STORY
Detective Nishi visits his hospitalized wife instead of accompanying his partner and
close friend Horibe on a stakeout. At the hospital, Nishi learns that the condition of his
wife is terminal. Nishi receives a second blow when an officer rushes in to announce that
Horibe has been shot. Weeks later, Nishi visits a wheelchair-stricken Horibe, paralyzed
since the shooting. Now living alone at the seaside, Horibe would like to take up
painting, but it is too expensive a hobby. Nishi, haunted by the violent events that
affected the lives of those around him, has since quit the police force. Guilt-ridden, he
borrows money from a yakuza loan shark to buy painting materials for Horibe and to help
the widow of a fellow-officer killed at the stakeout. Despite everything Nishi tries his
best to keep his spirits up, if anything, for the sake of his wife, released from the
hospital to spend her remaining days at home . . .
The Japanese word hanabi literally means fireworks. As spelled with a hyphen the film's
title is a symbol of its various themes. Hana (literally, flower) is the symbol of Life,
while Bi (literally, fire) represents gunfire, thus becoming the symbol of death. The
paintings and drawings which appear in HANA-BI were created purposely for the film by
Takeshi Kitano.
"Every time I make a film, people want me to offer my comments about it. Frankly,
it's not an easy thing to do. People who see my films can take them the way they want to,
and freely draw their images on the canvas in their hearts. Concerning HANA-BI, though, I
hope people would understand that it is not just a simple love story of a married couple.
In the past, I have juxtaposed the problem of death as a reality as the horizontal vector
along with life. Taking another step from my previous KIDS RETURN, I wanted to portray
life and death subjectively through the characters, who took on life and death without
escaping from them as they were confronted with cruel realities, when unexpected events
suddenly befell on them. As for the shooting, I tried out various camerawork, and there
was not even one scene which I was puzzled about how the cuts should be taken. And while
shooting the film, the places and environment, or the scenes themselves lured me to them
even though they were not decided from the beginning. In other words, the process itself
of making this film guided me in making the film. This was an exceptional experience, and
I found it extremely interesting. I myself felt that I was able to try new challenges in
various areas . . . Well, anyway, see it. That's all I have to say." (Takeshi KITANO)
Top
 |
Takeshi
KITANO -Director Born on January 18, 1947 in Tokyo. takeshi Kitano
has maintained an incredibly prolific and diverse 25-year career to become Japan's
foremost media personality. Whether as director, actor, writer, TV personality or stand-up
comic, Kitano has always sought to challenge conformity and taboos in Japanese society.
Since his 1989 debut film VIOLENT COP, Kitano has concentrated on filmmaking. His
trademark mixture of powerful violence, comic relief and Kitano cool have made
international cult favorites of yakuza gangster films such as BOILING POINT (1990) and
SONATINE (1993). With
A SCENE AT THE SEA (1991), GETTING ANY? (1995) and KIDS RETURN (1996, "Bronze
Camera 300" for the D.o.P. Katsumi YANAGISHIMA at the International Film Camera
Festival "Manaki Brothers" in Bitola, 1997), Kitano earned praise for his daring
changes in his directorial style and subject. HANA-BI, Kitano's seventh film as director,
also marks his return to acting in the early '80s, Kitano won international attention for
his role in Oshima's MERRY CHRISTMAS MR. LAWRENCE (1993). Recently he has roles in the
films JOHNNY MNEMONIC (1995) and GONIN (1995).
Top |