Stars: 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano, Maiko Kawakami, Makoto Ashikawa, Shiro Sano, Ittoku Kishibe

Director: 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano

Summary: Detective Azuma is a misfit. He creates his own rules and his own form of justice. He is also beyond control.

In his directorial debut, famed Japanese screen personality Takeshi Kitano (acting under the alias Beat Takeshi) plays Azuma, a brutal but honorable cop at the end of his rope. Azuma's trying daily routine involves dealing with a naive new partner and caring for his drug-dependent, mentally challenged sister. When a friend on the police force is killed and his sister is kidnapped by drug dealers, Azuma begins walking a mercilessly vengeful path that leads to a shocking finale.
VIOLENT COP is a stunning first feature from Kitano, who took over for veteran director Kinji Fukasaku after he left the project. Primarily known as a television comedian, Kitano rewrote the script to better suit his surprisingly dark vision of the film, which serves an intriguing introduction to his unique directorial style, combining scenes of extreme violence with beautifully meditative shots. Elevating the then-waning yakuza genre to a more artistic level, Kitano's film is a landmark in late 20th century Japanese cinema.

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Violent Cop("Sono otoko kyobo ni tsuki") is the first film directed by Takeshi "Beat" Kitano, the Japanese star who began as a stand-up comedian on television. It's a Dirty Harry-type tale of a cop whose overly muscular methods are disapproved of by his superiors. When his partner is killed by the local Mr Big, Azuma (Kitano) goes into action, along with a new sidekick he initiates into the ways of the world. Dismissed from the force, Azuma carries on his one-man campaign, despite his sister's being forcibly drugged and raped by the gang. The violence is graphic, but what's most engaging about the film is Kitano's acting. He's an unlikely hero with his bow-legged walk and the face of a punch-drunk boxer, but his low-key style, a counterpart to the explosive violence, is always cool and it's easy to see why he's such a cult figure.--Ed Buscombe

Aspect Ratio:	Wide Screen
Main Language:	Japanese
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Theatrical Trailers, Biographies, Filmographies, Scene Selection, Interactive Menus, Production Stills Gallery
Subtitles:	English
Year:	1989
Release Date:	December 3, 2001
Runtime:	98 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D V 1066
Label:	Tokyo Bullet
Keywords:	Action, Subtitled, Cop, General, Wide, Screen, Violent, Japanese, Adventure
Genre:	Action/Adventure