Deadly Outlaw: Rekka

Takashi Miike's 2002 film follows a yakuza who sets out for revenge after his boss is killed. Kunisada and his closest friend ignore the organisation's hierarchy entirely and begin eliminating rival leaders one after another. What is most discussed is its formal play. At one point the narrative stops and the character's past is delivered as a long sequence laid over rock music; the sound of Flower Travellin' Band sets the film's rhythm. Miike uses interruptions like this without offering any justification. Riki Takeuchi leads and plays almost the entire film shouting. Sonny Chiba and Tetsuro Tamba take supporting roles. The violence is exaggerated and at times comic; the film makes no claim to realism. Who it's for: those who like Miike's yakuza films and formal experiment inside genre cinema. Who it's not for: viewers who want to avoid heavy and graphic violence; the film shows plenty of it directly.