Outrage (2010) User Reviews

Yakuza mayhem à la Takeshi Kitano

[Simonster · 8/10 · 30 March 2011]

Viewed at the Festival du Film, Cannes 2010

Takeshi Kitano's return to his familiar stamping ground, the Yakuza, their intrigues, vendettas and highly inventive ways of inflicting extreme unpleasantness on one another, was given less than a stellar welcome by critics at the Festival. A common refrain was that there was nothing new on offer here, no new insights, just a retread of the familiar. Well, they are right, but is that really such a bad thing?

I say no, not when we get tough guys, sharp suits, black humour, extreme violence (you might never want to visit the dentist again), a convoluted plot that is hard to follow but has something to do with rivalry, inheriting the reins of power and inflicting extreme violence on the other team. Oh yes, there's also betrayal and extreme violence.

Outrage is old-school Takeshi Kitano, a (for me) welcome return to his glory days, not that he ever left them behind (I've time for all his films, if not his gameshows). If you like the man, as actor or director, then you won't be disappointed by this film, just as long as you are not expecting something new and different, that is.

A Welcome(?) Step Backwards for Takeshi

[otaking241 · 8/10 · 2 July 2010]

Outrage is the film that many fans of director Kitano Takeshi (and, no doubt, his investors) have been clamoring for ever since he embarked on his art-house odyssey with 2002's Dolls. The ensuing years' films ranged from introspective (Takeshis) to wacky (Kantoku Banzai!), and brought him critical acclaim but not much success at the box office. Outrage is clearly designed to please fans of Takeshi's earlier films, such as Sonatine or Violent Cop: hard-boiled gangster films taking places in the shadowy world of Japan's yakuza.

The plot revolves around an internal power struggle within an established yakuza family: a fairly standard trope in gangster films in the East and West. Building on this frame Takeshi piles on a number of events, the sequence characterized by the sort of surreally disconnected quality that I associate with his films. It's difficult to follow causality from one event to the next, and in many cases they seem to operate as interesting vignettes loosely connected through the overarching plot. Some are blackly humorous, some are brutally violent, most are characterized by lots of yelling and cursing in the sort of coarse Japanese that's really difficult for non-native speakers to get. Luckily the plot is simple enough to follow, but I do wonder about missing out on some of the finer details...

The characters are filled out only in broad strokes, and most of the standard types are represented: the godfather-like boss, the loyal lieutenant, the conniving underling, the dundering muscle and so on. Takeshi gets generally excellent performances out of the cast, who manage to come off as sincere and spontaneous. He mentioned in a recent television interview that he shoots most of his scenes in only one or two takes, and the film feels fresh. There's some very good talent here, mostly genre actors but good ones. You develop sympathy for a lot of them by the film's end, which is a mark in its favor.

One of the things I really enjoyed about the film was Takeshi's camera-work, which remains sharp and eye-pleasing as ever. He makes effective use of wide-angle close-ups, and does some great riffs off of Coppola in several scenes. Long pans and still shots are also used well. One that really sticks out in my memory from the beginning of the film is a low, outside shot of a line of black cars, just the rear quarter panels, lined up one after the other traveling down the road. It's an odd shot, but serenely beautiful and effective at conveying a sense of the power and menace of the men inside.

On the minus side, the plot really is simplistic and predictable. Not to the extent of boredom, but once you understand the setup it's not at all hard to imagine how things are bound to turn out. Also, I thought the film felt, on the whole, a bit too clean. The cars in every scene are immaculately polished, every actor is decked out in a neatly arranged designer suit, and every set has all of its props in a neatly prescribed arrangement. It presents a somewhat dystopic, but ultimately whitewashed view of yakuza society that would feel retrograde in a Western gangster film.

Overall, it's nice to see a new yakuza film come out of Takeshi's shop, hallmarked with the same sort of black humor, extreme violence and artistic flair that we've come to expect from this perennial festival honoree. I would, however, have liked to see a bit more of how his intervening films might have affected this genre. Outrage is a good yakuza film, but doesn't do much (enough?) to step outside of its element.

Intense atmosphere lacks an appropriate balance between justice and hostile

[Junreviews · 6/10 · 25 November 2012]

What are some words out there to describe the evil Japanese clan "Yakuza?" It comes down to brutality, unforgiving, relentless, and an absolute pledge. Fortunately, The Outrage, directed by Takeshi Kitano who is famous for Battle Royal, manages to tell the cruel side of Yakuza world where a verbal conflict leads to spattering blood until the strongest wins.

To summarize the plot, the two different crime organizations owned by an affluent Sanmo-kai chairman get into a vicious quarrel as each subordinate gets killed one by one from back-to-back retaliation. As they are inclined to execute everything they are told by their higher-ups under any occasion, the story gets deeper and intense.

We also get to see all types of violence for the punishment and vengeance. One of the traditional ways of making it up for one's miscue is to slice one of their fingers. There is zero mercy and sympathy.

To talk about some downsides, As the justice being the symbol of the police, a lieutenant forms an alliance with the Yakuza chairman by getting a bribe. There is no need to reprimand the director portraying an unlawful decorum of police here. But, the real disappointment lies on the incompetent power of a legislative body that faces against Yakuza being one-sided as they easily makes a mockery of the police.

