A former Yakuza and a Tokyo detective come to a head
in an explosive final conflict against the Japanese mafia. ACTION/CRIME
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Dead or Alive (1999)Directed by Takashi Miike
Written by Toshiki Kimura Starring Shô Aikawa, Riki Takeuchi, Renji Ishibashi, Sei Hiraizumi, Michisuke Kashiwaya, Hitoshi Ozawa, Mizuho Koga, Kyôsuke Yabe |
I first saw Dead or Alive in college in a film class that also screened The Toxic Avenger so I consider this to be one of my favorite classes in my course of studying film and it really opened my eyes to a whole world I never knew existed. My tastes in movies haven’t been the same since. This is the first in a series of loosely connected films by the maestro of mayhem, Takashi Miike, and it is just as bonkers and over-the-top as you’d expect and come to love from one of the most prolific directors in film. It also has one of the best openings to any movie ever and it sets the tone for the world inhabited by the larger than life characters in this outstanding flick from the land of the rising sun.
Our story revolves around the Yakuza and Triad, the mafia from China. These two countries have a tumultuous past to say the least. The wars between these countries have left deep scars that persist to this day. That history is important for the third group of characters, Chinese kids that have grown up in Japan and feel as though they have no real place in either country. They don’t feel Chinese but they also don’t feel Japanese and exist in this weird limbo in a country that treats them indifferently. The leader of the gang is Ryu (Takeuchi) and he has been paying for his brother Toji’s (Kashiwaya) education in American by working for the Yakuza but now he has decided that it is better to take them and the Triad out and run it all on his own with his own crew. The aforementioned bonkers opening is cut like a music video at a frantic pace as blood, cocaine, and noodles fly at the screen in full fury. This is the start of Ryu’s plan and it also attracts the attention of Detective Jojima (Aikawa), a cop who has played by the rules so far by staying out of the way of the gangs. He’s got his own problems though as his daughter is sick and he’s unable to cover the 20 million Yen (about $150,000 US) price required for her treatment. If that wasn’t enough, his wife is probably cheating on him too. When Ryu and crew rob an armored truck carrying money from a business owned by Aoki (Ishibashi) it puts them in the path of Jojima who is investigating the robbery. As things escalate, Jojima turns to Aoki for a loan to cover his daughter’s operation and recovery which leaves him in debt to the Yakuza boss that Ryu is tracking down to kill. After murdering all the Triad and most of Aoki’s gang at a dinner, the stage is set for Ryu and Jojima’s final battle. The ending to this movie is yet another WTF moment from the undisputed king of WTF moments, you have to see it to believe it. As I said before, Takashi Miike is a maestro of mayhem and Dead or Alive is no different. It starts out guns (literally) blazing as a music video montage of murder then settles in to a cop drama as only Miike can with some truly disgusting moments that will make anyone cringe, myself included. The finale will either piss you off or make you appreciate Miike that much more. I am definitely in the latter when it comes to this filmmaker and I encourage you to take a ride with this one. |