Ichi the Killer

Horrorphile

E-mail Subscription

Receive an e-mail notification of new posts on this site:

Vimu Subscription

Horrorphile - May 2008

Koroshiya 1 (Ichi the Killer)

May 27th 2008 02:48

With two new Taskashi Miike movies screening as part of the 55th Sydney Film Festival (a complete horrorspective overview post in a few days), and the festival only eight days out it was high time to review the notorious Miike cult favourite Koroshiya 1 (2001) … better known to Western audiences as Ichi the Killer.

Takashi Miike’s Ichi the Killer is an unapologetically sadistic and deeply visceral tour-de-force; a hybrid (like many of Miike’s movies) of Japanese gangster flick and horror movie, whilst playing out with the audio-visual assault of a depraved and demented adult cartoon strip. It is ultra-violent and frequently borders on reprehensible, if it wasn’t for Miike’s fierce intelligence at work working the movie’s socio-political sub-text and graphic sex-death symbolism.

Kakihara's mob strut the streets of Shinjuku

The premise and plotting are typically Miike ie no concessions for the convolution-challenged. It’s the ending where any last threads of logic and reason are thrown to the wind and the audience are left with a series of fractured, resonant images, and an inkling as to why we’ve been left so battered and bruised. Ichi the Killer is a study of violence, plain and simple. Humankinds inhumanity to each other and the deep emotional and psychological scars it leaves on its society, which endlessly fuel what we know as “vicious circles”. Ichi the Killer is one stunningly vicious kinghit of a movie!

Tadanobu Asano as Kakihara

When a Yakuza boss named Anjo disappears with 300 million yen, his chief henchman, a sadomasochistic punk gangster named Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano), and the rest of his mob, goes looking for him. After capturing and torturing a rival Yakuza member Suzuki (Susumu Terijima), they soon realize they have the wrong man and begin looking for Jijii (Tetsuo director Shinya Tsukamoto), the man who tipped them off in the first place.

Nao Omori as Koroshiya 1 ... Ichi the Killer

Soon enough Kakihara and his men encounter Ichi (Nao Omori), a psychotic, sexually-repressed young man who Jijii has under hypnosis in order to execute his own vengeful dirty work. Ichi, dressed in his Koroshiya 1 “superhero” suit, complete with razorblade boots, is sent out to eliminate the members of the Yakuza, extreme violence besets extreme violence.

Paulyn Sun as Karen

Meanwhile Kikihara plows ahead, dead set on avenging his boss’s vanishing, and knowing his own perverse pleasures will be met when he confronts the intensity that is Ichi the Killer. So as Jijii’s dark agenda approaches its conclusion, and Ichi the Killer’s haunting, abusive past catches up with him, Kikihara’s carnage continues to paint the town deep red. There won’t just be blood, there’ll be buckets of it!

Ichi the Killer Tadanobu Asano and Susumu Terijima

Kakihara relishes torturing enemy Yakuza Suzuki (Susumu Terijimi)

Ichi the Killer's hyper-kinetic style and no-holds-barred brutality is not to everyone’s vile taste. But there is a perverse sense of humour that pervades Miike’s work, and is no less evident than in this tale of wrenching retribution. It’s live action Manga personified (based on the comic by Hideo Yamamoto); with all the deplorable, viscous sexuality (the semen the title credit emerges from is apparently real!), the finger-snapping, fist-tearing, tongue-and-nipple slicing, jugular-spurting, ankle-severing, and full body-splitting! Yup, Ichi the Killer delivers in spades.

Kakihara surveys Ichi's bloody carnage

But there are a few driving elements which elevate the movie higher than its base foundations of social disease. Tadanobu Asano, complete with his novel facial piercing and scars (he’s the face used on all the movie poster art), is brilliant as the cool, calculated lunatic Kakihara. Also excellent is Paulyn Sun (Miss Singapore 94) as Karen Tachibana, who works alongside Kakihara, and mouths off in her own Asian-Western tongue.

Ever seen a body split in half?

The special effects are a major feature of the movie; a low-brow/high-brow combination of clever CGI and elaborate prosthetics. Whilst not all of the blood and gore looks convincing, some of battering and torture looks repulsively realistic. Many faint-hearted or squeamish viewers will have a tough time (the sexual violence leaves a particularly bitter aftertaste, but it does have its context).

