Kikujiro (by Takeshi Kitano) [Archive]

thomas

May 13, 2003, 23:32

Hi Irena, I watched it a while ago, but was not very impressed

=> http://forum.japanreference.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1373

I'm not sure if there's any deeper meaning to the name "Kikujiro". I haven't seen Takeshi's last movie "Dolls" yet, but reviews are even worse. Anyhow, who cares about other film reviews?

:)

Irena

May 14, 2003, 01:35

Hi Thomas,
Well, I wasn't VERY impressed either, but it was a nice family movie anyway (^-^)
I am just curious, I watched this movie with English subtitles (or maybe Polish, I don't remember), and it seemed to me that the main character's (played by Takeshi Kitano) name was not mentioned in the movie... only in the title (but I don't know what kanji was there), only the last sentence of the movie was: "what's your name? Kikujiro - damn it!". Deeper meaning or not, I just think it has ANY meaning. It always has, doesn't it?. I already learned "-ro" in the names means "son", the same about "-jiro" (is it true?).

NANGI

May 15, 2003, 00:26

Konnichiwa Irena-san!

"Kiku" is a chrysanthemum in Japanese.
"jiro" or "jirou" is common name in Japan and means "one's second son". "Ji" means "second" and "rou" means "man" or "son".:note:
I watched this movie too.:cool:

NANGI

Chipi

May 15, 2003, 00:57

I saw it :happy:
I think it was really warm-hearted, nice movie and I was impressed in a way. It left a really good feeling...and made me want to travel to Japan even more...

Irena

May 15, 2003, 02:15

Hallo again, everybody!
Thank you, Nangi! (Konnichiwa, again)
Do you think the name has any symbolic meaning in the movie? A name of a former Yakuza, acting like aaaa ... like many of Takeshi Kitano's characters (^-^)... in fact... an angel(^-^)
(Well, last time I saw the actor in "Battle Royale", as a "Teacher of Death"... - I like that movie very much, too).
Well, I wasn't AS MUCH impressed as I was with "Hana-bi"... but, yes, that's what I thought after watching this: I want to go to Tokyo again ... (last time I was there, I lived near Asakusa, and there are few sights of Asakusa there...)
:)
(Well, but I probably think this after EVERY japanese movie I am watching lately, lol)
Bye! Irena

Twisted

May 15, 2003, 05:24

I loved this movie. The fact that it was completely without tension (and more or less rather pointless) made it outstanding. Something like this just doesn't happen in Hollywood movies.

Irena

May 15, 2003, 21:53

Hey, it wasn't pointless at all!
Wasn't it about a small kid and a big rude tatooed Yakuza man (violent to some, but warm-hearted, and sometimes clumsy... do you remember how he was learning to swim?!) who helped the kid to survive the ultimate horror of being left by his own mother... whereas Kikujiro's own mother is... etc.
;)
The more we talk about this the more I like it:note: :)

Irena

May 15, 2003, 22:09

But in a strange way it was also pointless... ;)

Gee, it was really a good movie... what Takeshi Kitano's movies do you like best, and why, by the way?

thomas

May 15, 2003, 22:40

I liked "Hana-bi" best. It's a bit violent, but not to the same extent as Takeshi's previous movies. I was very touched by the way he narrated the stories of the cop's wife who suffered from cancer and his collegue who became paralyzed after a shoot-out. The aspect of self-sacrifice is very moving, as well as the emotional contrast spanning from deep melancholy and violence to subtle humour and tenderness. Takeshi at his best.

Irena

May 15, 2003, 23:08

I also like "Hana-bi" best... the juxtaposition of silent tenderness, and violent rage... hmm. ...Makes me silent.

Sekabin

May 16, 2003, 00:27

I do think 'Hana-bi' is his most rounded work, but personally I think my favourite is 'Kids Return'... dunno why!

:)

Irena

May 16, 2003, 01:01

Oh, I remember "Kid's Return" was on TV the day I was leaving for Japan :-) ... so I haven't seen it :-(

(Hallo to a fellow sociologist, Sekabin! ;)

Irena

May 17, 2003, 02:11

And what do you guys think about "Brother"? At first I disliked it (it seemed too violent, or something) ... and later I suddenly started to think about it again... and, yes, I think it was a good movie!
:hanabi:

Sekabin

May 17, 2003, 04:07

I'm the same - at first I was a bit disappointed with Brother, but the second time I saw it I liked it a lot more. Still hate the ending though - it just doesn't seem Kitano, more smoltchy hollywood.

:eek:

Irena

May 17, 2003, 06:14

:evil:
Nooo, the ending was really cool... heh, as for a movie made in Los Angeles...:D
No, seriously: I like it (the ending)

NANGI

May 17, 2003, 12:30

Konnichiwa Minasan!

