Violence and humor never seemed compatible in film, but when it comes to Takeshi Kitano’s “Brother”, it works like a charm. Written and directed by Kitano, he also appears as the main character under alias, Beat Takeshi.
In “Brother,” Takeshi plays Yamamoto; a gangster forced to flee Japan after his mob boss is assassinated. He escapes to America where he meets up with his half-brother Ken (Claude Maki), an American drug dealer. Perhaps out of pride, or even boredom, Yamamoto quickly dispenses with the small-time drug stuff and elevates the little gang into a highly paid drug empire with a few pulls of the trigger. But when the gang grows out of control and decides to take on Italian gangsters, its chances of survival become slim.
In true Kitano-style, the director/actor sets forth to introduce an enjoyable film experience. The film is so animated throughout, whether it’s the amazing cinematic techniques of the stone-faced Kitano, the fast-paced action scenes or the ingenious relations within the title, bonding two unlikely friends as brothers. Yamato is quick to bond with Ken’s comrade-in-arms Denny (Omar Epps), a black man, therefore a “brother”, while Denny returns by calling Yamamoto “aniki”, the Japanese word for “brother”.
Kitano’s movie is also a wonderful anthropology, showing the distinctions between Japanese yakuza and American gangsters. From the evidence of this movie, the yakuza has a much more ritualized code of honor. The implication is that American gangsters have guns, but Japanese yakuza have guts. The yakuza code includes yubitsume, the severing of a finger and delivery of it to the boss as an apology for a mistake, as well as hara-kiri, suicide by disembowelment, to demonstrate total loyalty to the boss. And you see much loyalty throughout, so plan to eat afterwards.
Fans of Kitano will love this film, as well as new comers looking for a polished up “Reservoir Dogs”. His blend of humor between the Americans and Japanese makes Kitano’s first US film experience a complete success.
4 / 5 Stars
Starring: Beat Takeshi, Omar Epps, Claude Maki
Director: Takeshi Kitano
