User reviews

There is no doubt in my mind that Takeshi Kitano is one of the greatest cinematic geniuses alive, and his nihilistic 1989 directorial debut is a fantastic proof for that. "Sono otoko, kyôbô ni tsuki" aka. "Violent Cop" is one of the rawest, most uncompromising cop films ever made, and, at the same time, arguably one of the most promising debut films ever delivered. Due to its 'unorthodox cop' premise, the film is often compared to films like the "Dirty Harry" series or "Bad Lieutennant". The stone-faced and irascible copper Azuma (brilliant performance by director Kitano, under his acting name 'Beat Takeshi'), is ten times dirtier than Harry ever was and incomparably more ruthless than the Baddest New York Lieutennant. Azuma could even give the ultra-unorthodox coppers in 70s Italian Poliziotteschi flicks a lesson in police violence. At least most violent cops in 70s exploitation cinema did what they did to protect society from scumbags, whilst Azuma does it out of anger, and he does not even bother asking questions before beating confessions out of criminals. Honestly, "Violent Cop" beats everything in the copper-flick field in its incredibly nihilistic premise, and yet it finds the time for slower moments, and Kitano's typically absurd and ingeniously black humor.

Detective Azuma (Kitano), and irascible homicide detective hates the criminal as he hates the crime, and he does not attempt to hide this attitude. His unorthodox methods, which include the severe beating of suspects, have caused him trouble with his superiors in the past, but Azuma does not seem to care. When ruthless Yakuza gangsters make things personal, they have to realize that they might have made an enemy whose relentlessness easily equals theirs...

I would love to further discuss the film's ingenious plot, but I do not want to spoil anything, as every true film lover should be able to experience the greatness of "Violent Cop". Unlike Kitano's other films, for which Kitano himself wrote the stories, this film is an adaptation of a novel by Hiashi Nozawa. Kitano's work, however, is ingenious, as screenwriter, director and leading man of this film. There is no other director who is capable of combining brutal nihilistic violence, tragedy and (black) comedy as effectively as Kitano does. Asked about the violence in his films in an interview, Kitano himself has once stated that nobody could possibly want to reproduce the violence seen in his films, simply because it is painful to look at. And it is true, hardly another director makes the pain caused by the violence as obvious as Kitano does. Kitano has a unique stamina when showing violence, which makes the viewer almost feel the pain. I don't want to spoil anything by giving an example - see this film and know what I am talking about. At the same time Kitano always has moments that are absurdly comical. As all Kitano protagonists, Azuma, even though an irascible and violent man, has a very odd sense of humor. His response to a barmaid's question what he does for a living is just one example for that. Also in a typical Kitano-manner, the film takes the time for slower parts in-between, like Azuma crossing a bridge for example.

Kitano is as great as leading man as he is as director here. His stoic performance as Azuma is brilliant. The stone-faced copper always has a poker face, but it is nonetheless obvious that he is boiling in fury - how many other actors could be predestined for a role like this as Kitano is. No one, in my opinion. It is Kitano's performance which carries this film, and yet the other performances are also excellent. Hakuryu is particularly excellent as a sadistic Yakuza hit-man. Maiko Kawakami is also very convincing as Azuma's mentally disturbed sister. The rest of the cast includes several great character actors who have since become regulars in Kitano's films, such as Ittoku Kishihe as a Yakuza boss or Makoto Ashikawa as Azuma's young colleague. Lovers of Italian cult-cinema, by the way will be delighted to see a scene in which Kitano brilliantly pays tribute to Sergio Martino's Giallo "La Coda Dello Scorpione" (1971). "Violent Cop" is greatly shot and accompanied by an insanely brilliant score. Kitano's use of music in his films is another part of his brilliance, and really has to be experienced instead of explained.

All said, "Violent Cop" is a unique cinematic experience that must not be missed. Ultraviolent, nihilistic, sometimes slow in detail and more often fast and incredibly raw, brutal, sometimes tragic and sometimes oddly comical, this is the uncompromising masterpiece that marks the beginning in the cinematic career of one of today's most brilliant filmmakers. And, apart from his unmatched 1997 masterpiece "Hana-Bi" (aka. "Fireworks"), Kitano's debut still ranks among his greatest accomplishments. A true must!

