User Reviews

A lot of the comments have been about the film's relationship to the nature of violence, and it's true that it is a violent film. However, that's not the point of the movie. The film starts showing a young man sitting in the dark. He comes out into the light and walks slowly to where the action is taking place. He is dull, uninvolved, uninterested in what's going on. In the beginning, events happen to him. It is only after he is attacked by a hoodlum that he begins to take action himself. He volunteers for the mission to buy a gun and while on that expedition he is exposed to a wide variety of experiences that force him to become a more active personality. After his return he shows himself to be a take charge guy. The symbolism of the butterfly eggs is one of metamorphosis. The title "Boiling Point" has a meaning of change, the point at which water turns to steam. Finally, the last scene is of him in the same darkness as he was at the beginning, but this time when he emerges his movements are quick and jaunty. He is a different man.

Well it's not a good film to watch on Sunday with your family. It's not a good movie if you're looking for some action. It's not a good movie if you're looking for philosophical dialogs.

But it's a great movie if' you're a Kitano fan. It's a great movie if you're interested in Japanese culture. It's a great movie if you like to sit back for a while and think deeper about what you're watching - it seems that throughout the film there's not much going on - the main character remains mute for most of the time, there is no music soundtrack in the background, the plot itself is not a straightforward one - you'll get the point right only after the last scene.

In some moments "Jugatsu" seems to be telling a simple and seemingly a little boring story - but a second after it blows in your face with aggression so intense that you start to think were it came from. It is not about blowing guts out or shooting people in the head. It's deeper.

What "Jugatsu" is about ? It's about revenge, loyalty, love and violence.

While not as good as some of Takeshi Kitano's other films like Violent Cop or Fireworks, this still has much to recommend it. For one, this has Kitano's always-stunning direction and twisted mix of comedy and shocking violence. Kitano himself appears in a small role as a gangster, and it's perhaps his most twisted role to date. I would probably only recommend this film to Kitano fans, since it is very muddled and not as tight as his other films. But as a Kitano fan myself, I did like it very much.

This is the second film of Kitano, but the first which is really his, since "Violent Cop" was not initially to be directed by him. What is striking is that in this first film, we can see the premises of the next ones. Though not a real 'yakuza' film, they play a great role in it, and many scenes, are they shot in a bar, on the beach or in a flower field remind us of what Kitano will shoot later for Hana-Bi or Sonatine. A very interesting film, very satirical towards the japanese society and the yakuzas that behave violently just to convince themselves they are tough guys; even if I personally prefer his other movies.

"Boiling point" is not a movie that you'll easily assimilate. Too much silence, a plot that looks a little bit confusing and that's quite simple at the same time. What's most remarkable about it is the way Takeshi Kitano shoots, his camera is always static, and hi has a very personal view of violence and humor.

Not everyone will understand this story that deals with amateur baseball players and yakuzas, but I guess i's quite advisable for those who love the films of this Japanese director.

*My rate: 6/10

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Simply an awesome movie. I have no idea whatsoever if I got the movie the way intended. But what I did get was a couple of things. It's one of the funniest and most bizarre films I have ever seen. No matter what happens, people crashing motorcycles, getting beaten etc, no one, ever, shows any emotion. Just the "classic" japanese stone-face. There is no soundtrack in this movie either, and tempo is kinda low, but explodes now and then with meaningless violence. This might sound like utter crap, but Kitano pulls it off, and does it very well. It works, it's fun and it's interesting.

This precursor to Sonatine and Hana-bi (as well as Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown) has all the elements that become Kitano trademarks - the skewered dark humour, deadpan expressions, misogyny, long periods of everyday life suddenly punctured by explosions of brutality. The humour works best - the beer bottle over the head gag and the confusion with the gun outside the gangsters' office being particularly memorable. The dialogue is spartan, which works most of the time, but is plodding when it doesn't, as in the reconciliation scene that ends with shared ice-lollies. The biggest sticking point is the character of Iguchi. He dominates the first half- hour, and his failure to reappear after the Okinawa sequence is unsatisfying. In fact, it spoils the whole third act.

This is a bleak vision of modern Japan, strangely de-populated and amoral. It is Kitano's Japan, and if you have had some of that before, you'll lap this up. Certainly not his best, better than Sonatine but not as good as Hana-bi. But good nonetheless.

