Outrage Coda (2017)

Director: Takeshi Kitano

Notable Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Toshiyuki Nishida, Ren Osugi, Tatsuo Nadaka, Ken Mitsuichi

While it would seem that Takeshi Kitano’s return to the yakuza genre with his Outrage films has met mixed reaction from fans, since the release of Outrage in 2010, I have been quite the fan. Each of the previous two films, the second one being Outrage Beyond, has seen Kitano blend a fantastic homage to 70s exploitative yakuza films with that of a modern sense of uplifted artistry. He does it with a refined sense of drama and pitch-black humor. When it was finally announced that a third entry would seal off his trilogy of films, I couldn’t have been happier. To make matters even better, Outrage Coda is another impressive addition to the series that sees its protagonist Otomo, played once again by director Kitano, who is again pulled back into the sleazy world of the businessmen yakuza. This third entry retains the same qualities as the first two and finishes off the trilogy in the only way that it could possibly end with strong execution and a sense of self awareness.

Boiling Point (1990)

Director: Takeshi Kitano

Notable Cast: Yurei Yanagi, Yuriko Ishida, Takeshi Kitano, Gadarukanaru Taka, Dankan, Makoto Ashikawa

When I initially had watched Boiling Point about a decade ago, I did not like the film whatsoever... and admittedly my understanding of cinema and my growth as a person myself has greatly changed my outlook on what was my least favorite Kitano film back then. I truly believe that Kitano's sophomore effort is a very well made film that deserves to be more sought out by movie goers.

Violent Cop (1989)

Director: Takeshi Kitano

Notable Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Maiko Kawakami, Makoto Ashikawa, Shiro Sano, Sei Hiraizumi

Kitano's debut comes out of the gate swinging with this fast-paced bloodbath of a gangster film. It doesn't really focus on the aspect of gang members, like his latter works, but he (Kitano) as the cop, is just as, if not more crazy than any gangster in the entire story. Mixing this violence with Kitano's trademark dark humor, you easily get one of Kitano's very best works to date.

Initially I thought the film was sort of lacking, despite the strong opening, as the scenes that unfold are pretty mundane and repetitive, but quickly realized we were just on the beat with Kitano's character, no pun intended. It's designed to show that even in the most simple situations, his handling of crime doers is far above and beyond the law, making his extremes later on very believable. How he hadn't been fired before is beyond me, but I just went with it.

Outrage (2010) and Beyond Outrage (2012)

OUTRAGE (2010)

Director: Takeshi Kitano

Notable Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Kippei Shiina, Ryo Kase, Tomokazu Miura, Jun Kunimura, Tetta Sugimoto, Takashi Tsukamoto, Nideo Nakano, Renji Ishibashi, Fumiyo Kohinata, Soichiro Kiamura

Upon my second viewing of Outrage, I still feel a bit conflicted about the film. On one hand, Takeshi Kitano handles his "comeback" to the yakuza film with a very intense and precise touch. The film is very vague in its build, rarely giving exposition outside of assumed connections from the audience, and it bops around a variety of characters as it pieces together its plot about the rising internal strife of a larger yakuza family. To its benefit, Outrage is brimming with fantastic performances and the tone is suffocating in how it presents itself with surgical precision. Kitano might have branched out from yakuza films in recent years, but really this is the kind of comeback to the form and style that it was made out to be and in that kind of execution it’s right in line with expectations.