Brother Review
by Robin Clifford (robin AT reelingreviews DOT com)July 27th, 2001
"Brother"
Yakuza tough guy Yamamoto (Beat Takeshi) is forced to leave Tokyo and heads to LA to find his younger half-brother Ken (Claude Maki.) Soon, the older gangster realizes he is thrust back into the old violence he left behind in Japan and, before long, he commands a sizable gang of his own. When his Yakuza brethren refuse to bow down to Mafia pressures, it's all-out war in director/writer Takeshi Kitano's "Brother."
Steeped in the long tradition of the Yakuza - a gangster society that is an integral part of the overall Japanese culture - "Brother" begins with Yamamoto (Beat Takeshi, the director's on-screen moniker) arriving, alone, in Los Angeles. He's looking for his relocated half-brother and, finally, finds out where he lives. Flash back to Tokyo and we see the end of Yamamoto's Yakuza clan as a rival gang absorbs it. The deal requires that Yamamoto be eliminated to save the clan, but, the crime boss is secreted to the US.
Once in the good old USA, Yamamoto picks up where he left off in Japan, taking charge of Ken's homeboys. He joins forces with a rival Japanese gang led by Shirase (Masaya Kato) and they being to take on the Chicano street gangs, eliminate them, then move into their territory. Soon, the usurpers come to the attention of the local Mafia and war breaks out between the enemy factions on the streets of LA.
There is one thing you can say about Takeshi Kitano's films. They are the vision of the filmmaker and, whether light comedy or gangland drama, have his firm imprint on every one. His use of over-bearing, schmarmy, cheesy 60's orchestral movie music, often utilized inappropriately, is a trademark. He frequently has the actors look directly into the camera, not at the audience but at the actors they are playing off of. He also maintains the image of the strong, silent type (or, as in the comedy "Kikujiro", the weak, silent type) who uses violence instead of words to make his point.
Kitano's films are interesting - maybe not always good, but always interesting. In "Brother," there are a number of bits that don't quite work. Kitano uses frequent non sequitur scenes of gangsters playing basketball or throwing a football that have nothing to do with the story and actually take attention from the gangland drama. He also, at times, injects humor into violent scenes, taking the edge off of such sequences. I'll also mention the saccharine score, again, as an annoyance.
On the plus side, Kitano gives full shrift to examining the Yakuza sub-culture with its codes of chivalry, obligation, loyalty, obedience and brotherhood. Members of a Yakuza clan maintain a fanatical loyalty to their anikis (brothers) within the gang with a willingness to put one's life on the line. This loyalty, obedience and obligation are depicted vividly and violently throughout the story and lend the viewer a look into this culture, little known to American audiences.
Emotion, or lack thereof, takes the lead over the acting in "Brother." The Japanese characters, led by Yamamoto, are symbolic in the dedication to the Yakuza clan. The gang leader's right hand man, Kato (Susumu Terajima), shows his complete commitment to Yamamoto as he declares to "stake my life" on protecting his boss and brother. For Kato, the stakes are high. Omar Epps, as one of Ken's homies, Denny, has a violent initial confrontation with Yamamoto, but overcomes his suspicion and dislike for the man and embraces the Yakuza philosophy and loyalty to his boss. The rest of the cast, with some exceptions, is there to be the fodder that the gang war uses up in copious quantities.
During a summer season that suffers from a dearth of good mainstream flicks, the independent film market is called upon to provide the intelligence in this season's film-going experience. Considering the utter mediocrity of blockbuster fare, the discerning movie maven has some alternatives. There hasn't been, over the years, a plethora of Yakuza gangster flicks - Sidney Pollack's "The Yakuza" (1975) and Ridley Scott's "Black Rain" (1989) are two - and none from Japanese makers in our market, with the exception of "Brother" and some vintage Akira Kurosawa flicks. Kitano's is a flawed work, but a breath of fresh air despite the problems. I give it a B-.
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