Film: Ichi The Killer
"Ichi The Killer"
Japan: Koroshiya 1 / 殺し屋１
Director: Takashi Miike
Original Language: Japanese
Cast: Tadanobu Asano, Nao Omori, Shinya Tsukamoto, Paulyn Sun, Susumu Terajima, Toru Tezuka, Kee, Suzuki Matsuo, Jun Kunimura, Hiroyuki Tanaka
OUCH! I was almost puking at this film, but you know what? the experience is interesting. I guess its because of the idea of films manipulating the psyche of the watcher why i couldn’t stand watching it. Its full of gore and violence, masochism, sadism, you name the worst form of killing and its in this film. I wouldn’t recommend this film to anyone who has a great respect toward women and those who doesn’t have a good stomach. I realized for myself what really is sadism and masochism and i would never think and worry about it too much (i did dream about something like that and imagined a lot of it… so macabre, so disgusting even if its unreal) now that i saw it in films.
One thing i was a little disappointed was the consistency of sound. One is when Tachibana was speaking with Ichi (english and japanese lines) and its like some of her lines were being dubbed for clarity, omg, its a distraction.
I was very overwhelmed with all the props: all the blood, fake hands, fake heads and intestines, and internal organs they had to produce for the film. OhmyGOODNESS!!! if you’re up for the challenge, watch it. The way these gross film toys were laid out on the floor and splashed on the walls together with the colours that are very striking so that we could remember it… AAH! i admit they were effective, but still, its gross!
The plot is somewhat interesting with the gangster and stuff which is something common in japanese films (syndicates, yakuza etc.). i got bored with how it develops. The only thing that is being buried in my mind is that Ichi is very dangerous especially if he thinks he is being mistreated, HE’LL KILL YOU! how? he’ll slash you and cut you into pieces. OYES! SO GROSS! even the role Asano played (Kakihara who is said to be the dead leader of the Anjo syndicate group) is one heck of a masochist and sadist. One thing that drew me to this character is that in order for you to kill him, you have to make a feel for it, you have to put your heart to it.
either way, when someone will remind me of this film, its disgust that comes into my mind. yet it is still interesting through the psychological elements that the characters convey. it is very important in such a film like this, if they want to be successful… which is why i give my applause to the actors for doing so.
if you have forgotten yet, Tadanobu Asano is one of the actors in "Survive Style 5+" which i reviewed before as well as Hattori in the Internationally-acclaimed Takeshi Kitano film "Zatoichi".
now, how many times did i mention "gross"?
–jic 005011MMV0116H