For example, there is a scene where a luxury car with a corpse in the trunk tries to pass through an inspection gate which is heavily guarded by more than three officers. And, one of the subordinates, Ishihara who is fluent in English pretends be a foreigner who does not understand a word of Japanese so the officer just meekly lets them pass despite discovering blood dripping from the trunk. That is not all. The officer getting rejected for frisking the trunk because they state that it belongs to an embassy! It neglects the duty and proprietary of the police whose jobs are to identify any suspects.

Not only that, while a number of Yakuza members getting killed in public, the police does not even try to arrest a single member because of inadequate evidence! All I see is the same lieutenant taking a bribe and yelling at the alleged Yakuza "You did it right?" "Don't lie to me!" whilst the rest of his comrades being dormant. Can't the director bother to make an even one scene where forensics examining fingerprints?

Even it is an intention of director to show corrupted side of Japanese police, I still think they should implement detailed investigation scenes where police and Yakuza congregate.

Other than that, the story itself delivers well. The lesson in this movie would be human beings have the effrontery to betray anyone in order to fulfill their own goal, at least in Yakuza world. Sadly, the world we are living in may not be as hopeful as we think yet.

Masterpiece yakuza

[MasayaKato · 6 November 2011]

First of all if you're gonna complain about too much violence in a gangster movie. Go watch something like " Sesame street ". This movie has top class acting from almost everybody. Story is excellent and really shows how the big yakuza bosses play mind games all along. My favourite scene of the movie is in that noodle shop where a random customer will find something floating in his bowl of noodles =). If u wanna see a really cool and awesome yakuza movie, this should be it. I can not wait for the second part of this movie. It's suppose to come out anytime in 2012. I am a huge huge fan of the movie " Brother " and another epic Japanese yakuza movie called " Agitator ". If you liked those movies, you will simply love this movie too. give it a shot. 2 thumbs up

High potential lacks conviction

[stianchrister · 6/10 · 13 May 2011]

A very well-executed movie in terms of directing and acting, and it's a decent watch for anyone who enjoys a good mafia movie, or a yakuza movie as the case may be. However, there is nothing new on display. It blends in with the masses and masses of movies in its genre.

Throughout the entire movie, I kept feeling a sense of lack. This lack was a lack of sympathy you feel for these characters, and the lack of understanding for the system on display. You don't understand what's going on until about an hour into the movie, and by then it's a little too late to care. There's a little too much shooting first, and too few questions asked. I believe Kitano really tried to write a movie that could stand among classics like Scarface and the Godfather in terms of epics, but fell short.

However, I would say the movie is worth a watch, if only to see what the movie could've been.

Takeshi Kitano as a yakuza again

[dragokin · 7/10 · 19 May 2013]

I was surprised to run into Outrage in a fantasy-horror festival, yet there were several gore scenes that clearly qualified the movie for it.

Whether you like Takeshi Kitano or not, he sure is good in depicting the yakuza. In the long run this ability got him typecast and he tried to brake the mold in several movies between Brother (2000) and Outrage. For some reason he decided not to pursue his artistic ambition for a while and focus again on Japanese underworld. And this is in no way a step back.

The power struggle between the old boss and his right hand is exquisitely depicted. Without it Outrage would be just another crime thriller with extreme scenes of violence.

Violent Yakuza movie well written and directed by Beat Takeshi ; full of thrills , action and nasty killings

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 21 July 2014]

The screenplay concerns a struggle for power amongst Tokyo's Yakuza clans . As the boss of a major crime syndicate orders his lieutenant to bring a rogue gang of drug traffickers in line, a job that gets passed on to his long-suffering subordinate . Ôtomo (Beat Takeshi , apart from himself, Takeshi Kitano cast no other actor that has been in one of his films before, as per the producer's suggestion) now a free man seek to live his life away from the Yakuza world but during his imprisonment, things have changed . The Sanno family – who destroyed Ôtomo's family – has become too powerful and the old-guard members felt that the young leaders are risking the whole business because of their extreme greed . One wrong move and it's all out war .

The great Japanese director Beat Takeshi returns to the big screen with ¨Outrage¨ dealing with a genre that gave him international recognition and made him one of the best Asian filmmakers , and being Takeshi Kitano's first gangster film in ten years , after Brother (2000) . It is an exciting picture displaying suspense , tension , and interesting gangsters war , though sometimes difficult to follow . There is also a cruel depiction of Yakuza life in the 21st century . The story opens with a striking wide shot of a large group of gangsters dressed in black as their leaders meet , these guys have sworn allegiance to their bosses, but it means little once the bullets start flying . Cold and violent film with a confuse plot , twisted intrigue , grisly killings , thrills , chilling events and colorful images . His stunning long takes can resemble intricate paintings while his characters enjoy little respite from the ruthlessness of the real world . However , it results to be a little bit boring , including with no sense dialogs and some embarrassing situations adding brutal murders . Following a string of unconventional , commercially unappealing films, Takeshi Kitano engineered this film specifically as commercially appealing, going back to the genre which brought him the most success, and going as far as imagining the death scenes first and writing a story around them later .

