MovieChat Forums > Dead or Alive: Hanzaisha (1999) Discussion > most polarizing movie I've ever seen

most polarizing movie I've ever seen

posted 18 years ago by the_wainman
18 replies | jump to latest

I've noticed that in recommending and loaning this movie to a lot of my friends, they all seem to fall into one of 2 maybe 3 groups.

Group 1, in which I belong, absolutely loves this movie and think that the last scene is quite possibly the greatest scene in cinematic history, mas o menos.

Group 2 absolutely hated everything about this movie, and call it stupid and so on. Concearning these ppl, I don't share their taste in movies and have lost a lot of respect for some of my friends in their harsh criticism of this movie.

Group 3 has a few ppl who only sorta liked the last scene and didn't like the rest. They may be mashed together with group 2 but at least they acknowledge the last scene as good.

Any other movies that bring about this level of a love/hate fanbase?
Lost In Translation is comparable but I think DOA is really #1 in this respect.

[–] Umberto_Bongo 18 years ago

I'm going to watch it again, as after reading reviews on here I was expecting it to be a straight-up action film, somewhat like The Killer. However, it's not what I'd call an action film. I'll watch it again when I'm in the mood for some Miike, as I'm a bit sick of Ichi the Killer, and I've only rented Kappiness of the Katakuris, Gozu and Audition so I can't watch them right now.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] shinokamikage 18 years ago

Totally with you there...

[–] Daubechies4 18 years ago

Any other movies that bring about this level of a love/hate fanbase?

Political films (Michael Moore stuff, Gore's film, Syriana, Battle of Algiers, etc.), religious films (e.g. The Passion of the Christ), art-house films (Bergman, Fellini, Bunuel, etc.), etc., etc., etc.. When I think about it, almost every film is divisive.

If it's political, people who agree with the message often love it, and those who don't, hate it. If it's an artistic film, some think it's a masterpiece while others think it's obfuscatory, pretentious dreck. If it's violent and/or gory, there are some who categorically despise it. If it's a touching, romantic film, there are some who cateogrically despise that.

Lost In Translation is comparable but I think DOA is really #1 in this respect.

Actually, I think that's a much less polarizing film than most. Opinions are all over the map on that one (I liked it, but I didn't love it). I think I might pick "The Seventh Seal" as perhaps the most polarizing film ever. It fills some people with awe, and others with murderous vitriol.

This would be a great IMDB stat, though: "film with the greatest standard deviation in its votes."

[–] cschopp 18 years ago

The Blair Witch Project
Most people I've talked to either loved or hated it-ditto on reviews and message boards.
There doesn't seem to be much middle ground on this one

[–] caina 18 years ago

signs
a lot of people, myself included, hated the movie, finding it to be inherently arogant ... and cheesy, in a rotten sort of way. a lot of people liked it.
you might call the film artistic, and you could certainly call it religious, but its a pretty common place movie inspite of all that.

[–] Ex-Insomniac 18 years ago

My personal experiences led me to believe that riots could be created over the virtues of Sideways.

But I guess that's in the same vein as Lost In Translation.

[–] Umberto_Bongo 18 years ago

I've tried watching this for a second time, and ended up turning it off out of boredom. To me it just doesn't have the appeal (if you can call it that) of Ichi the Killer of Visitor Q. Parts of it are good, but they're outweighed by the amount of dull filler.

[–] mrdandylionface 18 years ago

DOA is amazing...as is the sequel..pure gold

[–] Redi_Jedi 18 years ago

The last scene is what makes the whole movie great. I didn't really think that story was all that, but having to sit through hour and half to 2 hours of mediocre movie and for that ending to come up was pure gold for me and my friends.

I don't think it will have the same effect second time around though.

[–] caina 18 years ago

the entire concept of the movie is brilliant. it's a great use of audiance response as the entire focus of a film. the first and last scene are clearly for response, and the middle is there to set you up to take the ending from a certain perspective and expectation (making it more potent).

the only way to enjoy watching the film repeatedly (unless you can really be amused my acting et c.) is to watch it with people who have not yet seen it; which is greatly amusing if you can keep up a poker face.

[–] ghbbrown 17 years ago

This spread of opinions is similar to what greeted/greets Mel Gibson's S&M snuff film aka "Passion of the Christ". I've talked with people who claimed that their faith was enhanced by seeing it and others who couldn't find words to express their disgust, either for the violence or the perceived anti Semitic content.
I induced venomous fury in 2 folks by suggesting that a certain proportion of the audience probably got sexually aroused by it. Sooo.....it's intriguing to me after seeing DOA (my first encounter with Miike) to wonder what Miike would do with the "Passion" script. I'm sure it would be both more interesting and, ironically, truer to the original text. He could do a lot with the goings-on in Gethsemane, etc.

[–] Strazdamonas 16 years ago

What if i kinda...liked the movie but i dont think its anywhere neat tops. jaja, i know im different but still, im the 4th group, the middle people.

[–] Kinematico 16 years ago

A movie as weird and absurd as this one (like most films by Miike) produces that effect. You either love it or hate it.

I really liked DOA bizarreness, simple story and cartoonish characters, but I can understand perfectly why some people could consider this movie as plain garbage. That's why Miike is considered a "cult" director just like Dario Argento or Jodorowsky (just to name a couple).

[–] sunrise_22 14 years ago

this is an old thread, but I'll add my two-cent anyway.

I liked the movie overall, as it has some interesting ways of presenting things... hmm...sort of, nihilistic, in-your-face, punch. And overall, I "dig" Miike's style, and it had some funny scenes too (dark humor...).
But I certainly didn't "love" this movie. By far, not my favorite Takashi Miike's movie. But not my "least favorite" either. I certainly didn't "hate" it. Thus, I think OP's groupings of all those who viewed this movie is incomplete.

[–] taumpy_tears 11 years ago

this applies to every surreal movie, this movie is no more polarizing than any other.