontation with Nishi and Miyuki on the beach? Nishi and his request to wait, his last moments with his wife, the shootings? The Japanese attitude towards life, death, suicide?
13.The gangster conventions and how well they were used? The police investigation conventions? This contrasting with the humane elements, Nishi, despite his silence, helping Tanaka’s widow, helping Horibe to paint, bring him alive? His care for his wife?
14.The insight into human nature – and the Japanese perspective?
