Featured Audience Ratings

• Emil K

  
  Beautiful, violent and extremely heartbreaking story about a policeman and his terminally ill wife. Hana-Bi is not a perfect film. not even a close. But it does have one of a kind beauty in it. It has rare moments that mix so many different emotions together. You can never tell where… More
  Beautiful, violent and extremely heartbreaking story about a policeman and his terminally ill wife. Hana-Bi is not a perfect film. not even a close. But it does have one of a kind beauty in it. It has rare moments that mix so many different emotions together. You can never tell where Kitano is going next with this film. You can sense anger, frustration, violence, love and sorrow from this film and that makes it something special. I myself have always find Kitano's sudden mood changes a bit too abrupt to my own taste. Especially the moments that are supposed to be darkly comic feel just outright pointless and unnecessary in a story like this. Honestly they are not funny. On the the other hand those sudden changes in pace are what makes this film so different in it's league. There is one element that stands above everything in this film and that is composer Joe Hisaishi's outstanding score. Hisaishi, who is frequent collaborator with japanese master director Hayao Miyazaki, does wonderful job here. His music alone makes this film touching and rewarding experience to sit through. There is certain mastery and poetic feel in how Kitano directs this journey but ultimately even with a story this devastating the end result feels a bit too cold and distant for me. Maybe the whole plot with all it's twists feels too over the top. There is still calm beauty in this film and it stands as one of the Kitano's best films to date.

• xGary X

  
  An ex cop tries to spend time with his dying wife during her final days, but a Yakuza loan shark refuses to leave him in peace. A typically understated marriage of violence and poetry from Beat Takeshi, Hana-Bi examines loss and mortality in a deeply personal way. It shares many of… More
  An ex cop tries to spend time with his dying wife during her final days, but a Yakuza loan shark refuses to leave him in peace. A typically understated marriage of violence and poetry from Beat Takeshi, Hana-Bi examines loss and mortality in a deeply personal way. It shares many of the themes of Sonatine, but is not as brutally nihilistic; there is much warmth in the often wordless scenes with his wife which have far more humanity than the contrived schmaltz we are used to from most mainstream film making. Takeshi's laconic persona is taken to the extreme in this film as he silently deals with the loss of his child, his wife's illness and his guilt over his suicidal ex-partner's crippling injury, although he still manages to find humour with the use of some oddball supporting characters. In other words another typically brilliant and artful Beat Takeshi film.

• Cameron S

  
  Touching, absurd and beautiful. Hana-bi is a lot like 'Sonatine' another one of Kitano's films as it portrays a nihilistic main character, a man of few words, dealing with his wife dying and his co-worker wanting to commit suicide. Hana-bi moves at a slow pace and is… More
  Touching, absurd and beautiful. Hana-bi is a lot like 'Sonatine' another one of Kitano's films as it portrays a nihilistic main character, a man of few words, dealing with his wife dying and his co-worker wanting to commit suicide. Hana-bi moves at a slow pace and is accompanied by a perfect soundtrack and great violence. Truly outstanding and Kitano's best.

• Bruce B

  
  This movie is from a list of movies played at the 1997 Toronto International Movie Festival.Its written by Takeshi Kitano and is 103 Minutes long. Its about a police officer in Asia, whose wife is dying of Leukemia and one of his fellow partners gets shot on the job, along with other… More
  This movie is from a list of movies played at the 1997 Toronto International Movie Festival.Its written by Takeshi Kitano and is 103 Minutes long. Its about a police officer in Asia, whose wife is dying of Leukemia and one of his fellow partners gets shot on the job, along with other police officers. What we have is a shell of a man just trying to get through the pain and depression. He only wants what?s best for is wife, and robs a bank to take his wife on her last trip. He owes loan sharks, the police are looking for him. So we have a story that is shown from many angles. This is also listed with New Yorker Films, so you know its got to be good. If your a Rocky Fan, or a Segal Film, then you will not grasp the inner thoughts of this movie, lacks action, but it is a story that is complete with itself, 4 Stars.

