Outrage is the latest yakuza film from Japanese director Takeshi Kitano. It is a look at the cyclical nature of organized crime in Japan, and what it takes to survive in this world. The yakuza are gangsters, hell bent on ruling their turf, and getting what they want. There is no mercy among the yakuza, and one step out of line results in torture or swift death. As we soon find out, to rise to the top of the yakuza food chain, “Outlasting everyone is the best revenge these days.”
Director Kitano is known for his over-the-top gangster films, yet most of Outrage is far from over-the-top. An eerie grey tone shrouds the film, clearly a stylistic choice by the director. Kitano, who also plays a large role in the film, dresses both characters and settings in shades of black and white, creating a monochromatic world in which these men fight one another. The film is so slow it barely holds your attention for the its full two hours. For a film where so many people get murdered, very little actually happens. There is far too much dialogue and almost no action in the film. What action does occur, however, is well done and highly stylized. His torture scenes are full of exaggerated blood and are gruesome to watch. He uses simple torture tactics, but they’re horrific to see. It’s cringe-worthy to see someone stabbed in the ear with chopsticks or sliced in the face as blood spurts across the room. In these moments Kitano chooses these forms of torture in a calculated manner. They seem so simple they could happen to anyone, making them even more grisly. But besides the few bloody moments, the film plods along.
There are an inordinate number of characters in the film, all of whom are Japanese men wearing ill-fitting suits. None of them are particularly menacing, and they seem about as far from the Corleone clan as can be. They all have such mild demeanors, it’s hard to believe when they lash out and kill at the slightest indiscretion. There are two rival gangs, or “families,” and one Chairman who is the liaison between the two. Eventually we come to understand that it is truly the Chairman who is pulling the strings, as he begins to pit the two gangs against each other. Each gang seems to have a leader, an underleader and an infinite number of cronies, making it almost impossible to understand who belongs on what team.
In the beginning, the two gangs have a peace pact between them, but neither group is satisfied. As each one encroaches on the other’s turf, tensions rise and men begin to die. Because they’re competing over drug money, each group wants to control the trade, but when product and funds begin to dry up, other provisions must be made. One gang opens a casino in an attempt to roll in some more cash and control the drug trade from there.
Despite any pacts, it’s every man for himself. For the yakuza, it’s a war of survival, and the only way to climb to the top is to discard those standing in your way. These men kill in cold blood, with absolutely no remorse. Not a single character shows an ounce of emotion throughout the entire film, and not once is a relationship upheld. It’s hard to get drawn into a move like this, for it is impossible to connect with any of the characters. They’re poorly developed and because the viewer has no allegiance to one side or the other, it doesn’t really matter to the viewer who lives or dies.
This rampant disposal of characters can only be understood as an intentional decision by Kitano. He has created a level playing field in which, among the yakuza, it’s kill or be killed. He must have had a field day coming up with one murder tactic after another, with a visually poetic goal in mind. This doesn’t necessarily translate, however, to those unfamiliar with the yakuza genre. Outrage is so hard to follow it’s a struggle to watch. It took so much out of me to try to understand who was who and what was going on, I nearly gave up several times. For those looking for a coherent plot or true structure, you won’t find it in Outrage. To actually enjoy the film, suspend the desire for understanding and simply watch the cycle of vengeance as it unfolds.
DVD Bonus Features
Cast Interview: Making Outrage, Outrage Inside Out: Behind The Scenes Documentary, Cast Panel Interview, Premiere Q&A, Cannes Red Carpet Premiere with Takeshi Kitano, U.S. Trailer, International TV Spots, and as always with Magnolia Pictures, Also From Magnolia Home Entertainment.
"Outrage" is on sale January 31, 2012 and is rated R. Crime, Drama. Written and directed by Takeshi Kitano. Starring Kippei Shiina, Ryo Kase, Takeshi Kitano.