Takeshi Kitano's yakuza related trilogy consists of Violent Cop, Boiling Point and Sonatine. All these films are very different together, but they still share the usual elements of Kitano: Violent Cop is the bleakest, Boiling Point is the funniest and also oddest and Sonatine is like the combination of these two previous films, and Sonatine is also the greatest in the trilogy and also one of Kitano's most beautiful and greatest films. Boiling Point is very comic, but has also some Kitano elements of beauty and peace that we could see in his forthcoming films like Sonatine and Hana-Bi. Boiling Point tells the story of a baseball team and its relationship with the local ruthless yakuza gang. When couple of the team members decide to get a gun and fight some justice to the situation, we meet Kitano's character, a little criminal, who also has troubles with the yakuza. Kitano's character in this film is the most perverse and twisted I've ever seen! What follows is tragic and comic happenings as these tragicomic people try to get rid of the greedy and exploiting yakuza criminals, and stay alive at the same time.

There are many fine elements in this film, and this is pretty close to Sonatine, as both films have peaceful and incredibly beautiful scenes involving sea and flowers. The comic elements are very black and it is easy to see that Kitano was a comedian before starting his masterful directing career. His humor is often cynical, ironic and very personal. Just remember the scene at the bar, for instance! Kitano's humor demands brains to be fully understood and it is never as easy to laugh at and enjoy as some Jim Carrey farce (nothing against Jim, though). But Boiling Point is definitely not a mere comedy, it is a Japanese yakuza story with comical elements. The yakuza is presented here as stupid and childish bunch of criminals, who have to prove themselves that they are bad guys and worth respecting. There is a brilliant scene involving flowers and two machine guns, as Kitano and his pal decide to finish the miserable life of one yakuza team! In Kitano's films, usually guns are for men like extended penis: so important in order to "be someone." Violence is usually the only way Kitano's characters are able to communicate together.

The elements of beauty are always heart stoppingly effective in Kitano's art, and the scene at the flower field is very fantastic and memorable. And this was only the beginning as we witnessed the beauty and power of films like Sonatine and Hana-Bi couple of years later. Takeshi Kitano is simply one of the greatest artists I know, and his cinema is as unique as cinema itself was in its birth, over 100 years ago. There is no comparison for his films, they are so personal and come straight from the heart of this man.

Boiling Point is not Kitano's greatest film, but still more than noteworthy. It is tragic, funny, exciting and challengingly symbolic at the same time, and thus as personal as Kitano's masterpieces. There are many great scenes and acts committed by the characters, and perhaps the only flaw in here is that the film is little too long and slow at the end part of the film. But once the end scene comes, it is again something we could expect from Kitano, and is pretty similar to Sonatine's finale.

Boiling Point deserves 8/10 rating as a very interesting piece of Kitano cinema, and this is a hint of what was to come from this man couple of years later!

Having heard good things about Takeshi Kitano's films, I was looking forward seeing "Boiling Point", having purchased both this and "Sonatine" in the sales, even though it broke my Golden Rule of impulse buys: don't buy any film with quotes from un-named sources on the sleeve (especially if they've got spelling mistakes), in this case "A Genuine Original", "Beautifully directed, Indispensible viewing".

Anyway, the quotes were more misleading than lying, as the film definitely is both original and beautifully directed, but only really indispensable for fans of Kitano's, who don't need me to tell them to watch it. For everyone else, it probably isn't the best Kitano film to start with. Marketed as an action movie, the film is much more and much less: it has more heart and intelligence, but much less in the way of action or excitement, feeling more like a slow-burning drama with a little bit of gun-play and one big explosion; John Woo this ain't. However, the acting, from Kitano in particular, is excellent as is the stylish direction: Kitano fills the screen with beautiful images and twisted humour.

Worth a look, if you keep in mind that's very slow moving tale, with more baseball action than there is action movie. *** out of five.

3-4x Jugatsu/Boiling Point(1990) focuses on the theme of rebellion. The second consecutive film by Takeshi Kitano with an outsider who goes against the system. Masaki is a reactionary character who is content to be a nobody. He is an outsider who tends to do things just for the heck of it. Masaki and Uehara have a lot in common because both fight and lose to the system.

