Takashi Miike had definitely cemented himself as an auteur by the time this film had come out. This film for better or worse reaffirms his status as one of the most outlandish, genuinely bonkers directors working today. Within the first minute of the film we get a crime riddled montage filled with over the top gore and violence. Featuring and not limited too a naked woman plummeting to her death with a bag of cocaine that explodes upon impact. A crazed mafia boss doing a fifteen foot line of coke, that would be more then enough to put an elephant into a catatonic shock!
What then follows is a pretty tame (by Miike's standard) Yakuza story about two gangs at war and the cops in the middle. There's not really much to say about the plot other then it was fine for what it was. However after a 'shocking' turn of events (which was fairly obvious) the film builds to a truly bizarre shoot-out between the two main characters that would make even David Lynch say WTF?!
Within the first couple of minutes the film (as with most of Miike's) the directing and editing is so outlandish you either role your eyes in derision or you jump on board for a wild ride, unfortunately I found myself in the former.
What then follows is a pretty tame (by Miike's standard) Yakuza story about two gangs at war and the cops in the middle. There's not really much to say about the plot other then it was fine for what it was. However after a 'shocking' turn of events (which was fairly obvious) the film builds to a truly bizarre shoot-out between the two main characters that would make even David Lynch say WTF?!
Within the first couple of minutes the film (as with most of Miike's) the directing and editing is so outlandish you either role your eyes in derision or you jump on board for a wild ride, unfortunately I found myself in the former.