Ichi goes for another jugular

Ichi the Killer continues to confound and delight (hardened) audiences, especially those jaded by Hollywood double standards and conventional storytelling. I can’t see Hollywood ever managing to produce a successful version of this, it’s too subversive; strutting sadomasochism in a pink velvet jacket.

Ichi the Killer Tadanobu Asano and Nao Osomi

Kakihara and Ichi in fierce fighting mode

Ichi the Killer … Ai wa, kanari itai. Now open wide and scream for mercy!

Ichi the Killer Japanese movie poster art

Here's the Japanese trailer:

And for those who can stomach it, here's Kakihara's notorious tongue-slicing scene (you have been warned!):

Vote

Subscribe to this blog

Email this post to a friend

Go to the Orble Film Channel

Start your own blog

[ Link ]

Posted By: Bryn - Category: movie reviews

Related Posts:

Relate This Post

[ Previous - 55th SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL horrorspective ]

[ Next - Gozu ]

Comments

8 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Michaelie

May 27th 2008 06:56

Flick Wit

Ooh. Mostly, I have been wanting to see this because such a fuss was made over the controversy.

Then when you said it was simply a study in violence, I had doubts, but was intrigued once more by the promise of perverse humour. So I still want to see it.

Plus I like the head split in half.

Michaelie

Comment by Ayda

May 27th 2008 07:22

Phantasmelodia

Hmmm. This is definitely among my "see list". A killer under hypnosis, a man put under extraordinary circumstances to be turned into a killing machine... Ichi the Killer, Danny the Dog... Unless it is a B rated Hollywood flick made for video, I'll have that any day.

Comment by David O'Connell

May 27th 2008 08:20

Screen Fanatic

No doubt about it, another Miike film which is insanely good fun!

I wonder how the hell he finds the time to make so many films. He's like the Morricone of directors!

Comment by Bryn

May 27th 2008 08:40

Horrorphile

Michaelie, there is gold within thar hills! But mine carefully ...

To put my statement in context ... No Country for Old Men is also a study of violence.

Ayda, relish like a rare barbecue steak

(I hope you're not a vegetarian)

David, well, to put it bluntly, not everything Miike touches are the rough diamonds like Ichi, Gozu and Audition ... Many of his productions are indulgent sideshow pieces shot on video on the smell of a bloody rag.

Comment by Damo

May 28th 2008 10:10

For the Sake of Argument
My Apologetics

Just a small hair to split,
That image of the man split in half has a few mistakes in it.

Love the smoke from the cheeks.
So Manga-ish.

Comment by Bryn

May 29th 2008 01:05

Horrorphile

Damo, well, yeah of course it does ... But it's the thought that counts, and when you see the actual scene, as well as other violence and gore in the movie, it fits in ... It's more cartoon-style violence.

Smoke from the cheeks, yeah, very cool. You should see when he takes the rings out from his cheeks and his mouth opens super wide!

Comment by Cibbuano

June 30th 2008 22:02

20/20 Filmsight
Science News
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
Fat Cult
Techbreak

I'm glad I didn't read anything about this before I watched it. The film hit me from all sides, mercilessly.

Great stuff! Did I like it? I don't know. It's a masterwork, though. Sick.

Why does Ichi wear #1?

It WAS funny at times, wasn't it?

Comment by Bryn

July 1st 2008 02:30

Horrorphile

Cibby, There is a reason, but I've forgotten. Something to do with Ichi feeling like he is without peer, at the top, untouchable.
Yes, the movie is twisted, but that's part and parcel with Miike. Watch Imprint or Gozu or Visitor Q ...

[ Previous - 55th SYDNEY FILM FESTIVAL horrorspective ]

[ Next - Gozu ]

Add A Comment

To create a fully formatted comment please click here.

CLICK HERE TO LOGIN | CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Name or Orble Tag

Home Page (optional)

Comments

Notify me of replies

Notify extra people about this comment

Is this a private comment?

List the Email Addresses or Orble Tags of the people you would like to be notified about this comment

One per line max of 30

List the Email Addresses or Orble Tags of the people you would like to be notified about this private comment thread. Only the people in this list will be able to see or reply to your comment.

One per line max of 30

Your Name
(for the email going out to the above list, it can be different to your Orble Tag)

Your Email Address

(optional)

(required for reply notification)

Submit

November 2008

2 Posts

October 2008

21 Posts

September 2008

19 Posts