The motion picture was professionally directed by Takeshi Kitano in his peculiar style , being his first film shot in 2.35:1 format . Since his 1989 directorial debut, Kitano has written, directed, edited or starred in almost a film per year without losing the momentum of his originality and heightened artistic sensibility. The extraordinary success of 1997's Hana Bi confirmed Kitano's place as a leading figure of international cinema , here offered remarkable visions of violence and beauty . Among its numerous awards, "Hana-bi" or ¨Fireworks¨ won Venice Film Festival's Golden Lion and was named Best Non-European Film by the European Film Academy . In 2000 Kitano made Brother (2000), his first film shot outside of Japan. Originally a comedy star on Japanese television, Takeshi Kitano , aka Beat Takeshi , rose to international fame as a director of Yakuza dramas during the 1990s . "Brother", like other Kitano-directed films such as his debut "Violent Cop" , ¨Boiling Point¨ (1990) and ¨Sonatine¨ (1993), centered around Yakuza (gangster) characters. The filmmaker contrasted the violence and action of those films with comedy or tenderness in films like Ano Natsu, Ichiban Shizukana Umi (1991) (US title: "A Scene at the Sea"), Minnâ-Yatteruka! (1994) (US title: "Getting Any?"), Kizzu ritân (1996) (US title: "Kids Return") and Kikujiro (1999). For the first time in six years, Kitano remained strictly behind the camera on Dolls (2002), his tenth film as a writer-director . His last film is this ¨Outrage¨ that most closely resembles 2000's Brother in tone, but it outdoes that picture by remaining unpredictable with constant betrayals , getting a considerable success .

Outrageous!

[joeydoa · 10/10 · 20 December 2010]

Kitano, who has left the personal, lyrical and poetic quality behind, now emerges as a filmmaker reaching out to the mainstream. Outrage is the start of his second Yakuza trilogy (Outrage 2 has been announced for next year), and plays out on a Shakespearean stage with the epic quality of Dostoyevsky. Unlike his first trilogy (Violent Cop, Boiling Point and Sonatine), this movie focuses on the politics of the yakuza rather than an intimate portrait of a compromised individual.

There are random acts of extreme violence that continue to propel the plot forward. Kitano, playing the underboss Otomo, is a similar role to his other characters in yakuza movies which portray out of control individuals that have a minor standing yet have the last word at the end of the play. Rather than focusing on the beauty of mobsters hiding out on the beach, this is a gritty, urban drama much in the tradition of Johnnie To's triad movies (Election) that has dominated the organized crime dramas over the past decade.

In showing the criminality of the human mind, it evokes Mario Bava's study in Rabid Dogs, similarly Kitano is building a Brechtian inspired drama about the harsh existential life. Kitano continues to explain and further define his worldview through the character of a doomed nihilist anti-hero. In all of Kitano's yakuza character studies, there is no hope, or redemption, only a further plunge into an ugly existence of lies and deceit, where only an act of violence can bring about change.

As Kitano remarked publicly about his making of Outrage, he is giving the people what they want - no pretense of artistic embellishments, but rather blunt, cruel acts of violence of the professional criminal devoid of any romanticism. One scene in particular evokes The Godfather, but that is where the similarities end - there is nothing glamorous about the yakuza lifestyle.

In this film, Kitano assumes the duties as in his other yakuza films as that of star, director, editor and writer. The vision is completely his own. The pacing is deliberately slow, showing that the life of a criminal is not particularly exciting but rather mundane as that of any other type of businessman, mostly involving allegiances of convenience and acts of betrayal. There is no illumination or redemption here, no course of action will lead to a better life, such is the basic tenet of a nihilist.

There is little flourish in the direction such as to immerse the viewer into the dark, banal existence of its characters. The one scene that brings a sense of relief with sunlight streaming through the trees on a backstreet, is colored darkly by seemingly innocent activity that is actually quite sinister for the individuals involved.

This is a welcome and long overdue return for Kitano to the yakuza genre which he abandoned a decade ago for a trilogy of felliniesque introspective autobiographical films. There are no experimental sequences or absurdist imagery as in his previous films. As a consequence, Kitano is no longer held back with meditative musings, instead giving the viewer an unfiltered take on the corruption, lies, and phony existence of the individual in an artificial society - that any person in any social situation is merely part of an inauthentic social contract.

In many ways, the lack of artistic pretense in Outrage only serves to further embolden the bleak message that Kitano has for us. This is not a film for the weak of heart, nor is it one for the impatient, it is a slow revelation revealing the emptiness of life and the pointlessness of all action.

If you like it raw and don't mind the elegant but slow-moving unravelling of a story, you have to go for this!

[moviexclusive · 7/10 · 16 September 2010]

What comes to your mind when one mentions "Yakuza"? Is it something bleak and dark? That's apparently what's delivered through this Takeshi Kitano film.

Typically, the topic of yakuza is often shunned. If ever confronted, it is often used to accentuate comedic elements, whilst leaving the truth of the yakuza world unchallenged. However, director/screenwriter/actor Takeshi Kitano goes against the flow and makes a comeback with this feature film after almost a decade long hiatus. Though this is not as well received as compared to other made in Japan films, it has still received much acclamation. Earlier in his directing career, he was already known for "Violent Cop" and "Sonatine", which also dealt with the dark world of yakuza. It is therefore admirable for his efforts to bring forth the most truthful reflection of the dark side of Japan despite the risk of low commercial success. And for this film, he has once again managed to project a somewhat accurate image of the realities in the yakuza scene.

