MovieChat Forums > Brother (2000) Discussion > Kitano's worst film

Kitano's worst film

posted 17 years ago by Ottilia
25 replies | jump to latest

The US-American actors can't hold a candle to the Office Kitano troupe. They are all way too soft, way too clean. No badness or discipline or heroism, just flaccid. Hint to american actors, not thinking at all doesn't make you appear as 'cool'.

I especially disliked "Denny". How can they put this milk-drinking schoolboy up as a gangster? The film crew didn't even bother to put a little scar on his eye where he got stabbed with the bottle stump.

Mafia kills his family and he doesn't stop smiling at the mafia boss. The final scene, so embarassing. Only the money makes him declare his "love"

It's no wonder Kitano said he's never going to film in the US again ;)

[–] raunos 17 years ago

Yeah, I just saw this and I totally agree, there were so many embarrassing moments in this film, I just couldn't believe it! Some of the worst acting I've seen in a while. Even the horrible violence couldn't distract me from the fact!

I was actually quite happy to be disappointed by an Asian film for a change! :) It does not happen too often.

Seen Samurai Fiction?

[–] Ichiban_Sensei 17 years ago

Alot of these acting problems however could come from language conflicts with the director.

[–] Ottilia 17 years ago

The violence in Brother. They all leave huge pools of CGI blood like they're being shot with a .50 cannon. But at the 'cholos' meeting at the hotel, they perforate the four bosses and there's not one drop of blood on them. Enough of this :)

Samurai Fiction, now that was a very pleasant surprise. Hilarious little film!

[–] palindromicevilolive 17 years ago

I think it's one of his better films, actually(Sonatine being his best IMO). It was more of a traditional American gangster flick than most of his other work, but isn't that appropriate for his first English language film? I think it compares favorably with Scorsese's or Coppola's gangster films myself. I know among my friends, who usually gag at the mention of a foreign film, Brother was a big hit. So perhaps part of the reason hardcore Kitano fans didn't like it as much is because it was designed to be accessible to a different sort of audience.

I do agree with some of the criticism of Denny's character It did strike me as odd that he wasn't more visibly affected by his mother and sister's deaths, and his reaction at the very end did seem a bit odd-He was a successful gangster for some time, he's never seen a bag full of cash before? Just seemed like that wouldn't be such a shock to him.

[–] Cobra12 15 years ago

'He was a successful gangster for some time, he's never seen a bag full of cash before? Just seemed like that wouldn't be such a shock to him'

I think the shock was due to Kitano giving Denny the cash in the first place, given the situation. Denny was the only one of the kids, who 'understood' the code.

I love the way Kitano acts, violence, with a serene tranqility. Its almost like, he 'knows' the events that are about to unfold, he knows he is going to die...

[–] Takeshi-K 8 years ago

It was probably the LAST bag of cash he would ever see. Remember that he was being hunted by the Mob for the rest of his life. That requires cash. He was relieved.

[–] palindromicevilolive 17 years ago

I think they were supposed to be soft. That was sort of the point-Kitano took a bunch of stupid 2-bit pusher kids and made them into high class professional gangsters.

[–] Mr_Hamster 17 years ago

"Mafia kills his family and he doesn't stop smiling at the mafia boss."

I agree, that was really distracting. I guess he didn't care about his family after all.

"Brother" is one of Kitano's worst films, but it's still okay (I gave it a 7/10). I remember when the film came out, I was so hyped. Kitano goes Hollywood - it seemed like a dream come true. I liked Kato and Shirase, they were both cool characters.

Who are they? And what do they want?

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Mr_Hamster 9 years ago

I was referring to Danny, not Yamamoto...

Who are they? And what do they want?
😎

[–] watedge 16 years ago

I think this is just a case of cliché, pretentious "American cinema is crap". While the film is primarily Japanese, there were American influences in it.

However, compared to Kitano's other work I found this to be very poor, both in his directing and acting abilities. It was, in a sense, commercialized. Nevertheless I'm glad it did hold on to many Japanese cultural aspects and traditional aspects.