This is Takeshi Kitano's directorial debut, and damn, it's a good way to open a directing career. Violent Cop is a film about, well... look at the title. While it may not be 100% in the style that Kitano's later films are, you can see many aspects of his later films were started.

Kitano plays a cop who goes above and beyond when it comes to the kind of wild things that Dirty Harry did. He's an even looser cannon than Harry, and that's saying something. Kitano plays the role well, doing his usual stoic face act. He comes across as quite scary and threatening. All the other side characters do a good job too.

Visually it does a lot of the things that Kitano is known for. Long shots, close ups, interesting editing, etc. You can see the foundation of Kitano's later films within this one. Now since this was his first attempt at directing, it can occasionally feel a bit slow. When I was about half way through, it felt like I had been watching for longer. Also the plot can be a bit confusing at times. Scenes occur that sometimes feel like they didn't have a lot to do with the main plot, or characters appear that you aren't exactly sure if you have seen briefly before or not. Kitano's later films tighten up the plot for sure, so I understand that this one is a little bit more rough since it's his first directing gig.

Over all, it's an interesting tale of a loose cannon cop. If you're a fan of Kitano and haven't seen it, check it out. Also watch it if you are in the mood for an unique Japanese film or a movie that shows that late 80's/early 90's vibe, because this movie certainly has that.

Violent Cop is the first directorial work of comedian and television host Takeshi Kitano. He wasn't even supposed to do this job but when the initially hired director pulled out of the project due to scheduling conflicts, Takeshi Kitano took over and rewrote large parts of the script in the process. People must have been surprised when this film was initially released because it has nothing to do with Takeshi Kitano's quirky, funny and entertaining shows throughout the seventies and eighties. Violent Cop does its title justice and is brutal, cynical and nihilistic. It is often compared to the Dirty Harry franchise but while the titular hero of the American franchise is able to keep his cool, Takeshi Kitano's main character is unstable, unpredictable and pitiless.

Takeshi Kitano plays brutal veteran detective Azuma who doesn't show much respect for his superiors, colleagues and rookies. He treats criminals the way they would actually treat their victims. The opening sequence is quite revealing in that regard as the detective follows the leader of a group of teenagers who beat up a helpless old man and proceeds to beat him up in his parents' house. The only person this detective seems to care about is his fragile sister who spent time at a hospital to treat a head injury. Once we are introduced to the detective's life, the actual plot unfolds. The detective discovers that his partner is involved in drug trafficking but before he can conduct further investigations, his partner is found hanged under a bridge. Azuma understands that the suicide had been staged and tries to track down the boss of the drug trafficking ring by any means necessary.

The cinematography of this movie is very experimental and foreshadows Takeshi Kitano's later works. The movie has few dialogues and especially the main character prefers to use his fists before asking any questions. The movie features long moments of silence and static camera work before they are interrupted by hectic sequences and brutal acts of violence. The movie is quite brutal indeed and the body count rises quicker and quicker as the film progresses. Innocent bystanders get killed, a helpless homeless man gets beaten to pulp and even a pitiful woman gets executed. The film's conclusion is particularly cynical and nihilistic but offers an unexpected twist and some food for thought.

Fans of Japanese V-cinema and enthusiasts for brutal yakuza movies will adore Violent Cop. It has an intriguing atmosphere, unusual characters and lots of violence. Despite its cynical, nihilistic and pitiless attitude, the movie is never shallow and actually offers some food for thought. The film has aged quite well and shows the dark side of Japan's society.

A shallow description would refer to this as a Japanese version of Dirty Harry. And it does bear some resemblance to that film, but while Dirty Harry broke the rules in order to get a criminal at any cost, Kitano's character Azuma seems to seek vengeance due not only to his lust for revenge but because he's psychotic. There's a sense that Azuma won't rest until he gets his man not out of duty but out of madness. Kitano gives what might be his best performance in this film; he is absolutely riveting. And the film itself is beautifully shot, and the score is especially good. But the best part of this is perhaps the end - the film ends on a perfectly cynical note that couldn't be topped. Seek this out.