The overarching plot of the film works with the conflicts that could possibly exist in any relationships – malice and greed. It circles the power struggle between the Iketomo-gumi and its affliation Murase-gumi and his sworn brother Otomo (Takeshi Kitano) who has his own crew as well. While Otomo tries to break free from the subordination of the Murase-gumi, they too try to acquire greater power. In this power struggle, they begin to plot against one another and result in sheer violence and torture. In this aspect, Takeshi is quite creative and playful as he invents numerous ways that the characters get tortured or die. As revealed in one of his interviews, he actually came up with these before he wrote the narrative that parallels with the violence. The convincing gore and never-imagined ways to kill and torture; for this you really have to watch it for yourself.

Takeshi has carefully chosen who to cast for this film. He made a point not to repeat any actors who worked with him in his previous yakuza related works. The cast is pretty commendable for they capture the essence of the characters they are portraying, and even are said to get through each scene with only one or two shots. One of the more outstanding actors is undeniably Ryo Kase, who sports fluent English as opposed to the Japrish/Engrish we often associate Japanese with. That being said, the English dialogues between him and the gaijin (foreigner) were rather blunt and funny. This is probably intentionally designed to poke fun and entertain the viewers.

In the technical aspect, Takeshi displays much competence in his camera- work. From wide-angled shots, to close-ups, to long pans and even point- of-view shots; he utilized a variety of these shots to effectively communicate the non-verbal messages. Put simply, you will find it easier to 'get into the mood' as he engages the viewers very much. Also, hallmark of his films is the seemingly abrupt cuts that often do not signal direct causality in the sequences. As the idiom goes, "one man's meat is another man's poison". You will either hate this style or love this style. Though it can get confusing at times, the overarching plot sets a frame for which the sequences happen. Therefore in its fairly organized manner, it sparks brilliance in its narrative.

Overall the film though unconventional, is a careful examination of the selfish desires that deteriorates relationships. Fitted into the yakuza context, this message has an added punch. On a random note, do look forward to the unanticipated twist towards the end!

• www.moviexclusive.com

A Nutshell Review: Outrage

[DICK STEEL · 10/10 · 26 September 2010]

As far as I can remember, the first Takeshi Kitano film that I saw him in was a Yakuza one called Brother, where his character got to get to the United States while on the run from Japan, and showed his relative a thing or two about running a racket and setting up shop in a foreign land. Between then and now there were the offbeat support roles in mainstream films to art-house fare and now I've gone full circle with Kitano's latest Jpaanese film Outrage which made it to Cannes, telling a story none other than one involving Japanese gangsters.

But this is not your ordinary, romanticized tale of gangsters where there's an identifiable lead who'd probably be that anti-hero, or villain with the heart of gold. Outrage is an intense look at the structure of the Japanese yakuza, where there is proper hierarchy in terms of funding, promotions, and the likes, and how things are run in that secret society. It's almost like a corporation with a CEO in place, with various houses reporting back to him, each having a report card to score, and the weak ones taken out from the organization, in brutal fashion of course.

Written, directed and edited by Takeshi Kitano, this is one film that tells you straight in the face that these are all bad men, with zero humanity nor any room for redemption, as they lead their corrupt lives very much looking over their shoulders, choosing to go onto the path of obvious hypocrisy, where loyalties are flimsy and count for nothing and are only as good as what you can bring and contribute to the coffers. Which is an interesting notion as you see orders no matter how absurd they sound being followed to a T, and some of the best scenes involve contemplation of what's morally ethical (ok, even for a bit) when told to betray another, and this not only involves the hoodlums, but those who are on the side to enforce the law being no better themselves.

And the catalyst for everything that unfolds in the film, gets sparked off by something as menial as an exploitation of a seemingly harmless man in a karaoke bar turned wrong, which in essence is something hatched by the those in the lower rung of the structure because the head honcho disapproves of certain relationships being linked with the larger family alliance. Yes, those at the bottom of the food chain, gets to do all the dirty work. From then the narrative moves at a frantic pace as things get to spiral out of control and taking on a life of its own, with everything from the gangsters' arsenal of weapons like bribery, assassinations and blackmail being deployed in a systematic execution of foes from each side.

The violence on display doesn't flinch, which sort of provides you that cautionary hint that crime doesn't pay, and that doesn't just mean the mutilation of the pinky is enough in ritual apologies. Kitano's story serves up execution after execution that will make the sternest of hearts cower at the way they are carried out without remorse, even though you clearly know they are evil guys who deserve as good as the punishment and death they dish out themselves. You'd get plenty of bloody good gore thrown in for good measure without the camera cutting away, which splatters the film with plenty of crimson red. In some ways it plays out like poetic justice, especially when accompanied by the really magnificent soundtrack by Keiichi Suzuki.

Outrage is outrageously recommended for those who'd like to sit on the sidelines and observe how people destroy other people in society through the lack of ethics, especially when this film mirrors human nature in general with the plotting of usurping other's position of power any moment, of self-advancement through the stepping on other's backs. Only that here, when it involves turf, money and promotion to get to the very top amongst a group of armed men with little morals, it comes with many body bags as well. Definitely one of the best Yakuza films in recent years for its stunningly brutal and refreshing portrayal of violent men in violent form.

Disappointing rehash.

