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There is an endless spiral within the human being that is based on what we feel in relation to others or the world, this deep and infinite ocean of emotions is what makes us who we are. Regardless of our achievements, such emptiness is a constant part of the human being, an abyss in which we learn to live together, and sometimes, due to the great disappointments offered by our daily life, lack of opportunities or the dark chance that pervades death, this abyss starts to consume us.
For several times in the history of cinema, this feeling was approached, creating depressive works that was overflowed with beauty. Yasujirō Ozu for example (to name just one) had the ability to look into such darkness of our everyday life and recreate, through the seventh art, incredible stories with characters who are in constant contact with this endless spiral.
Takeshi Kitano had already integrated into the film world 8 years before this work, with 'Violent Cop' in 1989 and already had a versatile filmography, strolling through the experimental (A Scene at the Sea), the comedy (Getting Any?), by the drama (Kids Return) and of course, by the films of Yakuza (Boiling Point and Sonatine). But it was only in 1997, with Hana-Bi: Fireworks that Kitano came to have his work recognized world-wide, thanks to this, his old works to be reevaluated by the critics. Part of this is due to the fact that Kitano won the Golden Lion (in Italian: Leone d'Oro), which is the maximum award granted by the jury of the International Film Festival of Venice (Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica), for his work in Hana-Bi, where he wrote, directed and acted.
"After going through a trauma and seeing his best friend stopping in the wheelchair, the officer Nishi decides to leave the force to focus on his terminally ill wife." Even this simple synopsis already brings one of the great balconies of Kitano, minimalism. Hana-Bi counts on subjective ideas that are always present in his career full of regressive records.
Although not as abstract as 'A Scene at the Sea', Hana-Bi lavishes an ethereal feeling, with an impalpable look on Nishi's relations, with a camera of pure lightness that lives in contrast to violence. And even in its most extreme moments, Hana-Bi achieves the prowess of remaining unchanged among his beauty.
During this finite journey of decisions made at the height of this hurricane of depressed feelings, Hana-Bi opens space for two other characters to shine. Horibe (Ren Osugi) who does not need to express in words all his solitude. Just the simple image of his paintings, and everything is exposed more profoundly than any word could expose. The paintings that make up the feelings are like art within art. If Horibe is the first of two characters to shine beyond Nishi, the second is the music of Joe Hisaishi. The tuning of the works of the two (Kitano + Hisaishi) is almost supernatural.
Maybe words are not enough to expose the impact that Hana-Bi can cause. This contact with art can open the eyes of many to painting, music and to the art house itself! Silence is also a characteristic that makes up this journey down the road of life, of those unfortunate enough to meet head on with the abyss that inhabits our hearts.
For several times in the history of cinema, this feeling was approached, creating depressive works that was overflowed with beauty. Yasujirō Ozu for example (to name just one) had the ability to look into such darkness of our everyday life and recreate, through the seventh art, incredible stories with characters who are in constant contact with this endless spiral.
Takeshi Kitano had already integrated into the film world 8 years before this work, with 'Violent Cop' in 1989 and already had a versatile filmography, strolling through the experimental (A Scene at the Sea), the comedy (Getting Any?), by the drama (Kids Return) and of course, by the films of Yakuza (Boiling Point and Sonatine). But it was only in 1997, with Hana-Bi: Fireworks that Kitano came to have his work recognized world-wide, thanks to this, his old works to be reevaluated by the critics. Part of this is due to the fact that Kitano won the Golden Lion (in Italian: Leone d'Oro), which is the maximum award granted by the jury of the International Film Festival of Venice (Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica), for his work in Hana-Bi, where he wrote, directed and acted.
"After going through a trauma and seeing his best friend stopping in the wheelchair, the officer Nishi decides to leave the force to focus on his terminally ill wife." Even this simple synopsis already brings one of the great balconies of Kitano, minimalism. Hana-Bi counts on subjective ideas that are always present in his career full of regressive records.
Although not as abstract as 'A Scene at the Sea', Hana-Bi lavishes an ethereal feeling, with an impalpable look on Nishi's relations, with a camera of pure lightness that lives in contrast to violence. And even in its most extreme moments, Hana-Bi achieves the prowess of remaining unchanged among his beauty.
During this finite journey of decisions made at the height of this hurricane of depressed feelings, Hana-Bi opens space for two other characters to shine. Horibe (Ren Osugi) who does not need to express in words all his solitude. Just the simple image of his paintings, and everything is exposed more profoundly than any word could expose. The paintings that make up the feelings are like art within art. If Horibe is the first of two characters to shine beyond Nishi, the second is the music of Joe Hisaishi. The tuning of the works of the two (Kitano + Hisaishi) is almost supernatural.
Maybe words are not enough to expose the impact that Hana-Bi can cause. This contact with art can open the eyes of many to painting, music and to the art house itself! Silence is also a characteristic that makes up this journey down the road of life, of those unfortunate enough to meet head on with the abyss that inhabits our hearts.