Uehara is a charismatic anti hero who is in the film for a small period of time. I only wished that Uehara had more screen time in Boiling Point(1990). Uehara is the meanest and sadistic person in a Takeshi Kitano directed picture. "Beat" Takeshi plays Uehara with flamboyant sadism and unpredictable viciousness. "Beat" Takeshi in Boiling Point(1990) follows in the footsteps of fellow tough guys, Lee Marvin, Robert Mitchum, Charles Bronson, Klaus Kinski, Richard Widmark, Harvey Keitel, Telly Savalas, and Lawrence Tierney.

The act of sodomy by Uehara on his best friend is a shocking scene that attacks the nerves of the viewer. The images from this scene are off beat and unsettling. Uehara seems in this scene to prefer being in the company of of his best friend than his girlfriend. Its scenes like this that gives the film a brutal and dark comic edge. You will never see a scene like this in a Hollywood picture nor for that matter in an American Independant Film because very few are bold and daring filmmakers.

3-4x Jugatsu/Boiling Point(1990) is the first true Takeshi Kitano film that has his trademarks of off beat images, moments of dullness, and sudden violence more completely than in his debut, Violent Cop(1989). Also the first film that Takeshi Kitano wrote and directed on his own. Its here that Takeshi Kitano came into his own as an auteur and movie maker. Takeshi Kitano has a passion for the sport of baseball which is why the main character is a member of his local town's baseball team. Takeshi Kitano films a flash forward sequence that reminds me of Point Blank(1967), the early films of Alain Resair and Nicolas Roeg, plus The Limey(1999).

The acting portion of the film is not a strong point for the director here. Average in fact compared to the other departments of the motion picture. "Beat" Takeshi takes the cake with his amazing performance as the unpredictable, Uehara. Masahiko ono does alright as the average and lazy Masaki. The acting from the rest of the cast varies from person to person.

A favorite motif of Takeshi Kitano is the scene of people hanging out and playing at the beach. In his best films, there is a scene where the main characters go to the beach to relax and take it easy. These scenes show the good nature of the characters of Uehara and his best friend when they are not doing bad things. The beach motif in Boiling Point(1990) is for the main characters a place to find peace and tranquility with its calm waves, soft sands, and cool blue skies. These scenes make the characters very likeable.

A lot of the visual use and motifs from this film is used again in both Sonatine(1993), and Kids Return(1996). The scene where Uehara kills his boss with a machine gun is used in the climax of Sonatine(1993). The idea of the person who messes up in life plays an important role in Kids Return(1996). Suicide is a theme that plays a major role in both Boiling Point and Sonatine. If Violent Cop(1989) is the older brother of Fireworks(1997) than Boiling Point(1990) is the older brother of the masterpiece, Sonatine(1993).

The violence in the film provides an interesting counterpoint to the dullness of life. Violence at times in here happens without reason or warning. Violence in the universe of "Beat" Takeshi is not pleasant nor romanticized but vicious and ugly. Violence in Boiling Point begins and ends quickly without any regards for the aftermath. The violent behavior from the characters of the film is something that is in all of us human beings whether we like it or not.

The director is a genius at mixing images of humor with images of brutality. The visuals here are much more bizarre than in Violent Cop(1989). Takeshi Kitano is excellent at using images and natural sounds to tell a story. Boiling Point(1990) uses images with the same flair and style of the Silent film era. There are images of beauty and images of ugliness that makes the film fascinating to view.

3-4x Jugatsu/Boiling Point(1990) is the second chapter in the lifelong "Beat" Takeshi series. The editing is done at a rapid fire pace. The scene where Uehara bashes a bottle of beer over and over again is done with humor. Other humorous scenes are the sequence where Uehara asks his best friend to cut his finger for sleeping with his girlfriend even though he told him to do it and the scene where Masaki and his best friend have trouble firing a gun because the safety is off. Takeshi ends the film with his usual bleak finale.

I understand that it's a story about pro-active changing yourself but I had to watch this movie in 2x and still felt slow. And I love Japan!

There are plenty of dull moments like:

• The baseball game
• Kitano plays baseball on beach with bitc*es
• A lot of "close up on the emotionless face of the main character and be perfectly motionless for 2 minutes" moments

That Scarface fan-service was ok.