[mmushrm · 7/10 · 2 March 2011]

I found this movie to be a bit disappointing. Yes the direction, the plot, the filming and acting is good but unfortunately by the 2/3 mark of the movie you can already guess whats going to happen and the ending. However if you are new to Beat Takeshi's gangster/cop movies then this movie is good. Hence my 7/10 rating.

The movie revolves around the plot by the Machiavellian chairman of the Yakuza, sorta like the Don of the mafia. He plays off the different families against each other and plays off the sub families (sub clans) and their under-bosses against the main family (clans). It shows how the Don maintain and attained his power and how "loyalty" is merely a facade used for control.

The acting is good with Takeshi's trademark use of minimal dialogue and quick brutal violence, the comedic element and ending. (unfortunately the same ending we have seen again and again.)

Still a good movie but IMO its a movie we have seen countless time from Beat Takeshi.

A Real Yakuza Film

[TheFilmGuy1 · 8/10 · 15 July 2014]

I really wonder why there isn't more modern day realistic Yakuza films coming out of Japan. Perhaps it has something to do with the real Yakuza not being too pleased about that idea. I've read a few stories, and that's a strong possibility. Regardless, this film gives me something that i'd like to see more of. (And luckily we did with the sequel to this film being released recently)

Takeshi Kitano directs, writes, edits and stars in this film, which is quite impressive. I must say, he does a good job at all of these things. He creates a film that really feels like a look into the violent and backstabbing world of the Yakuza. It doesn't pull any punches, that's for sure. It also contains a scene that will make you fear the dentists office more than you may already fear it. Apparently Kitano wrote the death scenes first, and then wrote the story around it, which you may think would make for a terrible movie, but you would be wrong. The story is intriguing and full of betrayal. The movie also has a great soundtrack that has a very cool synth sound.

The performances are all quite believable. In the way that you feel like the actors in Goodfellas are real members of the mafia, Outrage contains actors whose performances would almost have you believe they we're real Yakuza. You have some real despicable characters, and the actors fill those rolls so well.

Overall, this is a film that is quite underrated when it comes to the gangster film genre. I would love to see more Yakuza films that have a similar style to this. Highly recommended to gangster movie fans.

average gangster film

[billcr12 · 6/10 · 4 December 2011]

Outrage is a sort of Japanese Godfather with Yakuza members vying to move up the crime hierarchy by beating, mutilating, killing each other in various vicious ways including a new and creative one involving a rope and a moving car.

It lacks both the depth and the soul of Coppola's classic gangster film of 1972. Also missing here is Marlon Brando's larger than life Don Corleone; none of the actor's here can come close.

The violence becomes repetitive as do the betrayals which bored me, and the editing seemed haphazard, never developing a coherent flow. The overall production is competent with decent acting but in the end I didn't care what happened to anyone from the chairman down the the many Yakuza soldiers. Everyone is corrupt, including the police, taking bribes to the street criminals looking out for themselves.

Outclassed

[shinsrevenge · 4/10 · 21 March 2015]

Outrage is a rather boring Yakuza-Movie about a bunch of leaders that scheme and fight against each other to gain control and increase their rank. Unfortunately, the plot is weak. They speak a few lines, there's a brutal murder here and there, but everything seems so distant that you can't bring yourself to care about who lives and who dies. You just watch and wait for the next one to be backstabbed. The slow pace of Outrage combined with the fact that there isn't really much of a story to tell makes the movie below average for me and therefore 4 stars. However, the acting was okay.

Not a total waste of time, but not really worth the time either.

Violent auto-gratification with twist of black humor

[domi-mihalj · 7/10 · 11 December 2011]

Sanno-Kai is a powerful yakuza organization with a hierarchical structure of several mutually subordinate clans. Head of Organization, Sekiuchi (Soichiro Kitamura), is dissatisfied with the closeness of his assistant chief Ikemoto (Jun Kunimura) with rival clan of Murase (Renji Ishibashi). Since Ikemoto's clan made a brotherly agreement with Murase's clan, he engages Otomo (Takeshi Kitano) to create a conflict that will eliminate doubts of Sekuichi. Otomo is the head of the family subordinated to Ikemoto, but delegated task to rough Murase gang members up a bit takes over-zealously. This act will ignite bloody spiral of inevitable revenge, sadistic violence and dirty power struggle between the clans, with the head of the organization in the heart of the conflict...

The versatile Japanese director Takeshi Kitano has built a worldwide reputation in the nineties recording impressive auteur films about the yakuzas. After he shot the film Brother (2000), he left the genre inspired by the Japanese underworld, and devoted himself to film work on a series of art-drama, exploring the theme of intimate and spiritual significance. With movie Outrage (Autoreiji, 2010) he has closed the full circle of different genre preoccupations and returned to the territory of yakuza clan films. But loyal Kitano audience is likely to be disappointed by the realization of the director's return to the genre: the title of the new film is also its program. Outrage is reduced to the naked and brutal retaliatory clashes and struggle for power and the corresponding territory.

Recognizable stylistic origins of earlier Kitano's genre works are in Outrage almost entirely abandoned. In this movie we do not come across the hardened criminals with a humanistic line, ready to dispose of weapons and far away from everyday underground enjoy relaxation in the infantile pastime. World of meditative yakuza characters filled with elegiac lyric is replaced in Outrage with world of one-dimensional techno-gangsters filled with blood of unstoppable brutality. Slow poetics of existential doubt is substituted with the stereotypical characteristic of gangster genre - ruthless struggle for power and money.