I find it very difficult to rate a movie like this, as most of its interest is in who made it and how it points to his much superior later movies like Hana-bi. The script here is obviously just a standard actioner - the usual elements we've all seen a million times are there, the hard man cop with his innocent rookie partner, his one weakness (in this case, his sister), his 'no nonsense get things done attitude'. But this being Kitano, its full of mysterious, compelling scenes that in themselves often don't often make sense. The ending was never really in doubt, but the fascination of Takeshi movies is how he gets there. There really is nobody out there making movies quite like him now - such weird blends of Japanese sensibility, American action tropes and European art movie editing and camera-work. It shouldn't work, but somehow it does. Violent Cop is nowhere near his best work so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone curious about watching it, but its certainly worth a view for those who have seen his later movies and want to explore his strange vision of the world.

Rewatching Takeshi Kitano's debut feature, it doesn't have quite the same impact it did when I first saw it some years ago, my introduction to the murky world of Kitano. Partly that's because so much of the movie does depend on shocking you, on defying your expectations and throwing surprises right in your eye. Mainly violent ones The violence in the movie is a sharp contrast to HK's Heroic Bloodshed - here, it comes suddenly, brutally, painfully and not necessarily to those who deserve it. There are no heroes here.

Given that this was Kitano's first job as a director, and that he wasn't even meant to be the director originally, his distinctive style is surprisingly recognisable from the start. The way scenes are filmed, the characters, the dialogue, the soundtrack and of course the violence are all very Kitano. Definitely a man with a vision, and a big influence on the development of Japanese cinema since he made this movie.

Violent Cop is a bleak movie... unrelentingly so in fact. It goes straight into the bowels of humanity and has no shame in showing you what it finds there. Tremendously nihilistic! Not Kitano's best film, though it was the one that did have the biggest effect on me when I first saw it. Movies like Sonatine, Hana-Bi and even Kikujiro all refine his style a little more. Violent Cop is still an important movie in the history of world cinema.

Sadly, such an important movie has been brought to the US market on what is quite possibly the worst DVD I have ever seen - to get such a messed up picture they must really have had to try hard. Almost painful to watch. I had been hoping that the recently released UK DVD would correct this state of affairs, but apparently it's just as bad or even worse. So sad, so sad!

Having seen both Sonatine and Boiling, I just saw "Violent Cop on DVD. Kitano gives another stoney-faced, high-voltage performance as Azuma. The slow pacing in this case intensifies the tension and bursts of violence in the movie. Azuma's close and caring relationship with his sister adds the emotional charge to this movie. Highly recommended to fans of this genre.

I admit, I have fallen prey into appreciating, respecting, and even loving the style of Takeshi Kitano. With "Brother" being my first Kitano film, it was slightly difficult for me to get into his awkward directing methods. Long takes of characters moving (or sitting, or standing) lifelessly, sudden bursts of graphic violence, occasional humor, strange editing techniques, etc. It took me a while to fully appreciate his way of telling a story and developing his characters. Eventually, once I realized how it was meant to be I simply got hooked. Kitano has definitely set a name for himself as a respected filmmaker in Asian Cinema and film-making itself.

All the ass-kissing aside, I decided to check out his early stuff to see how it all started. And I must say, Violent Cop came out as a disappointment to me.

In fact, if it wasn't for a few interesting scenes and the Kitano flavored direction, I'd say it was downright HORRIBLE.

So where do we go from here? Well, I've barely seen any of Kitano's usual comedic routines in Japan, so I was able to take him seriously in this film. That's a start.

I'll try summing up what I think went wrong with this film: Kitano got a hold of a director's position for the first time, but got too excited and smeared the whole film (nervously) with his own style.

That's how it feels like watching Violent Cop. It tries too hard to be different (not saying being different is a bad thing, but it certainly feels forced in this one). I understand this was Kitano's very first effort in directing (he even acknowledges in an interview that he truly dislikes this film), but if you're more into his recent work (or anything after Violent Cop really), there's a high chance you'll be disappointed.

"The Cons": The BIGGEST issue I have with the whole film isn't the direction (it's not bad at all), it's the freaking script. The story almost goes nowhere. I had a hard time telling why many scenes were in the film (especially by the second half). It feels like they were there for the sake of being there. Maybe I'm wrong, or I don't grasp the whole "art" behind it, but it certainly felt very sloppy in this one. Don't get me wrong, the story has its moments, and it's not much confusing, but there's too much focus on the most unnecessary of things.

