It was only about a year and a half ago that Kitano Takeshi, icon of Japanese film and television, released his most recent theatrical film, the violent samurai period piece Kubi. Given the six-year drought following that film’s preceding theatrical outing, Outrage Coda, it came as some surprise when it was announced only weeks ago that Kitano had a new film soon to premier globally on Amazon Prime. At a glance, Kitano’s new Broken Rage looks much like his latter-period yakuza Outrage trilogy – a violent crime thriller with the aging Kitano in the starring role. But it turns out the film is something more enjoyably off-kilter.
Here’s what you should know about Broken Rage before clicking play on Amazon Prime Video: it’s not just one thing. If you go in looking for the deadpan but reflective Kitano crime flicks of yore, prepare for disappointment. Heck, at just about a single hour-long, Broken Rage can hardly constitute a fully-fledged film.
But, if you’re willing to be surprised, you’ll likely have a good time. (Especially if you’re already a fan of both Takeshi personas – Kitano and “Beat.”) And the less you know, the more fun you may have.
Still, if you want to learn more about the film, read on. It actually possesses some interesting themes. (Even if Kitano himself would likely vehemently deny any messaging therein.)
Broken Rage, Aged Protagonist
Broken Rage begins as a languid collection of establishing shots of the Japanese capital. These guide us from Tokyo Bay across the city to a small kissa cafe in in Shinjuku. Kitano, looking his 78 years, appears in a dark tracksuit and beanie, and picks up a package at the cafe left for him by the mysterious “Mr. M.” Within moments, we know the package contains the name of a young tough Kitano has been paid to kill. Kitano is, of course, playing a hitman.
Even in a world where the likes of Breaking Bad’s Mike Ehrmantraut (portrayed by Jonathan Banks, himself 75 years old during his last year playing the character – hardly a spring chicken) can appear as a fierce hired gun, Kitano looks exceptionally old for this job. This is a theme that makes sense for the current real-life yakuza era, however. The average age of a Japanese gangster is now well over 50; contract laws enacted in 2011 have greatly reduced the opportunities for a yakuza to make money, and their numbers have shrunk dramatically. Most in the game who are still associated with official yakuza groups joined up decades ago.
Kitano, visibly over the hill, first kills a loan shark identified as a “hangure.” In other words, a “half-gangster” unaffiliated with an official yakuza group. (The English subtitles call the target a “delinquent,” which doesn’t quite capture in inference.) These are the new career criminals of modern Japan, no longer bound by the rules of the yakuza – and thus more unpredictable. When Kitano’s next target turns out to be a yakuza, it’s fitting that the gangster is 65 years old. – closer to Kitano’s own age. Even this gangster’s two attendant underlings (kobun, literally “child role ” in Japanese) appear to be in their 50s.
Kitano’s punches are about as convincing as the de-aged Robert DeNiro’s were in The Irishman. And, indeed, Broken Rage seems like it’s about to be Kitano’s take on Scorsese’s themes from that film, focusing on aging criminals left behind by the passage of time. That is, until the halfway point rolls around…
Turning the Tokyo Underworld Topsy Turvy
All this could make for somewhat anodyne but still enjoyable enough yakuza fare. Indeed, if the first half of Broken Rage continued into a full-length runtime, we’d likely be discussing it as a perfect example of a once-great filmmaker adapting to the slop machine of online streaming. The film looks very “made for streaming,” lacking the visual flair that served as one of the great appeals of Kitano’s earlier films. It’s a cinematically flat film, looking almost digitally point-and-click.
But Kitano’s use in the opening credits of his old comedy stage name, Beat Takeshi, serves as a clue that Broken Rage isn’t going to be as simple as all that.
The second half of the film – essentially a separate take on the same story – abruptly turns the whole thing on its head. Broken Rage no longer takes Kitano’s old-man killer routine seriously; now the whole thing is a series of gags. The unlikely nature of a 78-year-old successfully running around Tokyo and taking down men decades younger is now clearly intended as a joke. And the jokes start piling up. (Just like the dozens of riot police who jump the septuagenarian in a particularly funny scene.)
Self-Referential and Completly Unserious
For those used to the more measured, serious tone of Kitano’s most popular films (Sonatine, Hana-bi), this shift will likely come as a shock. In fact, some viewers, expecting a serious yakuza flick, will likely find the second half frustratingly stupid.
But Kitano has a history of making films purely for his own enjoyment. His 1995 gag comedy Getting Any? is a notable example. While that film has more creative gags, it’s also much more difficult to sit through at nearly two hours long. Thank god for Broken Rage’s hour-long runtime.
This feels like a return to that style of filmmaking, combined with the self-referentiality of Kitano’s trio of surreal inward-looking films starting with 2005’s Takeshis’. Here, the third wall breaks so hard that a scene even anticipates how the streaming audience must be reacting in real-time. It’s pretty subversive, simultaneously cheap and wryly funny. Kitano almost seems to be mocking you as you watch his film. It’s pretty on-brand, honestly.
Kitano Breaks the Internet
How enjoyable is all this? I’d say the right word would be “amusing.” It’s fun seeing Kitano, who’s been a major force in Japanese entertainment since the late ’70s, be so aware of the conventions of modern media. Knowing the type of action schlock made for streaming, he gleefully has his cake and eats it too. It’s a lightly brandished middle finger to the very streaming service hosting the film.
Still, the subversive elements only go so far. There’s a world where this film had a bigger budget and a bit more thought put into it. Then again, the low budget and impulsive humor is pretty much the point.
Thankfully, this second half has some legitimately funny gags. It helps that Kitano is clearly having a fun time – he even visibly breaks during some of the gags, letting a smile, or even a laugh, crack through the paper-thin facade that he’s taking his set-ups seriously. The humor manages to wash away most of the film’s veneer of streaming cheapness.
So, Broken Rage is stylistically interesting, following up on Kitano’s long history of third-wall breaks. It’s far from his best film, but also much more enjoyable than his worst. And at only an hour long, you really don’t have much to lose. If you’re mindlessly scrolling through Amazon Prime tonight, click on Broken Rage – and discover a movie that’s truly aware of just how mindless it is.
Broken Rage is streaming globally on Amazon Prime. Various subtitles available.
