Takeshi Kitano

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the background of Takeshi Kitano, prior to becoming an actor, director and producer later in life, in order to understand his films. It looks at how he grew up with a mother who continually pushed the importance of education and experience so that he could break from an impoverished environment and how he has followed many different paths, positive and negative, to find the one that would be most significant to him and others. It discusses how his movies, including "Hana-bi", have fulfilled this objective by impacting audiences throughout the world with their vivid messages about the frailties and strengths of humankind.

From the Paper:

"In contrast to many other directors, Kitano usually shoots his films sequentially, normally filming only one shot per scene--with the direction of the movie changing constantly. In the 1992 film Sonatine, the actor Ren Osugi's character was supposed to die in one of the first scenes. Kitano liked his acting so much, he kept him in the movie until the end. "Everyday, I thought, OK, today I am going to die," says Osugi. "I never knew what my character was going to do" (Tashiro, 2001). Sonatine was the tale of a yakuza boss, also played by Kitano, who takes refuge with his men in a coastal hideaway. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Egbert, R. (August 6, 2004). Kitano makes venerable 'Zatoichi' his own. Chicago Sun Times.
• Hampton, H. (1997). Films of Japanese actor-director-writer Takesshi Kitano. ArtForum. April. [electronic version, Findarticles]
• Hillman, J. January 10, 2006. BBC Four Cinema. 15 May, 2006. http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour Hillman bbc Four Cinema.
• Hoberman, J. (1998) The ultimate Renaissance man - interview with filmmaker Takeshi Kitano. Interview. March. [electronic version, Findarticles]
• Larimer, T. (2001). "Beat goes on." Time Asia. 157(6) [electronic version].

More papers on Takeshi Kitano:

• Film Review # 108600 : "Art in Takeshi Kitano's "Hana-Bi"
• Essay # 10578 : "Takeshi Kitano"

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