The narrative of Outrage is told through the tangled web of secret treaties, broken promises, betrayed loyalties, conspiratorial intrigue, fierce revenge and blatant treason, and is constantly escalating in brutal skirmishes. Compliance with the order and hierarchy is nothing but a mere illusion, practice of cutting fingers has lost the value of ritual apology and the only thing left is the cyclical violence in which each execution surpasses the previous. Moreover, the motif of constant violence is repeated until it reaches the final boundaries of the absurd. In an effort that the routine of execution do not become boringly monotone, movie visual aesthetic of violence is presented in an extremely juicy graphics and the borders of creativity are examined in the methods of many executions. Painful cries resound from the use of handguns, crowbars, scalpels, dental drills and innovative combination of rope and luxury sedan. The only element that saves the movie from its classification in the exploitation genre is the intelligent use of black humor, to the extent that the movie is at times transformed into a comic farce, and even unintentional slapstick, especially when the character of African diplomat is in the focus.

Takeshi Kitano has returned to the genre of yakuza movies after ten years but without any artistic pretensions. Outrage is a dynamic movie showing successive executions sometimes garnished with black humor, which can provide greater commercial success, but also bring disappointment to many of director fans. New Kitano movie is one-adrenaline entertainment and nothing more, unfortunately.

Its everyman for himself as gangsters all turn on each other in a quest to get ahead

[dbborroughs · 7/10 · 23 January 2011]

Takashi Kitano's return to directing Yakuza films is a darkly comic tale of the lack of honor among all thieves.

The story begins when the big boss, The Chairman, discovers that two of his under bosses have an understanding based upon a jail house pact. In order to remain on the Chairman's good side one of the two suspect bosses send his underling Otomo (director Takashi) to set up an office in the other bosses territory. This sets in motion a seeming never ending series of retaliations and power grabs. As some one said in describing the film it's bad guys and badder guys, with everyone upping the ante.

Its a bloody, violent, often uncomfortably funny film. It's probably closer to the real world of gangsters then anything we've ever seen. Its a film that is pretty much dog eat dog with everyone out for no one but themselves. There are no good guys anywhere with the police being little more than corrupt and ineffective, if they are going to do anything at all.

I'm not sure what I think of it. Like most of Takashi's films it gets better as it goes on and you see what he's getting at, at the same time the seemingly endless body count kind of gets in the way of any point... or maybe that is the point, to live this life is to be constantly trying to kill your way up. For me the there isn't a wholly satisfying ending when you realize that a sequel is coming some time this year (2011).(I mean where do you take it?) As it stands now its a trip...I'm not sure to what purpose but it's a trip.

What is black & white and red all over?

[shunder · 6/10 · 23 February 2012]

What is black and white and red all over? Takeshi Kitano's latest Gangster flick, Outrage! From the seemingly auspicious opening scenes where all the characters are dressed in every manner of $5,000 black suit and handmade white dress shirt (they look like they just stepped from the pages of GQ Magazine except perhaps for their "war torn" complexions), to endless processionals of black high-end luxury automobiles which impressively fill the screen. Kitano's film does not disappoint, unless of course you are looking for a solid story line with any meaning besides ostensibly senseless violence, hence the red.

It seems the film's title would have been more fitting if it were called "Power". The only thing I could surmise in the plot to be outraged about was the very first "slight" from one arm (or finger) of the family overcharging another for the services of a call girl, an apparent set up. Or perhaps the outrage is the continual retribution for slights and gaffes occurring between families. I wonder how any of them were still alive prior to the meal portrayed in the opening scene since it seems the slightest accusation will get you killed.

Attempting to find meaning in Outrage, leaves one with more questions than answers. Drugs and the incorporation of that "business model" is an ongoing theme in famous gangster movies we love like The Godfather, Scarface and Goodfella's, and it also plays a small part in Outrage so Kitano is following the recipe anyway. I think Kitano's sly irreverence could be poking fun at himself and gangster movies but he does it with a visual elegance that is completely watchable. The lush Japanese scenery, gardens, luxury and beach homes seem to contrast with the shots (literally) of the gangsters which Kitano keeps front and center. The mies en scene of Outrage guides the viewer between peaceful lovely visuals and violent mid to short shots of the "players". Is Kitano contrasting good and evil and making a point that everyone even the sociopath among us provides a perverse balance to life…and death?

Takeshi's having fun, and so did I ( C+Movie ) My Ratings 8/10

[THE-BEACON-OF-MOVIES-RAFA · 8/10 · 9 February 2020]

Extremely violent but well done it offers a peek into the secret world of the yakusa

A good but slow moving mafia movie that is worth watching. Plays like a Japanese Godfather. Could have been better. I say B

[cosmo_tiger · 27 January 2012]

"When Mr. Murase and I were in prison together we made a pact over saké." After the head of a Yakuza family learns of his henchman's betrayal to a drug dealing family he starts a war that changes everything. This is a very good movie that is equal parts tense, bloody and dramatic. The only problem is that the flow seems off. Going from scenes of murder and finger cutting to long sequences of nothing happening makes it hard to get fully engrossed. On the other hand it is also a movie that forces you to keep watching in order to find out which family will ultimately win out. I did enjoy this but this is not a movie for everyone. A movie with no real good guy and leaves you watching not sure who to root for. I like movies like that. Overall, a good but slow movie that is almost an updated Japanese Godfather. I give it a B.