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] skyhighatrist550 16 years ago

I recently watched this again after a while and have to say I aprreciate it a lot more. I like the theme of cross-culutre with Yammamoto: a hardnened cacasian Yakuza from Japan, and Denny: a suburban ethnic American hoodlem. I also enjoyed the humor behind crossing japanese and american ethnic culures in some scenes .

As for the acting, meh. I'd take the characters in this over anybody in say a film like Scarface anyday(which I think this film greatly surpasses). Sure it's not his best, but a very entertaining film on it's own.

You're pushing 60, and you've got a bum ticker...You aint saving anyone.

[–] mistamajestyk 15 years ago

Making a Kitano film more accessible to American audiences is what ruined it for me. Which is also strange, because this movie seemed to play mostly in small, art house theaters, which would normally cater to the type of audience used to his style of film making. It was almost like Kitano was trying to generalise what American gangs and mobsters were like, and perhaps what he thought the perception of Japanese gangsters were to America. There were too many cliches, IMO. (The excessive finger cutting, the decapitated head, etc.)

"Zombies, man.....they creep me out."

[–] skyhighatrist550 14 years ago

Coming back on this thread I find a few of you guys make some pretty good points. Kitano does have a pretty numb view of America which he expresses in his interviews and it definitely comed across that way in Brother, but Kitano also noted how dedicated the American film crew were to making his film.

Henry isn't home, I'm Edward!

[–] taumpy_tears 11 years ago

"Which is also strange, because this movie seemed to play mostly in small, art house theaters"

that isn't strange at all, the director has no control over how a film is promoted. he was led to believe it would bring him success but the marketers did a bad job with it.

[–] polysicsarebest 15 years ago

Right, this is how I feel. This is his most violent and most... emotive... film. Seems to be playing on American film stereotypes. Something interesting about Kitano is that he films without a script, only a structure. He says that way, he can kill off characters if he doesn't like them. I think the production was probably troubled and he changed the tone of the film to reflect the troubles...

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] alienlion 14 years ago

It was my favorite Kitano movie, to be honest. The guys were supposed to come out as a silly bunch of wanabes. It's actually much more authentic than most crime movies in that regard. There are a lot more kids like that who go after "gangster" lifestyle than Vincent Vega's, if you know what I mean. And they acted exactly like that bunch of wankers would act if they managed to make something happen (which they did only because of Aniki).

I agree about some cringeworthy acting moments though but that's due to the language conflict, as someone pointed out. The Japanese actors were all excellent.

Also, all these organized crime scholars here don't know what the hell they're talking about. Every town and every area in US (or anywhere) is different in terms of their crime elements or lack thereof. Plus, it's not like Aniki and co. took over the whole of New York city, they were just big in that one area and were wiped out when they went too far. I'm not saying that this movie is realistic but it's much better than many realize.

[–] zieveraar2009 14 years ago

cringeworthy. But that's about the only one imo. The monologue just fell a little flat.

It's a good movie, definitely not Kitano's worst, not even by far.

http://www.nps.gov/history/delta/blues/

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Smokey_T 10 years ago

Kitano's most accessible gangster film for a Western audience - although it did feel 'corrupted' by a distorted vision of the American criminal underworld and its inhabitants. Perhaps Kitano's rendering of the Yakuza societies in his other films are similarly unrealistic, only the exotic setting making it excempt from critique.

His best offerings are those silent moments that punctuate the violence about to be enacted upon someone ignorant, rude, or just unfortunate enough to cross him. A lot of the rest of his films are slow murky offerings thematically obsessed with loyalty, honor and male bonding. There isn't a lot to Kitano, as an actor, outside of his interesting face, and *great* timing. I'm sure he is an auteur, but how important his films actually I couldn't comment on. I just love his deliveries.

Kikajiro is a trite crowd pleaser but it was nice to see him undermine his own tough guy Yakuza screen persona as Eastwood did in Unforgiven. And unlike Eastwood he didn't pussy out in the final scene.

[–] Errington_92 9 years ago

I much prefer Sonatine to Brother. While both films are similar in theme and style, Brother lacks sincere characterisation or emotional impact Sonatine has. Brother felt like a montage of violent action scenes.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not.

[–] Takeshi-K 8 years ago

This movie is actual Takeshi's least favorite film. He vowed never to make a movie in America again.