Customer Reviews

Brother [VHS]

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

As introspective as it is violent, "Brother" manages to do what few Hollywood gangster films can--entertain and make you think. To call the plot Shakespearean almost seems an insult, as its sensibilities are so obviously Japanese, with the emphasis not on the action but on the effects of it, but careful observers may see strains of "Macbeth" and "Richard III" in this very grown-up feature (with a little Sergio Leone thrown in). Director and star Takeshi Kitano follows the last days of a disgraced Yakuza in America, whose brilliant but brutal rise to power in modern L.A. is matched only by the intensity of his loyalty to his friends and half-brother. Omar Epps is a likable presence as one of those friends, and the many familiar Japanese-American faces--including veteran James Shigeta--blends ably with the mostly Japanese cast. But it is Kitano that delivers the goods, wisely choosing to underplay Yamamoto as a pillar of quiet strength rather than allow him to become broad-based caricature. In fact, the understated tone of the film is what gives it so much style and intensity; few American films would be bold enough to focus less on the shoot 'em ups and more on the aftermath or to raise the issue of black-on-Asian racism in a gangster movie. That the story ends up pretty much where you expect it to is less a flaw than the culmination of a satisfying slow burn, making this gem a must-see.

I recently rented Brother on DVD here in america last week. And was saddened to find that they edited a fair amount of scenes from the original version. The movie still functions with the scenes edited out, but I felt that these edited scenes brought more clarity to the movie. The edited amereican version doesn't quite have that clarity, and therefore suffers somewhat. The edited scenes were mostly in Japanese, and gave background on why Takeshi's character was going to LA. . Perhaps the studio felt that american viewers do not like to read subtitles or don't like seeing people in other countries. I am not sure why this was done, but I think that it takes away from the movie and shortchanges the viewer. Anyhow, it is Takeshi being Takeshi, and the movie is well done. Not a bad crossover film for Takeshi and Kitano. It's rather humourous at times and there is enough bad [butt]edness going around to make even the seasoned action flix fan happy. I would give it 5 stars had they not messed with it and edited scenes from the original.

Beat Takeshi provides another violent movie, whose purpose seems to be that violence begets violence, and ultimately it's a dead end. The basic plot has Takeshi playing a yakuza forced to leave Japan upon the death of his boss. He finds his half brother in LA pushing drugs rather than attending school. Takeshi violently turns the small time crew into a major crime cartel.

Yakuza themes of loyalty to family and honor over life pervade the movie. The omnipresent violence somehow avoids being gratuitous, perhaps because one realizes how more graphic it could have been. Unlike traditional western shoot 'em ups, we are left with the aftermath instead of the fight scenes themselves. At times it is hard to follow the plot and remember who is on whose sides, but perhaps that is the point.

Acclaimed director Takeshi Kitano -winner of the Golden Lion in Venice '97 for his film "Fireworks"- is again behind the camera directing Brother, his ninth film to date. Kitano also plays the role of the main character as he has done in most of his films.

The movie tells us the story of Yamamoto, a member of the Yakuza -the Japanese Mob-, who is expelled from the brotherhood he belongs to due to the betrayal of several members of his clan. He's given up for dead and moves from Tokyo to Los Angeles where he has a younger brother who survives as a modest drug dealer. Then, they begin to wipe out their opponents and thanks to Yamamoto's courage and insight they will become a powerful clan that controls several city areas. However, on their way to seize power, they meet their match and things will begin to go downhill. I won't spoil the ending but I must say that it's a thrilling and emotive one.

Kitano offers to the audience an electrifying portrayal of the Yakuza, its motivations and, most of all, its code of honor. The film can also be described as a tragedy because there's a sense of fatality which indicates that everything in the movie moves toward their end. The film depicts the state of mind of a man(Yamamoto)who has lost everything in which he believed and who has become a stateless person, an uprooted drifter shunned from his cultural environment with a ticket of no return.
As in other previous films by this director, deadpan humor is also present but perhaps not so constant as in other movies. There's also an underlying parody of the genre of action and noir films in the realistic and, at the same time, exaggerated way that Kitano describes violence.

Another remarkable aspect is the marvellous soundtrack composed by Kitano's longtime collaborator, Joe Hisaishi. A tranquil and melodic score that apparently contrasts with the violence that surrounds the film and which features orchestral and minimal music accompanied by free jazz and rock with absolute perfection in an unparalled exercise of emotional intensity.

To finish I'll just say that, in my humble opinion, Brother is an exciting film that is worth seeing and which proves, one more time, that Takeshi Kitano is one of the most talented and distinctive filmmakers of our days.

