If violence is your thing.......

I had to work all weekend so I decided to check out some films. I rented two foreign films, one was called "Perth" which was a Singaporean film. I won't get into that one because I want to write about the other one I saw called "Ichi the Killer".

"Ichi" is a Japanese film that by far and away is the most violent film I have ever seen...ever. Believe me, I am a huge horror fan to and what you and I think is violent here pales in comparison to the violence and gore used in eastern Asian films.

Basically, a Yakuza boss (yakuza is the Japanese Mafia) goes missing, and his top man who is a sadomasochist believes he is still alive, so he sets out to find him.
We find out very early on, that his search will be fruitless as unbeknownst to Akihara (top underling to Yakuza boss) his boss is already dead.

Ichi is a very shy young mam, who has been brainwashed by an older man who basically manipulates him. Ichi killed his parents but cannot remember so his "evil mentor" so to speak has created these false memories of Ichi to prey on his insecurities. When Ichi gets scared or sad he turns into a homicidal maniac and kills people with no emotion at all. Oh, and he does all of it with only a razor blade in his boot. Very evident throughout the film, is the use of "dark humour" as Ichi who is a homicidal killer wears a ridiculous looking costume with a neon "1" emblazoned on the back("ichi" in one in Japanese).

The story itself is somewhat interesting, albeit slow and confusing at times, but what it lacks in story, it makes up for in over the top, ridiculous, nonsensical violence. It's not so much the violence I am into, it's the innovation, and the director's willingness to push the boundaries to see how far he can go.

The director of this film Takashi Miike sounds like an "interesting" director. I got this off wikipedia about "Ichi"

Director Takashi Miike reveals on the US TokyoShock DVD release that the semen used in the close-up during the intro sequence, when the film's title raises out of a puddle of semen, is real. It was supplied by Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto (Iron Man Tetsuo) who plays the muscle bound mastermind that controls Ichi. Miike gave a bucket to Tsukamoto to fill but was unable to provide enough material for the shot. He passed the bucket to three other crew members to add the remaining amount.

Director Takashi Miike was supposed to have the pimp beat up a prostitute with three punches. However, in the end, he increased the number to fifteen because he could not stand the actress, Mai Goto.

*credit:wikipedia

Seriously, I recommend watching this movie, but only if you have a strong stomach.
Think Hostel, 300, Kill Bill, any Friday The 13th Movie, mutliply that by about a 100, and you get the violence in this movie.

Dont believe me?
Check out the reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, or check the trailer out for yourself.
Warning:The trailer shows a lot of the violence.