Ichi has a few interesting ideas, some good performances, and director Takashi Miike is able to infuse it with a kinetic motion and visual showmanship that makes it a decent watch for film junkies. But the whole torture and mutilation thing has never been my bag. And this movie is structured almost entirely as a patchwork of rapes, beatings, killings, and lengthy torture sequences. Any semblance of story given is just an excuse to get you back to more over the top sadism, where Miike is most comfortable taking his time and letting his camera linger. While there is some artistry in the crafting of this film, it’s mostly just an empty grotesquerie meant either to be shocking for shock’s sake or to indulge the perversions of the filmmaker and its niche audience. Neither option does much for me.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Short Round: Ichi the Killer (2001) ***/*****
Ichi has a few interesting ideas, some good performances, and director Takashi Miike is able to infuse it with a kinetic motion and visual showmanship that makes it a decent watch for film junkies. But the whole torture and mutilation thing has never been my bag. And this movie is structured almost entirely as a patchwork of rapes, beatings, killings, and lengthy torture sequences. Any semblance of story given is just an excuse to get you back to more over the top sadism, where Miike is most comfortable taking his time and letting his camera linger. While there is some artistry in the crafting of this film, it’s mostly just an empty grotesquerie meant either to be shocking for shock’s sake or to indulge the perversions of the filmmaker and its niche audience. Neither option does much for me.
