Ichi the Killer is either one of the best or worst films you will ever see. If you are fond of rape, torture, and senseless brutality, then this is the film for you. If you are at all bothered by any of the above, this is not the film for you, as its scenes of graphic violence make the Saw series look like Sesame Street.
Ichi the Killer takes its name from an emotionally unstable young man who is brainwashed into linking sexual desire with homicidal rage. Woe be unto the unfortunate young woman who attempts to seduce the childlike Ichi. Never fully in control of his own mind, Ichi (Nao Omori) is actually the pawn of a man named Jijii who seems hell bent on revenging himself upon the yakuza boss Anjo's gang. The title is something of a misnomer however, as the film's protagonist is actually one of Anjo's lieutenants with a penchant for S&M named Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano). After Ichi eviscerates Anjo, Kakihara investigates the disappearance. He is elated to discover that Anjo was murdered by what appears to be a total sadist; one with no thoughts whatsoever of his victims' pain. The remainder of the film is dedicated to Kakihara's pursuit of the killer he hopes can grant him the joy of extreme suffering and death.
One of the telltale signs of any exploitation film is a complete lack of character development. Within the first few minutes of Ichi the Killer it becomes evident that the women of this film in particular exist as nothing more than objects to be beaten and raped. In one of the more cringe inducing scenes, a prostitute has her nipples sliced off with a razor blade before being stomped to death for the crime of weeping too loudly. I would call the film misogynistic but the men don't make out much better. Ignoring the standard brainwashing, mutilation, and disemboweling that both sexes endure, notable scenes of senseless violence towards men include a man being hung by meat hooks as he has hot tempura poured over his body, Kakihara slicing off his own tongue without anesthetic, and last but never least, a kidnapped man having his arm ripped off by his captor's bare hands just for laughs.
There really isn't much of a story to be found in this gore fest. For 123 minutes we are introduced to characters who have no purpose other then to suffer and die in scenes of pornographic violence. There are no moments of growth or discovery. No insight is given into the psyche of Jijii. We aren't even given a back story for how Ichi fell under his control.
I see myself as the farthest thing from a social conservative, yet I am appalled by the cult following this film enjoys online. Of the 247 reviews currently hosted on IMDb, the overwhelming majority of them are positively glowing. I imagine these are some of the same types who sent Richard Ramirez fan mail in prison.
Ichi the Killer takes its name from an emotionally unstable young man who is brainwashed into linking sexual desire with homicidal rage. Woe be unto the unfortunate young woman who attempts to seduce the childlike Ichi. Never fully in control of his own mind, Ichi (Nao Omori) is actually the pawn of a man named Jijii who seems hell bent on revenging himself upon the yakuza boss Anjo's gang. The title is something of a misnomer however, as the film's protagonist is actually one of Anjo's lieutenants with a penchant for S&M named Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano). After Ichi eviscerates Anjo, Kakihara investigates the disappearance. He is elated to discover that Anjo was murdered by what appears to be a total sadist; one with no thoughts whatsoever of his victims' pain. The remainder of the film is dedicated to Kakihara's pursuit of the killer he hopes can grant him the joy of extreme suffering and death.
One of the telltale signs of any exploitation film is a complete lack of character development. Within the first few minutes of Ichi the Killer it becomes evident that the women of this film in particular exist as nothing more than objects to be beaten and raped. In one of the more cringe inducing scenes, a prostitute has her nipples sliced off with a razor blade before being stomped to death for the crime of weeping too loudly. I would call the film misogynistic but the men don't make out much better. Ignoring the standard brainwashing, mutilation, and disemboweling that both sexes endure, notable scenes of senseless violence towards men include a man being hung by meat hooks as he has hot tempura poured over his body, Kakihara slicing off his own tongue without anesthetic, and last but never least, a kidnapped man having his arm ripped off by his captor's bare hands just for laughs.
There really isn't much of a story to be found in this gore fest. For 123 minutes we are introduced to characters who have no purpose other then to suffer and die in scenes of pornographic violence. There are no moments of growth or discovery. No insight is given into the psyche of Jijii. We aren't even given a back story for how Ichi fell under his control.
I see myself as the farthest thing from a social conservative, yet I am appalled by the cult following this film enjoys online. Of the 247 reviews currently hosted on IMDb, the overwhelming majority of them are positively glowing. I imagine these are some of the same types who sent Richard Ramirez fan mail in prison.