Product Details

• Region: All Regions
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B0015M652O
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #618,327 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Over the last two decades, Kitano Takeshi has emerged as one of the most representative figures of Japanese cinema, be it as an actor or as a director. Making his directorial debut in 1989 with the aptly titled, critically acclaimed Violent Cop, the maverick filmmaker developed a distinct style and aesthetic, characterized by unflinching violence, bizarre surrealism, and deadpan black humor, bringing him awards and acclaim the world over. In 2005, Kitano both thrilled and befuddled audiences with the brilliant Takeshis', in which he played two roles, one of which was his own superstar personae. In 2007, the director takes surrealism one step further with his new film Glory to the Filmmaker!, a.k.a. Kantoku Banzai!. His most personal and meta work to date, Glory to the Filmmaker! stars Kitano Takeshi as a director named Kitano Takeshi who is known for his violent films. The character Kitano announces that he will no longer make violent films, and instead hopes to make a romance, a sci-fi, a ninja film, and even an Ozu Yasujiro-type drama, but his plans are frustrated at every step. The seven movies that the character Kitano works on in the film are all based on director Kitano's actual ideas for possible films. In addition to Kitano Takeshi, this innovative film features a who's who cast from the Japanese film world, including Emori Toro, Kishimoto Kayoko, Suzuki An, Yoshiyuki Kazuko, Takarada Akira, Fujita Yumiko, Uchida Yuki, Kimura Yoshino, and Matsuzaka Keiko.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A great film for Kitano fans with little goodies, March 13, 2009

By 

YAT (Seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kantoku Banzai / Glory to the Filmmaker JAPAN Movie DVD (DVD)

The film is a spoof of Kitano's own films and elements of Japanese culture.
For that reason, you will enjoy and understand the movie better if you see some Kitano movies or his comedy shows.

My list of Kitano movies to watch would be FIREWORKS, KIKUJIRO, ZATOICHI(Kitano version), and BLOOD AND BONES (Kitano's best acting performance; Wonderful film but sexual violence).

In addition, it is helpful to know that there is an excessive dramatic behavior of dropping to the ground as a way to depict "unexpected somewhat disappointing surprise that prompts to delight the reader/viewer" in Japanese comic books and animation.

In watching this film, forget all expectations about how a movie should be constructed. If you are too attached to logical storyline you might wonder why things are how it is just like one of the character in the movie does only to find a simple answer.

The film is visually spectacular in unexpected way. Watch for ideas and vision unique to Kitano. It will challenge, bend and tickle your brain as there are a lot of informations to be absorbed throughout the piece.