It's No Fun Watching People Die

[Chris_Pandolfi · 7/10 · 2 December 2011]

In an interview with "Daily Yomiuri Online," Takeshi Kitano – the writer, editor, director, and star of "Outrage" – stated that he wrote the screenplay first by inventing the ways in which the characters would die, second by building a story around those deaths. He also said that his intention was nothing more or less than to make an entertaining film. I was prepared to struggle with writing about this film, because admittedly, watching it was an exhausting experience for me; I couldn't keep track of the characters, nor could I make heads or tails of the complicated plot. But I certainly noticed the work Kitano put into the death scenes, all of which are shockingly violent. Now that I know I wasn't supposed to pay attention to anything else, a lot of the pressure has been taken off of me.

I have yet to go through my growing catalogue of movie reviews, although I'm fairly certain I've made cases for violence as entertainment, specifically in relation to comic book adaptations and horror movies. The older I get, the more I find myself adding provisos to what I deem acceptable forms of entertaining violence. When I saw "Kick-Ass," for example, I made it a rule that any depictions of young children stabbing, slicing, and shooting people in a comic book setting were offensive. I've also made rules against teen slashers and torture porn; I don't believe innately sadistic material can be reprieved simply because the visuals go over the top. Now that I've seen "Outrage," I would contend that the many scenes of violence and death are not, as Kitano implies, entertaining. They are, in fact, disturbingly realistic.

So then why am I recommending it? I may not have been entertained, but I was drawn into the world Kitano was capturing – one in which it's easy to imagine people getting killed in ugly ways. He immerses us in the Japanese subculture of yakuza, members of organized crime syndicates notorious for their rituals, structure, and strict codes of conduct. This isn't a character study so much as an examination of hierarchies and traditions, many of which have surely been romanticized by the media. I don't know if we see them all, but we certainly see a lot of them: The practice of cutting off one's finger as a form of penance; the intricate full-body tattoos; the designation of one's turf; the making and breaking of pacts; their referencing one another in familial terms, most notably father and brother.

There's really no need to go into specifics about the plot, except to say that it involves several yakuza clans vying for the favor of their head families. It's not necessary to name any of the characters or describe their personalities, since just about all of them are universally developed; they're criminals caught up in relentless power struggles, and no more. There will be shootings, slashings, betrayal, vengeance, allegiances made over sake, and rival bosses scheming to rise in the ranks. There's a corrupt cop and an easily coerced ambassador from a small African country, both of whom find themselves implicated in yakuza turf wars. There's even a drug dealer, a noodle chef, an underground casino, and a bathhouse. The last twenty minutes or so feature almost nothing but people dying nasty deaths.

The violence is indeed explicit. Perhaps it's even gratuitous. But since when have gangsters had good reasons to kill people? In any criminal organization, in which it's all about power and survival, there's no such thing as putting a value on life. This movie works because it unflinchingly transports audiences – most of whom, I believe, are capable of human emotions – into an altogether different world; if you have never killed anyone (and I sincerely hope you haven't), this movie will give you a pretty good idea of what that process entails. Bullets will tear flesh, blood will ooze from wounds, and the victims will stop breathing. It elicits a reaction of genuine horror. It may not be pleasant, but it is effective.

I personally prefer these kinds of death scenes to the ones found in teen slasher films. It has nothing to do with enjoyment; it has to do with getting a sense of what happens when a real person dies. Slashers tend to downplay this by putting more effort into gore and the elaborate mechanics of the killing – i.e. slicing someone in half with a machete. The teens in these films are not human beings, merely targets in a shooting gallery. Typically, we're supposed to find this kind of thing funny. The reason why movies like "Outrage" work is because the humanity of the characters is revealed through their suffering. There's no great depth to them, and yet we do get the sense that they're actual people. I took no pleasure in watching any of them die, and that's the film's greatest strength.

-- Chris Pandolfi (www.atatheaternearyou.net)

Outrage

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 28 December 2010]

Kitano is a master when it comes down to Japanese crime movies. It's not only the crime that he is showing (explicitely), but the characters he is describing. And while a friend of mine felt this was weak for Kitano standards, he admitted he thought it was still a good movie. I only agree with the latter.

Of course he has done better movies (Hana Bi to name but one), but still that does not diminish this one as a lesser effort. It is a different beast. Which also is true of his character and/or the other characters. With a weird sense of humor (and Honor), this goes places some only dream of. And does pull it off so easily you wonder, how it comes that there aren't many other movies with that easy flow, when it comes down to portray criminals as human beings too.

Consider it a comedy or an action movie (or both for that matter), one thing is for sure: If you let yourself into it, you will enjoy it very much

Edit: since I'm about to watch the sequels I did have another in depth look into this. Now I would understand if some may think of this as all over the place or quite convoluted. And yes the twists may be also too much for some - but the movie does excel not just in its violence, but also its quiet moments. One thing is for sure - you don't want to mess with these guys ...