"The Pros": Now that I've vented my frustration with the film... The presence of Kitano's direction make up for the whole messed up script. I find the opening shot to be bizarrely riveting, and traces of the Kitano directorial spice which eventually evolved into much better films are to be found in Violent Cop. The characters were quite believable (Kitano does shine as always with showing very little emotion-besides rage, of course), some were creepy, some just really messed up (I felt truly sorry for the main character's daughter), all in all a decent acting effort. The violence was pretty satisfying, too. Also, the film contains probably the single most awesome foot/car chase I've ever seen (don't get your hopes up, though); seriously, as these mainstream films try their best to make it "breathtaking", Kitano captures it beautifully in this one. The slow music, the way we see them running from the strangest angles, the whole scene lasts over ten minutes, and it's simply really damn cool!

In the end: Check it out, it won't hurt. Though, if you've seen any of Kitano's other films then prepare to be somewhat disappointed. If you're starting out with him, I suggest you seek out a different title instead (perhaps Sonatine or Brother).

If you like to watch walking, then this is the film for you.

Watch Takeshi walk over a bridge.

Watch Takeshi walk up steps.

Watch Takeshi walk past cars.

Watch Takeshi walk on a street.

Yup, endless slow scenes of Takeshi walking.

Now I like walking as much as the next man, but there's a time & a place.

If it's meant to add to the scene, I'm not getting it.

I don't mind arty takes that add something to the story, but I'll hazard a wild guess that out of the one hour and forty minutes of film, about twenty minutes if it was... watching Takeshi walking haha.

If only they'd have jazzed it up & bit, maybe stick him on a push bike?

Kitano cripples the senses and jars the nerves in his films. This is a movie about a two-fisted cop whose blunt face and cliff's edge personality drive every scene, even the ones Kitano is not in. Kitano's character is not reacting to a violent world, but infecting it with his own brand of violence. The "violent cop" has lost his hope, therefore he fears nothing.

Kitano as director gives us a real world of humor and interaction. Events happen, there's no plot. Every scene has this pulse that is raging, the characters even when still seem kinetic as sprinters. Punches, kicks, and bullets explode bodies. Kitano's character clashes with a psychotic hit man, but it is Kitano's cop who is out of control, unstoppable in his desire to inflict justice as he sees it.

There's scenes which cannot be forgotten: Kitano's cop

interrogates a punk drug dealer in a club rest room. These two actors go through a scene in which Kitano slaps this man over and over until he talks. The difference is that Kitano is really slapping this actor, and slapping living hell out of him. Cringe-worthy, and up there with one of the other scenes that illustrates what a hard man Kitano is: stabbed with a knife, Kitano grips the blade as it comes out of him, clinching his fist down on it so he cannot be stabbed again. Blood pours out from between his fingers, he cannot let it go because his fist and knife are one; Kitano understands the brutality of the fight, the reality of two men trying to kill each other, no quips, no words, no yells or curses, just blood and rage; cut to the bone, it's the way the whole film makes you feel.

As far as the recent BROTHER is concerned, it makes perfect sense for Kitano to use similar themes seen in his earlier films. BROTHER is Kitano's first real attack on American audiences. They, en mass, haven't seen his stuff, and if Kitano's going over old ground, he's doing it in HIS style. Better a retread Kitano than most of Hollywood's slobbering star-cramped idiocy.

Not much here as far as a story goes. It's a standard dirty cop movie that's got the requisite Yakuza flick blood, blood, more blood, guns, drugs and gang rape. There isn't a single character or situation that doesn't have a well-worn precedent the Dirty Harry or HK Triad genres. The ending is quite bleak. Of course, Kitano had nothing to do with the cookie cutter script and this was his first effort directing.

That said, it's really interesting to see it because it was Takeshi Kitano's first time directing. It was a pleasant surprise to see the way that Kitano handled the scene where his character confronts a crooked vice cop who was once a close friend. Instead of impassioned, cliched speeches we can all recite by heart, Kitano shows them sitting down together at a restaurant for a confrontation. We see them through the windows, from across the street. There is a sense of time passing as cars flash by and the camera lingers on their impassive faces. They might be saying the words we all know - it's just not necessary for us to go through it again. Instead Kitano makes the moment personal for them by backing the camera out the window and across the street, as though respecting their privacy. By showing the two at ease like that, Kitano probably created a much stronger sense of a broken past between the two men than if he had shown them shouting about who had `changed' since they were kids or something.

