The second of Takeshi Kitano's "Outrage" yakuza trilogy, "Outrage Beyond", very much carries on where the first film ended, with more of the same. But, with much of the cast eliminated from its predecessor, Kitano introduces a whole raft of new characters to keep the complicated narrative alive, but also make it something of a standalone film in its own right.
With Sekiuchi, head of the Sannokai, now eliminated, Kato (Tomokazu Miura) takes over as Chairman, with the young treasurer Ishihara (Ryo Kase) his underboss. Employing largely young and inexperienced men in senior roles, the old school seniors grow suspicious of Kato's actions, with various plots and backstabbing leading to many lives lost as pressure grows on Kato.
But the biggest plotting of all comes from Detective Kataoka (Fumiyo Kohinata), who sets the Tokyo and Osaka heads against each other in a powerplay to show that he is the real man in charge. Within his cauldron he throws Otomo (Kitano), expediting his release from prison and teaming him up with former rival Kimura (Hideo Nakano) to start a hit on Kato's men. Again, a complex network of lies and deceit is created where it's every man for himself within the organisations.
Stylistically, Kitano keeps things very consistent with the first film: a conventional drama without much in the way of the humour normally associated with his films. Many of the shots feature black and shiny cars moving around Kobe which, while not a setting for the film, provides much of its industrial and brutal architecture for many of the characters' demises.
Again, glamour is combined with grime in the yakuza world in a seamless transition over the five years between the two episodes. But while the building of the distrust towards Kato is well measured, the speed at which Otomo and Kimura rise from lowly depths is perhaps a little too quick in what is an extended saga. Their new crew are not given a voice and are merely shown as a murderous and efficient unit whom one can't imagine have previously gone unnoticed by the yakuza heads.
Indeed, the lack of humanising characters - a strength in the depiction of Otomo's crew in the first instalment - results in a lack of audience involvement, with the newly-formed crew's rise inevitable and without much intrigue. Character-wise, the whole thing lacks a little Kippei Shina charm.
The development of the role of Kataoka, however, is the strongpoint, showing how politicians, the police and yakuza can all work together, as the lines between the good and the bad are blurred. He claims that he keeps the organisations in check with his plotting, but the resulting infighting leads to many deaths indirectly at his hands. His subordinate Shigeta (Yutaka Matsushige) can see this, but the power has now gone to Kataoka's head.
With only a handful of characters remaining from the first film, "Outrage Beyond" can be watched as a standalone piece - Kitano helpfully adding reminders for those still with us about what happened five years previous - and so you can watch it knowing where things stand. But in terms of quality, it needs to be part of something bigger to be effective.
It is a worthy follow-up to the decent - but far from ground-breaking - starting point, but needs that initial hook to pique your interest. This isn't quite as creative or shocking in its violence; lacks much real humour; and suffers for its lack of characterisation. Definitely an episode in something bigger, you need to look beyond "Outrage Beyond".
Politic1983.home.blog.
With Sekiuchi, head of the Sannokai, now eliminated, Kato (Tomokazu Miura) takes over as Chairman, with the young treasurer Ishihara (Ryo Kase) his underboss. Employing largely young and inexperienced men in senior roles, the old school seniors grow suspicious of Kato's actions, with various plots and backstabbing leading to many lives lost as pressure grows on Kato.
But the biggest plotting of all comes from Detective Kataoka (Fumiyo Kohinata), who sets the Tokyo and Osaka heads against each other in a powerplay to show that he is the real man in charge. Within his cauldron he throws Otomo (Kitano), expediting his release from prison and teaming him up with former rival Kimura (Hideo Nakano) to start a hit on Kato's men. Again, a complex network of lies and deceit is created where it's every man for himself within the organisations.
Stylistically, Kitano keeps things very consistent with the first film: a conventional drama without much in the way of the humour normally associated with his films. Many of the shots feature black and shiny cars moving around Kobe which, while not a setting for the film, provides much of its industrial and brutal architecture for many of the characters' demises.
Again, glamour is combined with grime in the yakuza world in a seamless transition over the five years between the two episodes. But while the building of the distrust towards Kato is well measured, the speed at which Otomo and Kimura rise from lowly depths is perhaps a little too quick in what is an extended saga. Their new crew are not given a voice and are merely shown as a murderous and efficient unit whom one can't imagine have previously gone unnoticed by the yakuza heads.
Indeed, the lack of humanising characters - a strength in the depiction of Otomo's crew in the first instalment - results in a lack of audience involvement, with the newly-formed crew's rise inevitable and without much intrigue. Character-wise, the whole thing lacks a little Kippei Shina charm.
The development of the role of Kataoka, however, is the strongpoint, showing how politicians, the police and yakuza can all work together, as the lines between the good and the bad are blurred. He claims that he keeps the organisations in check with his plotting, but the resulting infighting leads to many deaths indirectly at his hands. His subordinate Shigeta (Yutaka Matsushige) can see this, but the power has now gone to Kataoka's head.
With only a handful of characters remaining from the first film, "Outrage Beyond" can be watched as a standalone piece - Kitano helpfully adding reminders for those still with us about what happened five years previous - and so you can watch it knowing where things stand. But in terms of quality, it needs to be part of something bigger to be effective.
It is a worthy follow-up to the decent - but far from ground-breaking - starting point, but needs that initial hook to pique your interest. This isn't quite as creative or shocking in its violence; lacks much real humour; and suffers for its lack of characterisation. Definitely an episode in something bigger, you need to look beyond "Outrage Beyond".
Politic1983.home.blog.