Masculine but uneven plot, peculiar performances

[BeneCumb · 7/10 · 17 July 2014]

My knowledge of Asian cultures and lifestyle are perfunctory and I do not feel any magnetism to examine them either. Nevertheless, from time to time, I am curious how do Asian films look like, and I watch them, preferably history- and/or crime-related.

Outrage is a good example of violent mob films, where women have their limited and submissive place, and all actions happen around power and influence. Fights and disputes are fundamental and tend to end in a similar manner, characters wear similar clothing (besides, for an European, it is so often difficult to distinguish faces and names), and diction seems constantly rude. The first two thirds or so was rather protracted and monotonous, then the scenes began to run fast (a bit too much, perhaps), leading the way to a sophisticated and multi-level ending. Talented directing and camera-work were always visible, and often I caught myself watching new angles and approaches not seen in Western films.

As for actors, only Takeshi Kitano was familiar to me, but I found several other interesting male character persons, although their expressions were too stiff and linear... Well, Outrage is not bad, but, regarding Japanese films, I still prefer e.g. Death Note and Battle Royale, do to their pace and versatility.

Outrage

[Angelus2 · 10/10 · 3 July 2011]

Outrage is at times a humorous and mostly violent insight into the Yakuza. The head of the Yakuza crime syndicate, Sekiuchi wants to get rid of someone and so, he pits friends against each other, oaths are broken to uphold the will of their boss and death intertwined with comedy ensues as each character looks out for themselves in a world were the only one they can trust is themselves.

This in my opinion is Kitano's masterpiece, every character is beautifully crafted and portrayed by fantastic actors. This world is murky and dangerous as friends can easily kill each other when given an order, violence can occur in an instant without any warning or even reason. But what I found amazing about this was the comedy that seemed to be just perfect in this serious world. The escalating war between the bigger and smaller clan was quite thrilling when the audience realises that no character is safe.

I do not prefer sequels...but I just feel one film is not enough! A sequel please mister Kitano.

A more conventional drama with more ordinary results

[politic1983 · 6/10 · 16 May 2021]

Staring with 1989's "Violent Cop", the films of Takeshi Kitano have pretty much always been violent in some way, though with clever editing and cinematography, the violence hasn't always been straight forward. But with "Outrage", Kitano dived into the more conventional yakuza drama and the complex struggles for power and body counts they bring with them; and started a saga that has defined the last decade of his directorial career.

Otomo (Beat Takeshi) and his gang are part of the Ikemoto (Jun Kunimura) arm of their wider family network. Enjoying being an agitator within the organisation, he enjoys tormenting the Murase (Renji Ishibashi) arm of the family, which results in various incidents of infighting within the typically complex network.

Exploiting the Ghanaian Embassy, Otomo sets up a casino in a waterfront building, but their past misdemeanours catch-up with the crew, and one-by-one they are dispatched from within the family. But so is everybody else, as the yakuza are not happy until all internal competition is eliminated.

Much like the yakuza genre classics of the Seventies from Kinji Fukasaku, there are an awful lot of characters to keep up with and it is a challenge to keep up with who is on who's side. This is, therefore, a lot of backstabbing and apologising to seniors, interspersed with acts of extreme violence. And to be fair to him, at a period when his skills seemed to either be waning or heading in bizarre directions, Kitano does a decent job of making it understandable; and with violence that has enough creativity and artistry to not become too boring.

In some ways, it could be seen as refreshing to see a top director take on a more conventional yakuza film: a genre that had largely run its course. Long-term cinematographer Katsumi Yanagijima provides some nice shots, particularly when Otomo and his number two Mizuno (Kippei Shina) are at their most menacing, adding a touch of imagination to the violence.

But there are also signs that there is a reason the yakuza film isn't quite as popular as it has been in the past. Clichés are abundant, with a finger no longer seen as an adequate apology for misdeeds and the machinations within the power struggle. It starts off with the more mundane aspects of yakuza life in focus: a disturbance caused in a rival's bar; the bland offices in which they spend large numbers of hours; visiting family heads in big, secure houses, but, as the body-count increases this can't really be said to be a unique aspect of the film.

While the violence is artistically shot, you miss the cuts to the aftermath or the hits happening off-screen of his earlier films, that would add the comedic element that has worked so well in his Nineties work. "Outrage" is more straight-faced in its handling of this aspect, and so is a less joyful watch. And while this is a better effort than the more bizarre autobiographical trilogy that preceded it, it is in many ways a more conventional film with a more ordinary result.

This, in turn, sparked a trilogy of the like Fukasaku would have presided over, and is ultimately the fruit of Kitano's latter career. But, sitting among Kitano's least interesting films, one has to wonder if his career, or indeed cinema in general, really needed this yakuza reboot.

Politic1983.home.blog.

Flat

[empty-bin · 5/10 · 10 April 2012]

It played out like a floating showcase of stereotypical organized criminal violence. There was no depth to either the characters or the story.

The only characters I halfway cared about were Kitano's and Shiina's characters but even then, Shiina's character wasn't very likable and Kitano's character didn't make any sense. There's no honor among thieves: an adage well illustrated by his elder leadership and all his associates - yet Kitano's the lone, old school honorable thief? How'd he get to be the only honorable underboss in an organization full of dishonorable back-stabbers? Also, I think the story's twists bore a few too many cultural dependencies and so they didn't quite hit with the intended force.

I like Kitano - but this movie was too shallow.