There are choices like that made throughout the film. It's interesting to watch for Kitano's style in such an unoriginal movie. Particularly his sense of how long tension can last.

Also, I happen to think that Kitano's acting is almost always worth watching. He's fun and always full of potential. Like Christopher Walken in Pulp Fiction or O'Toole in almost anything - you never know when he's going to say or do something utterly insane. Violent Cop is so by-the-numbers that it's not too hard to figure out what's coming next, but he has some moments. Or maybe I just like seeing him slaughtering people like in Gonin.

Takeshi Kitano is an all-star of Japanese cinema, and violent cop is his directoral debut. Kitano stars in the movie and is fantastic playing the title character in a way that is both scary and intimidating but also sad and extremely pathetic. The way this movie is shot is really striking and if you can get through some slower moments I promise you, it will not disappoint in the slightest.

I find it dissapointing that Kitano himself, doesn't really like this movie, cause I think it's great.

Although known for his humour throughout Japan, Kitano's films are often cynical, but his own directorial flavor is what makes these films more than just "edgy". Beat Takeshi's unique method of filming, editing and acting creates a style and feel distinct to only Kitano films. Violent Cop is his first attempt at being a filmmaker, and it's one of his most cynical story, although, compared to his later films like Sonatine or Fireworks (with Sonatine being my favorite of his), this one feels cynical for cynical's sake, especially with its ending, and therefore lacks the rewatchability of said titles.

Unlike most directors who have to go through quite a few films before figuring out their own thing, Kitano's unique style is already visibly present throughout his directorial debut, so for Kitano fans, this will still scratch that itch for the melancholic cynicism that only he can deliver, but with a script that lingers on a bit longer that it needed in certain places, the film is far inferior to his later works. Worth a watch, but not if you're not already a Kitano fan.

Violent cop is an excellent film in the league of cops versus hoodlums genre.What is amazingly unique about it is that even though maverick master Kitano has always maintained close proximity to the sphere of Japanese Yakuza gangs,he has nevertheless been able to portray a concise,crisp,candid vision of the sordid milieu of the Japanese cops. While watching it,I was mesmerized by its mellifluous soundtrack which has some of the most haunting effects ever recreated for a film.As far as similarities with Dirty Harry are concerned one must look at that aspect from cultural point of view.In Kitano's film there is good deal of respect for family relations. I don't know whether the same holds true for Eastwood's film.It can be said that those liking this film will be impressed by one of its opening sequences which best exemplifies the notion that the method adopted is acceptable if the results achieved are satisfactory. All in all this film is a decent commentary about the sorry state of affairs of Japanese police system which is not at all different from those of other countries.

I'm no stranger to Takeshi Kitano, dude is practically an icon of Japanese cinema, every role he does he plays it with such conviction that it is a joy to see him on screen and Violent Cop is not exception to this. I have only seen his movie Kikujiro prior to this which is the polar opposite, meaning that instead of it being wholesome and pretty like Kikujiro it is straight up clinical and nihilistic.

Violent Cop follows the titular character Azuma a police officer in his attempts to catch a drug ring that has burrowed itself even amongst the police force with bought off people from the force. Azuma is not a cop that plays by the rules, that is clear from the opening scene where he visits a young scoundrel to give him a beating up. The police office that he works in is well aware of this. To balance him out he's paired with a rookie that plays everything by the rules almost to the point of him being very annoying (but legally right).

I think this is the most interesting aspect of the movie that it tries to muddle the barriers between who is right or who is wrong, Azuma who takes the law by his hands and does everything he can to achieve his goals or the rookie that does everything right but in the end could be just as susceptible to corruption as his fellow police officers? That is for you, the viewer to decide because the movie doesn't have a clear stance in itself- in fact everything is presented in a very "matter of fact"-kind of way, almost clinical and very neutral even the violence that is portrayed is done in this way. This can also be reflected towards the story which is very very minimal, doing the "show don't tell"-approach. To me this approach is perhaps the hardest one to make good because it can confuse viewers or make them bored and I was honestly in a state between the two... now now, I won't say this is a bad movie, it is very interesting but I felt for it's runtime it could've been way shorter and since the plot is very minimal you have to make it snappy- at least that's what I think. It has also this very Japanese type of filming which uses very long and purposeful shots that sometimes work and sometimes the don't (it's these that mostly muddle the pace of the film). So I was mostly in a constant state of being interested in what's happening and glancing at the runtime of my VLC player to see how much of it is left. I can appreciate the symbolism that this movie has and the subversion of crime movie tropes, it even has a pretty sad and nihilistic twist!

