Screening In-Person April 1, 2022 (Friday) at 7 pm
25th Anniversary – Archival 35mm Presentation! Crippled by tragedies at home and work, a depressed police detective resolves to rectify his situation and the lives of those around him through illicit means. Told through elliptical editing and interspersed with flora-inspired canvases painted by Kitano himself, Hana-bi oscillates between tender moments and temperamental bouts of violence, delicately constructing an affecting and melancholic meditation on mortality. Screening by Japan Society Film as part of the Monthly Classics series.
Tickets and further information are available from the website.
Kitano's perception in Japan
For many years, Kitano eluded critical stature in Japan, being better known as a comedian despite his international acclaim in festival settings.
Kitano would state: “It was not until around Fireworks [Hana-bi], which was my seventh film, that I was recognized as a serious film director in Japan. For years, my films had been treated as nothing more than a comedian superstar's hobby. Generally speaking, the Japanese tend to respect artists, entertainers, or craftsmen who are masters of one art more than a jack-of-all-trades. On top of that, they can watch my shows every night on TV for free! No one cared to pay money to watch my films on the screen. So they were preoccupied with the idea that films made by a comedian cannot be good. But the moment I won the Golden Lion for Fireworks at the Venice Film Festival, everything changed. The comedian who occasionally made films as a part-time job had turned into a ‘world-famous cinema maestro' almost overnight.”
Akira Kurosawa on Hana-bi
Recently published in The Film Stage, Akira Kurosawa's list of his 100 favorite films includes Kitano's Hana-bi as his 100th favorite film. Kurosawa noted that “in this movie there are some pretty daring portrayals, audaciously intruding in the matters. I really enjoyed it. Every character's existence is competently depicted. Wonderful.”