Do a favour yourself and go safe with a John Woo's movie.

I have recently been going through Kitano's films, and upon seeing thing, I think it's probably the one I like the least. It's kind of a weak film. It has it's moments, but as a whole is too slow and bizarre for it's own good.

Just like most Kitano films, it has his signature style. The sudden violence, the comedy, all those things, but in this film it just doesn't work. I think a big gripe is that the story feels too loose. You kind of get lost as to why certain things are happening or how certain characters know each other. It actually begins to feel like two separate films about 50 minutes in. Personally, I found myself more engaged in the story that occurs 50 minutes in then the rest of it. One of the big issues seems to be that Kitano doesn't show up until that later point, and it just feels like not enough of Kitano's character. Also, the ending doesn't help clarify the film. In fact, it makes it more confusing. I won't give it away, but it can be interpreted in different ways. But I will say that if you interpret it one specific way, it kind of explains the general odd-ness of the film.

Kitano is known for including some strange things in his movies, but this one just kinda takes it over the top. While the movie can be quite funny, such as a scene involving an M16 hidden in a bouquet of flowers accidentally going off and causing a funny reaction, it just feels like it delves too deep into the comedy and it makes any drama feel odd. There's also some confusing things, like Kitano's character raping his male friend, and then him not really caring the next day. Or Kitano raping a random woman. Some very odd things to include without any reason. There is also a scene where it appears like we are supposed to see the same event twice, but it is all done in one take, which makes it quite confusing, but kind of impressive at the same time. Really strange to see. Although I will give the film credit for somehow making girlfriend abuse funny. (It sounds odd but when you see him hitting her, you can't help but laugh)

Overall I think this is a weak Kitano film. It doesn't give me enough drama or character development to keep my interest. I think that's it's biggest problem. It's slow but not for the right reasons, such as building characters and relationships before the big climax, but just feels slow so it can include silly and odd scenes. Only recommended for Kitano fans.

Boiling Point (1990) is about a goofy guy who works at a convince store and plays sandlot baseball in his spare time. His head is always in the clouds. One day he insults a high ranking Yakuza member while at work. Then that's when all of his troubles begin. An interesting film by Kitano. This is his second directorial project (after taking over the directorial reigns for an ailing director in Violent Cop). Even though he's prominently featured in the film's trailer, Kitano is only in the film for several scenes (but his part is very memorable). Don't be fooled by the trailer. This is not a hardcore Yakuza film. It's about a young guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He should've "stayed in bed" that day. Poor kid. Recommended.

A.

A good but not great entry from Takeshi Kitano. Only his second directed film so he was still learning his craft and defining his style. For the aficionados of Kitano and the Yakuza genre I would recommend this, not quite on the level of Takeshi's later seminal works such as Hana Bi and Kikijuro but well worth giving a chance.

I watched this three times before I wrote my review as I didn't know what to make of it but I absolutely loved it.

It is a bizarre story that has some great moments of humour. It feels like the most Beat Takeshi film of all his films as it features some ideas that later become tropes in his later films such as baseball, the yakuza getting really upset over petty misdemeanors, sudden bursts of violence and loud brash characters facing instant karma for their obnoxiousness.

I don't know why but in many ways it reminds me of a Richard Linklater film with it's long take static shots and the loose style and openess of it's narrative.

Also the troubled youth tranferring to adulthood, guided by a very flawed adult has a very distinct parrallel to Linklater as well.

Boiling Point, originally titled 3 to 4x October in reference to a baseball game shown in the movie, is the first film where Takeshi Kitano was in full charge as writer, director and actor. The movie is quite experimental as it is a mixture of a gangster film, drama and black comedy. Its style foreshadows Takeshi Kitano's later successful movies like Fireworks.

The movie tells the story of Masahiko Ono, a young man with an unspectacular life who is considered the worst player of his terrible baseball team, has a boring job as gas station attendant and has never got on a date with a woman. One day, he confronts a rude yakuza who intimidates him at the gas station. The young man's life goes through dramatic changes from then on. With growing self-confidence, he starts dating a charming waitress of a local restaurant, becomes a better baseball player and gets in touch with members of the underworld. However, the confrontation with the criminal also has drastic consequences as Masahiko Ono's friend and mentor gets beaten up when he tries to solve the conflict between the gas station attendant and the organization. Masahiko Ono decides to take revenge and travels to Okinawa with a friend where they get in touch with a pitiless criminal and his associates to purchase weapons.

