Takeshi in Adachi Ward” and “Kitano in the World”… “Beat Takeshi/ Takeshi Kitano” manipulate and win hearts and minds with the “Law of the Pendulum
Takeshi Kitano’s latest film, “The Head,” was released in theaters on November 23. The film was released in theaters on November 23, and was praised by Japanese film legend Akira Kurosawa, who said
Akira Kurosawa, a legendary director of Japanese cinema, said, “If Kitano-kun makes this film, he will produce a masterpiece on par with ‘Seven Samurai.
This film is a blockbuster of 30 years in the making.
The film was initially set against the backdrop of Hideyoshi’s (Beat Takeshi) attack on Bitchu Takamatsu Castle and the Honnoji Incident, and depicted a battle between a group of soldiers over the head of a warlord. When the film was completed, however, it was a true culmination of Kitano’s films, combining the road movie of Shigesuke (Nakamura Shido), a former peasant wandering in search of a “head” in order to rise to power, with the violence of the warlords vying for Nobunaga’s (Kase Ryo) heir. You can sense the passion that director Kitano has put into this film.
Film director Takeshi Kitano said,
But I think it would be good if the film industry took a turn in that direction, just as realistic paintings became abstract or cubism (an avant-garde art movement) was born in the world of painting. It’s crazy.
I want to break the conventional wisdom and make “great movies.
I want to break the conventional wisdom and make “great movies.
The “poster child of the film industry,” who was entrusted by the late Akira Kurosawa with the responsibility of making Japanese films, expresses his passion for film. However, it takes more than ordinary passion to achieve this. So how does he generate this energy? It is the “law of the pendulum,” as Beat Takeshi often says.
In order for the artist Takeshi Kitano to shine as “the world’s Kitano,” on the other hand, “Takeshi of Adachi-ku” must sometimes be a comedian and go all out in his underwear. In other words, in order for the “Kitano of the world” to swing the pendulum to the right, “Takeshi of Adachi-ku” must also swing the pendulum to the left. This is what Takeshi calls the “pendulum law.
When Beat Takeshi appeared on the program “Matsumo to Nakai” (Fuji TV) on December 3, Masahiro Nakai, the MC of the show, also commented on the “Law of the Pendulum.
Masahiro Nakai, who also serves as MC, prefaced his comment by saying, “About 30 years ago, I had dinner with (Takeshi) once.”
He then prefaced his remarks by saying, “Nakai-kun, you are an entertainer,
Nakai-kun, entertainment is a pendulum.
As the leader of SMAP, he has kept these words in the back of his mind ever since.
However, the pendulum does not swing only between “Kitano of the world” and “Takeshi of Adachi-ku. In his 70s, Beat Takeshi has been swinging the “pendulum” in various phases of his life.
At the age of 70, Takeshi published his first pure love novel, “Analog. In this story, Satoru, a designer who insists on handmade models and hand-drawn illustrations, and Miyuki, a mysterious woman who does not own a cell phone, meet by chance at a coffee shop called “Piano.
Without exchanging contact information, they make a promise to meet every Thursday at the same place, and their relationship gradually deepens, until one day, Miyuki suddenly stops showing up at the Piano. This novel is an adult love story unlike anything Takeshi has ever written. It was made into a movie by Kazunari Ninomiya and Haru, and became a hit, earning over 1 billion yen at the box office.
Since making his directorial debut with the film “That Man is Violent,” the “Kitano of the World,” who has a reputation for violence in films such as the “Outrage” series, depicts a pure love story, which is the exact opposite of a love story. This is where the “law of the pendulum” is brilliantly utilized.
However, the audience who watches this film will notice that the “law of the pendulum” is hidden in this film as well.
Miyuki, who had disappeared as the story progressed, was found to have been in an accident. Miyuki is left with brain damage and paralysis in her lower body, and is unable to communicate with others. Is reality really so unreasonable and absurd?
However, this sense of loss is the quintessence of Kitano’s work. Satoru quits his job and becomes a freelance designer, and takes pleasure in walking along the seaside with Miyuki, who is in a wheelchair. He rebounds from unreasonable and absurd reality with the power of love. At first glance, it appears to be a 100% pure love story, but don’t be fooled” (producer, production company).
This is because Satoru, played by Ninomiya, confronts tragedy head-on. This figure is the very protagonist of the violent films that Kitano has portrayed in the past.
Here, the audience is reminded that the “law of the pendulum” is at work in the film as well.
Based on spirituality, it is also justifiable to make a decision to throw away one’s life. It seems as if Beat Takeshi’s pride in his ability to take reckless actions and to do what is right is hidden in the film.
When I look at Picasso’s paintings, I wonder what is so good about landscapes and realistic paintings. You think, “What’s so good about landscapes and realistic paintings? I have always wanted to make films that give the same feeling.
Takeshi Kitano has been entrusted with the future of Japanese cinema. What kind of next film will he create by manipulating the “law of the pendulum”? It may be a world that only God knows. ……
Text: Shima Ukon (Broadcaster and video producer)
He has been involved in program production in a wide range of genres, including variety, news, and sports programs. He has also planned and published numerous books on female TV announcers, idols, and the TV industry. While working on documentary programs, he became interested in history and recently published "Ieyasu was dead in Sekigahara" (Takeshobo Shinsho). He is also publishing the e-book series "Ibun chakurezuregusa" (Different Stories about Craftsmen).
PHOTO: Kojiro Yamada