A positive of this film is that it's just so gorgeous, very beautifully shot- every scene could almost be framed. It has a very art house feel I think! Also the music is good, it has recurring themes that play out in scenes making them really memorable, it's interesting how the music here is used in the same way as the music in Kikujiro.

All in all it's a good experience, I wouldn't recommend this to someone that's really into adrenaline pumping action or thrillers because this movie is somehow neither of these- and if it is then it's a very methodical approach to these genres that won't really resonate with many people, hence the "art house" vibe that it has. I would recommend this to people that really like cinema or want to immerse themselves in Takeshi Kitano's impressive and immense body of work, I'm the latter. And I'm honestly very happy to have seen this movie but I don't know if I would watch it again honestly. Takeshi Kitano shines through and he really has a cool style of acting and directing! Looking forward to see more of his work!

Rated NR(would be Rated R for Strong Violence,Sexuality and Drug Content)

I have seen Violent Cop twice on IFC.I must say it is an excellent movie and if you get the chance to watch it, do so!.Its one of the greatest non-anime films to come out of Japan.Apparently, the main star,writer and director of this film Takeshi Kitano was originally a Japanese comedian.If that's true, then he did an excellent job in playing a serious role.The acting is excellent.I saw this film a while ago so I don't remember the storyline very well but I remember it has a deep story,great performances and a powerful ending.If you can find this film or watch it anywhere, I recommend you do so!

I remember watching Clerks 2, and Randall talks about how the lord of the rings movies, and how it was a lot of walking. I guess that means Mr Bad Taste Jackson watched this movie for inspiration.

It's like the film equivalent of watching a marathon. I feel like we were sponsoring him for a walk-a-thon, the donations went to the people he maims once he catches up to them.

I can't really fault his detective style; if I spent hours walking around an island in dress shoes, the people I run into on the other end are gonna get whooped. This man does his cardio! To have that kind of energy for a good old fashion waffle stomp on someone's face, after you walk a 25 mile walk about, is just crazy. I feel like I got this week's steps done watching this.

I love the man, he can even make wandering interesting enough that I want to see what happens.

(1989) Violent Cop (In Japanese with English subtitles) CRIME DRAMA THRILLER

Co-written (uncredited) and directed by "Beat "Takeshi Kitano as he plays cop, Azuma living with his disabled daughter, Akari (Maiko Kawakami). Who him and his partner, Kikuchi (Makoto Ashikawa) eventual clash with gangster, Nito (Ittoku Kishibe) leading to the inevitable.

Beat Takeshi's directorial debut which is not bad which is a Takeshi's own version of "Dirt Harry". I didn't quite understand this film upon seeing it, for this film cannot be watched for it's story, and has to be looked at more for it's situations of what Beat would do in whatever situation!! It has a low budget kind of feel to it!.

I am sure this will be an unpopular review, but I really did NOT like this movie. It wasn't just because it was EXTREMELY violent (though it was needlessly graphic) but because I just didn't care about the characters and the script lacked finesse. In other Kitano films I have seen, such as Kikujirô no natsu, Sonatine and Zatoichi, there was violence (particularly in the latter two) BUT there was also a certain likability of the main character--even when he was not a "good" guy. In addition, the movies abounded with wonderful little moments and extra touches that gave them charm and color (such as the idiot gangsters trying to shoot things off each other's heads when they got bored at the beach in Sonatine or when the weird guy in the diaper kept re-appearing in Zatoichi). But in Violent Cop, there were few, if any, interesting little touches--just Kitano beating the crap out of EVERYONE! He made Dirty Harry look like Captain Kangaroo! In fact, he was SO over-the-top, that you couldn't help but wonder WHAT police force would keep him one the job. Even the KGB or Nazis would find him a liability due to his MINDLESSLY violent tactics. In other words, such an out of control nut couldn't last very long on any job! I do NOT recommend this movie for kids or teens--or even adults for that matter. All violence and no style make for a poor cinematic experience.