On the negative side, the movie has a dragging pace and especially the long baseball sequences are quite unspectacular. The first ten minutes of the movie actually show an amateur baseball game. Other directors would have shown a few scenes consisting of one or two minutes in total but Takeshi Kitano takes his time to plunge us into the protagonist's boring life. The movie is also confusedly meandering between its numerous genres. Some scenes have a gloomily dramatic tone but suddenly turn into gritty violence only to switch to black humour dealing with debatable taboo topics like sexual abuse. It doesn't help that it's hard to empathize with the protagonist who is often shown as being quiet, emotionless an dim-witted. Takeshi Kitano himself only appears halfway through the movie and leaves before the final showdown as he only portrays a side character.

On the positive side, the film had a consistent gloomy mood from start to finish, even in its more humorus parts because they always had somewhat tough undertones. Some of the characters are quite memorable such as the rude and tough barman, former yakuza and protaginist's friend played by Taka Guadalcanal. Takeshi Kitano portrays a pitiless gangster with unpredictable fits of anger who regularly hits his girlfriend and even rapes his best friend. The entire movie is filled with anti-heroes who have failed to find their way in life. The film has quite a few iconic scenes. The movie's showdown is unexpectedly radical. There is an awkward brawl in a bar when people fight each other while dancing, singing and having dinner. My favourite scene is when the tough barman insults a female customer who complains about the smelly restrooms and invites her to go pee outside and take her friends with her.

In the end, Boiling Point is an odd movie with almost as many weaknesses as strengths. It's an acquired taste and certainly unlike any movie you have ever watched. Even by Takeshi Kitano's eclectic standards, Boiling Point stands out as a particularly experimental film. Perhaps this film will grow on me but its weirdness makes it hard to digest. Beyond its awkwardness, the movie still has some depth as the intriguing conclusion leaves room for interpretation. If you like experimental Japanese cinema and don't mind swear words, brutal fights and abusive behaviour, you should give this film a try.

I really can't understand how anyone could see anything good about this movie. The story was incredibly choppy, there were numerous unexplicable gaps in the plot and the story. There wasn't a single character in the movie that was enjoyable or likable to watch except maybe iguchi. The main character basically just stood there for the whole movie, not even reacting to what happens around him. The few times he does act it is in a nonsensical way. I suppose that is supposed to indicate a mild-manner man reached his boiling point, but really it just felt contrived.

I suppose maybe if you are a fan of Beat you will like this movie, but he is only in it for a portion of the second half.

This is the lowest I have rated a film in a year and I have seen some really bad movies.

Elements of it reminded me of David Lynch but much more comic. Also a quite casually paced film with Kitanos trademark bursts of random violence

Kitano is one of my favorite actors/directors from Japan, however Jugatsu fell short of my expectations. His stoic way of acting is back again, but what bothered me here is the way he physically abuses women, notably his own girlfriend. The other big problem is lack of coherence in the way this movie is shot. I felt it was all over the place, and some scenes are too long such as the baseball opening scene. The main character is highly unlikeable in the fact that he shows no emotions whatsoever and barely talks during the whole movie. Jugatsu is one of Kitano's earliest works and it didn't age all that well. In conclusion there are much better yakuza/Kitano movies out there.

I came to this knowing very little about it - and found it a gripping, taut drama with a delightfully cutting comedic tone. Indignity, humiliation and shame are heaped and heaped again and again until those on the receiving end of it all seemingly have no choice but to risk dangerous violent action. If at times the script and other aspects of the film feel a little too on the nose, it's still an excellent watch. It seemed to me to raise deeper issues about the dangers of putting societal convention above truthfulness - but that may be more a reflection of what's going on in my life as I watch it; I don't really understand Japenese culture acutely enough to really dig below the surface in that regard. But it's true that much about the plot - especially the repeated abuse of women and the rape of a man (though it may be attempted rape - the film does not make it clear if the act was followed through), along with the climax's reliance on hiddenness all suggest that there is something here about what goes on beneath the surface of societal formality and adherence to codes of politeness.