Midweek Movie Madness: Ichi The Killer DVD Review

This is it, folks. Another Miike Takashi DVD review is up. One of THE most prolific Japanese directors of the past decade, Miike seems to know no bounds in his usually over the top depictions of violence and insane narrative styles. Ichi The Killer is almost legendary in the sense there are so many versions of it floating around that it's next to impossible trying to get an uncut copy (much like the cult hit Battle Royale). The version I have for review is (sadly) the Hong Kong category III edit, which though already very gory, leaves out the best (or sickest, depending on your point of view) scenes. Hong Kong category III films are the nation's equivalent to softporn flicks, featuring well known actors and actresses in some of the weirdest roles I've ever seen.

The Movie:
The titular Ichi (played here by Nao Omori) is a repressed, often bullied young man who is traumatised following the memory of witnessing a rape during his high school days. Recruited by the enigmatic Jijii (Shinya Tsukamoto) he is turned into the ultimate killer. The goal: to eradicate a band of Yakuza known as the Anjo clan, with masochist Kakihara (Asano Tadanobu) as the captain. What follows is a descent into gang violence hell, as Ichi wrestles with his own demons while the gang members get offed one by one, and Kakihara resorts to often sadistic methods to find out who Ichi is.

Their meeting in inevitable, as Kakihara and Ichi are perhaps two sides of the same coin. Kakihara is a masochist, who believes pain is the ultimate pleasure (observe how he has slit his face to produce a Joker-esque grin, while using safety pins to hold them together), while Ichi, unaware that he has been manipulated by Jijii turns extremely deadly when he is upset, driven by the intense desire to avenge his perceived hurts by the world, and by his feelings of guilt after witnessing the rape. This is a very, very graphic movie, no doubt about it. There is violent sex, blood and guts are sprayed (literally) everywhere, with decapitations, body halving and even a nipple removal (which was edited from this version). Another interesting scene is one where Kakihara tortures another gang boss by hanging him from hooks on the ceiling, pouring hot oil on his naked back and then piercing him with long steel needles.

Again, this is not for the squeamish. Needless to say, Ichi is a warped journey that ends on a very nihilistic note. Recommended for Miike fans and for the stout of stomach. And no, though I enjoy movies like this, I in no way condone any kind of violence towards men, women or any other life form (except in video games, perhaps). So view this at your own risk, and remember, it's just a movie.

The DVD:
It's a bare bones release, with some trailers and a few cast/director bios and filmographies. Subtitles are generally good with accurate translations. Audio is clear all around and the video is nothing worth shouting at. Fans may want to snap this up while waiting for the uncut version to arrive, but if you're experimental or if you liked Oodishon (Audition) you may want to give it a look.

The Ox gives Ichi The Killer a 3.5 out of 5