Art in Takeshi Kitano's "Hana-Bi"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses Takeshi Kitano's film, "Hana-Bi", which won the coveted Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. The paper specifically discusses Kitano's emphasis of the disparity of creation and destruction, of joy and sorrow. It discusses the plot of the film and looks at the contrasts that are presented within the storyline and the making of the film.

From the Paper:

"The breaks of sudden violence serve to minimize the graphic depiction of violence through the use of quick montage and jump cuts. This narrative discontinuity stemming from the rapidly jumped cuts, in which diegetic time is deconstructed, creates a sense of ambiguity and has a destabilizing effect both on the film, and the viewer. Hana-Bi does not simply produce the violence for detached observation, but rather shows a portion, or idea of the action, and requires active participation on the part of the viewer to reconstruct the scene, and such action is needed throughout much of the film. Such an example is seen in the very first scene, in which Nishi is shown laying out two yakuza at his car, but leaves the audience with no answers to why, or how. This stylistic decision places trust and responsibility in the audience, rather than simply laying out a graphic fight for their inspection. Also in the film, often instead of closing in and focusing tightly on the violence, the camera retreats to an isolated position. In this way, the camera remains detached outside and above the car when Nishi executes several head yakuza, and the viewer is not immersed in such a violent scene."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Gerow, Aaron. Kitano's Inner Lives Bloom in 'Hana-Bi'. The Daily Yomiuri. January, 1998.
• Cannon, Damian. Hana-Bi. Movie Reviews United Kingdom. 1997.
• Edwards, Daniel. Never Yielding Entirely Into Art: Performance and Self-obsession in Takeshi Kitano's Hana-Bi. Senses of Cinema. October 2000.

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