28 August 2014

Boiling Point (Japan, 1990)

Two members of a Japanese junior baseball team get mixed up with the local yakuza. After their coach is severely injured by the gangsters, the two boys set off to Okinawa to purchase a gun in order to get revenge. While in Okinawa they get befriended by a psychotic yakuza outcast who is planning a revenge of his own.

What happens if you mix Takeshi Kitano, black comedy, a story of retaliation and some small time Yakuza thugs that stirs up problems. You get Boiling Point, of course, one of Kitano's earliest films. One of his biggest strengths in my opinion is his ability to find humour in the damnedest of places, he has completely mastered the dark comedy genre and makes you laugh while almost wondering if it's okay.

The violence, while not at being the focus of this Yakuza film, is extremely stark and graphic once it surfaces. It's crazy to me that not even billion dollar blockbusters makes gun fights this realistic and tough, the scene where a box literally smashes into the head of a guy is worth more than ten boring fight sequences from the latest, biggest action flick.  


Genre: Action/Comedy/Crime

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