I don't know "Hana-bi", but I like "Brother" from the first!:D

NANGI

KanjiKat

May 25, 2003, 01:12

I thought Kikujiro was long in some parts...I like artistic stuff but it got a bit tiring in places for me...but I really loved the movie as a whole. It had me laughing hysterically most of the time. Kitano's character was just so rude and blunt I thought it was hilarious.

joshua dearing

Jun 3, 2003, 08:48

Kikujiro
This is quite simply one of my favorite movies of all time.. I love the realtionship that takeshi has with the boy.. the slow moving pace.. the feel of the movie and the soundtrack was awesome.

Brother
Loved it just as mich.. tried to get my picture taken at all the places they filmed that I could recognise in LA... I really like Japanese films and when they are done in my city Los Angeles I lvoe them even more. But the movie in general a typical Takeshi Yakuza film.. he could keep making these for 20 more years and I woudl continue to purchase them... even though my favorite one is Violent Cop.

Musashi

Jun 3, 2003, 19:35

Brother had some really bad actors in it and it kind of gave me the same feeling as when I hear my favorite band go R&B or something like that for the first time. But it's still my favorite band...:D

Kikujirou was just awesome, something to see on a rainy sunday afternoon, basically. It's about aging, becoming an adult and yet becoming young again. Innocence is the basic theme here (I guess :)).

Kids return too is nice, especially thanks to composer Hisaishi Joe's score, a true story about hybris, nemesis and katharsis. A Greek tragedy on brotherhood.

Has anyone seen Sonatine? Fun to watch and a good ad for Okinawa!

CFP

Jun 6, 2003, 16:44

I think Kukijirou is a delightful movie, though at times a little awkward and slow moving. But thats to be expected in a movie like that I guess.
Brother was cool. The ending... a bit of a disappointment to me.
Gohatto, was good too. Takeshi didn't direct it, but he was one of the main characters.

kiyokuma

Sep 4, 2003, 23:47

Kikujiro's meaning was explained very well by Nangi. So I am not doing that again. But here, I like to tell you the meaning in a cultural sense.

Kikujiro is:
-old-sounding Japanese name (of a previous generation),
-yakuza-sounding name (as his character was),
-as being the "second son" has a sense of freedom
(in Japan, traditionally, the first son takes care of parents,
stay with them, must marry and have kids... not much
freedom. This movie cannot be named Kikutaro --taro meaning
first son -- as the sense of freedom would not have been
implied.)

Irena

Sep 5, 2003, 23:47

Thank you, Kiyokuma-san!

Your explanation is very interesting.
The explanation about the second son makes me think again of a short scene about Kikujiro coming to see his own mother.. and looking at her from afar, choosing not to say a word to her. Is he taking care of her.. or he isn't? Is it so that he just chooses not to disturb her? Well, the whole movie is about the kid who wants to find his mother and bring her back to his life. By the way, is the kid's name mentioned in the movie? - I don't remember.

Now I also wonder... as you say it's the yakuza-sounding name - a stupid question perhaps - why is it so? Do people in Yakuza change their name when entering Yakuza? Or is just this old-fashioned name of a second son making one to think about Yakuza by sheer association?

And - by the way - anyone has seen the "Kikujiro and Saki" by Takeshi Kitano (in that drama "Kikujiro" seems to be the name of his own father)?
http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fd20030629cs.htm

Bye!
Irena

;)

Kyoko-san

Sep 12, 2003, 07:38

Konnichiwa!

As you said Irena, the name of Kitano Takeshi's father was Kikujiro. If you want to know more about Kitano-san i sugest that you watch the documentary "Scenes By The Sea".

My favorite Kitano movies are:
Kikujiro no natsu
Hana-Bi
Kidzu Ritan
Sonatine
and Dolls.

Btw: I'm a new member at this forum, I just found it by searching google.com for Kitano Takeshi facts. =)

Btw2: Annyone seen the new Kitano film "Zatchi"?

Regards!

Irena

Sep 12, 2003, 19:53

Thank you, Kyoko-san, if only I will be able to get the documentary here in Poland...
I didn't see Zatoichi yet. I saw Dolls recently. It's very very beautiful.. and very very sad :( .One of the best Kitano's films, definitely.
;)
:hanabi:

Kyoko-san

Sep 28, 2003, 08:45

Originally posted by Irena
By the way, is the kid's name mentioned in the movie? - I don't remember.

Konnichiwa!

Yup, the boys name is Masao but I dont know if the name has a special meaning, mabey someone could tell us what it means?

Gaah, cant wait until I can get hold of Zatchi, im going to buy it on dvd as soon as I get the chance. :happy:

jovial_jon

Oct 7, 2003, 21:09

i think kikujiro is a great film, it made me smile a lot! as for brother, i thought it had some really great moments, and although the ending was a bit poor, i still really enjoyed it

but Dolls is my favourite Kitano film! so beautiful to look at and each individual story was so sad. probably the best film ive seen this year

Full_metal_gokudo

Oct 28, 2003, 09:23

If anyone is in london then kitanos ZATOICHI is playing in the london film festival dont know what dates but you can check on the bfi website www.bfi.org there also showing battle royale 2 in the same festival aswell...