• Anthony L

  
  Hana-bi is Kitano's most personal work to date. It seems like all his feelings, that he'd bottled up for so long, were suddenly triggered and then released after his near death motorcycle accident. In his autobiography it says that after he committed suicide (Beat, his… More
  Hana-bi is Kitano's most personal work to date. It seems like all his feelings, that he'd bottled up for so long, were suddenly triggered and then released after his near death motorcycle accident. In his autobiography it says that after he committed suicide (Beat, his alter-ego) he felt real but at the same time uncertain of his future, mainly due to a lack of confidence. It must be hard, being the most famous man in Japan, producing No 1 TV shows, Comedy, best selling books etc to huge success, but when he directs films (his real passion) he is disregarded and misunderstood. His films have had a much larger impact in the western world, why? I'm not sure but this certainly isn't a typical Asian film, its not a typical western film, its truly original and a real raw insight into the man and his emotions. Hard hitting but truly beautiful, Hana-bi is something special, a metamorphosis of a genius.

• El Hombre I

  
  The damaging effects of violence, the strong bonds between family and friends, and the healing power of art are explored in a visually effective way. It's remarkable how much can be communicated considering Fireworks' almost complete lack of dialogue. Takeshi… More
  The damaging effects of violence, the strong bonds between family and friends, and the healing power of art are explored in a visually effective way. It's remarkable how much can be communicated considering Fireworks' almost complete lack of dialogue. Takeshi "Beat" Kitano, who plays the main character Nishii may have only a line or two in the entire film, something American gangster films would not or could not even attempt. <a href="http://s273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/?action=view¤t=hanabi.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj203/goji9000/hanabi.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> Footnote: All of the art in the film was done by Kitano while recovering from a motorcycle accident. His face shows damage and it adds so much more to his broken character.

• Tsubaki S

  
  A film like Hana Bi perfectly embodies the phrase "less is more". Kitano doesn't waste any time in pointless exposition, dialogues and what not. He goes straight to the core of things, going from a violent scene to a tender moment to a funny part in a way that many so… More
  A film like Hana Bi perfectly embodies the phrase "less is more". Kitano doesn't waste any time in pointless exposition, dialogues and what not. He goes straight to the core of things, going from a violent scene to a tender moment to a funny part in a way that many so called directors could only dream about pulling out. One of the most important films of past years, instant classic and mandatory view for any so-called "cinema fan".

• Ken S

  
  My first introduction to Kitano. Very interesting stylistically, sort of the anti-John Woo. Like if Sam Fuller had a man-baby with Gus Van Sant

• Lesley N

  
  Jaded and troubled cop gives his soon-to-be-dead wife a final road trip. I like Takeshi Kitano, and I particularly like Fireworks. He manages to combine violence, poignancy and comedy without throwing the pace of the film. and he leaves space and silence which others would fill with… More
  Jaded and troubled cop gives his soon-to-be-dead wife a final road trip. I like Takeshi Kitano, and I particularly like Fireworks. He manages to combine violence, poignancy and comedy without throwing the pace of the film. and he leaves space and silence which others would fill with endless dialog or blow-em-ups. but which show you far more about the characters than a ten-page exposition or explosion ever could. And to add icing to the cake, a soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi.. Beautiful. <img src="http://www.larepublicacultural.es/IMG/jpg_Kitano_02.jpg">

• Francisco G

  
  A profoundly moving, poetic movie, made of extremes that on most occasions works, but on others the contrasts are a bit too much to handle. Nevertheless no one should miss this and I dare you not to feel "something" towards Nishi's character.

• Christopher B

  
  The most beautiful crime story ever made. Along with the wonderful visuals you get a great Kitano performance and an intense story. This is the film where I think Takeshi Kitano really became the director he is today.

• Wu C

  
  Alot like Sonatine. Funny, Violent & Tragic. A must for fans of Kitano.

Read all 12 featured audience ratings