To describe "Brother" as Takeshi Kitano's American directorial debut is like saying Lost in Translation is a Japanese movie. The speaker would be missing the boat totally. In "Brother" we see Japan and America coming to a cataclysmic impact as Yamamoto (Kitano), a Yakuza mobster, is exiled from Japan and forced to live in America with his half-brother. When Kitano finds out that his brother is a small time drug dealer, Kitano takes his brother (as well as his gang) under his wing and turns them into a crime organization to be reckoned with. They take on a mexican cartel and italian mafia alike. However, we see the theme of brotherhood become more of a theme when he and Denny (played by Omar Epps), another small time drug dealer, create a bond that was never attained by his blood brother.

Kitano uses light and shadow to punctuate the drama, but the most awe inspiring element to his cinematic vision is the use of silence and stillness. When Kitano is on the screen, sometimes he stands like a statue. The silence in his films are deafening (for a remarkable example of this, I refer to the film "Violent Cop").

With the use of Japanese and English language, we are thrust among the cultural barrier of the gang. However, they are able to circumvent this and become true brothers.

Take it for what it's worth !!! It's clean and explosive visual and aural action ! One cannot get confused or lost with the plot (not much of a twist to it but still suffices)...For those who liked La Femme Nikita (original 1990 French version) and Leon/The Professional will definitely find themselves hooked on this film from the lead actor to it's cinematic/somewhat classical score ! A friend of mine said the musical score did not fit this movie;he's wrong ! The soundtrack avoids making the stereotypical cliche of using cheap synthesized pulsating pop music...The score gives the film it's dramatic edge without getting campy.Actor/director Takeshi Kitano does a suave yet brutal portrayal as a yakuza leader from the "old school" who begins to clean house and claim territory from other rival mobs and gangsters.

On the dvd audio/video technical side, the video transfer is clean and the digital surround is mind-blowing ! Special off screen sound effects pan around the room convincingly and effectively.The bass produced by the explosions and weaponry used is simply an adrenalin induced experience...

Since everyone else has already written about how they thought much of the film was formulaic, which it was, or how Kitano transcends the cliches, which he does, I'll just say that, despite some faltering performances by a few of the American actors, the film is very identifiable and enjoyable as a "Kitano" film. What you should know is that the disc contains a "cleaned-up" version of the film in which many scenes containing violent content have been cropped or had gore digitally removed for U.S. release. I don't believe it affects the running time much, but it is different from the Japanese release. Also, if the subtitles (English or otherwise) are enabled, they run on all dialogue throughout the movie. A selection were only the non-English dialogue is subtitled would have been appreciated. I watch many subtitled films, but it felt distracting here.

A Japanese yakuza henchman (played by Kitano) named "Brother" came the States after his clan was destroyed in a mafia war back in Japan. Here the Brother organised his friends into a clan and started a cruel war on local mafia families to win a space. The newcomer is cruel and does not think twice before killing his rivals. However, what makes this movie worth watching is natural looking Darwinist style violence and relationships within his band beautifully played by Kitano and his actors.

What always appealed me in Kitano's films is human interaction between central characters including the most negative ones. The Brother is cruel, strong, and a good marksman. He is not a kind of person you ordinarily would like to meet on a street. However, he ultimately sacrifices his life to save Danny, his black companion, from the band of Italians. But in the beginning of the movie those two characters had very few if any reasons to like each other after the Brother pokes Danny in the eye with a broken bottle, then cheats him in a game.

Another moving scene is when the Brother's right hand man sacrifices his life to persuade another local Japanese criminal ring to merge with the Brother's operation. Simple, convincing and incomprehensible at the same time!

I gave this movie five stars and highly recommend it to anyone interested in action. This film is The Action itself!

Kitano's "Brother�Egets eaten and spit out by Sony Pictures US. Not exactly a masterpiece, or the best movie he has done, but it gave a great insight into the Yakuza lifestyle rarely known outside of Japan. But on this DVD, the lackluster treatment of this movie is unforgivable.
If some of the story was a little on the unexplained side, maybe it's because the US version is 30 minutes shorter than the Japanese original. Most of the Japanese sequences were cut, so Americans won't have to read too many subtitles. Great move(?). The DTS audio option was thrown out for some reason, thinking people who might like this movie will not have a DTS decoder. Sony, get with the times!
The biggest problem I had with this DVD was that there were no English subtitles! It is listed as `English Subtitles�Ebut in fact, it's English Closed Captions, so even when they are speaking English, the captions appear. Luckily I understand both languages, but for anyone else, they would be a headache to sit through.
Extras are very minimal, only trailers for completely unrelated Chinese movies? For a list price so high, it just seems smarter to get the fully loaded Region 2 Japanese release. Believe me the story makes a LOT more sense.
Also, the character that Tetsuya Watari plays is such a minor role in the US version, it was a shame that his name appears in the credits. If you want to check out a role where he actually is part of the MOVIE, get `Tokyo Drifter�E(Criterion Collection). You'll be a lot happier with that film.

Bottom line: This movie is incredible. Beat Takeshi is amazing in this gangster flic. I suggest everyone to buy at least 2 copies of this DVD , one for yourself and one for your mother. This movie is a must-have for anyone who enjoys off-beat , original gangster movies.