A cop prone to assaults and illegal detainments gets dragged into a case involving assassins and drug-pushers .. With his badge he must play by the rules , but without it he's a loose cannon on a missionFirst Kitano Film --- Rumor has it no members on the set had scripts , everything is Improv! Excellent job too!

When Kitano directed and acted in this masterpiece of his production, as well as of the whole Japanese cinematographic panorama, people expected him differently. It was 1989 and Beat Takeshi (as Kitano is known in his homeland) was realizing his first experience on the big screen. He was and still is a comedian, a master of jokes but here we have a hardboiled movie with a soundtrack and slow scenes that reminds some noir ones. So something so different from a style of a comedian. However in this story we have a link given by some grotesque elements that make us grin rather than smile. The way Azuma inspector run after the criminals, the way he punish them, as well the corruption among the police are a proof of this black humor. We sympathize with his methods justified by the circumstances even if are violent. Another element that emerges here is the way of filming with a alternation of close-ups. This technique, developed by Ozu in Japan, put the face of Kitano in front of us as well that of his rivals. We wait for a smile, a joke or, on the other side, an hungry expression full of hate and desire of revenge. But we find something different, a mix of this two way. A grin, the same we have at the end of this amazing movie. A masterpiece that shows a comedian becoming a policeman to show how ridiculous and dumb the institution can be. And all we have to do, is laugh. Rather than cry. As when we guzzle a bitter beer at the end of an hard day like Azuma did here. Wandering what is good and what is not and finding again ourselves doing that thing. Grinding.

OK. Here is a warning to those who want to watch this movie expecting violence for the purpose of itself. Violent cop is the complete opposite.(spoilers) The story circles around a (violent) misunderstood cop seeking revenge. The main subjects are incapacity, honor and refuge into death. The movie shows us these features one by one, but also as a unit.The best part (for some viewers it could be the worst part either) of this movie it's its slowness. It's not really plot driven, which strangely is the movies true strenght. The characters don't talk a lot either, indeed no one hardly ever says more than 2 sentences in a row. Anyway it's exactly this feature, that give the viewers the chance (and time) to judge them, and give them a shape. Specially the first part of this movie constructs the characters, by showing us how they react on several situations. The second part is more action-driven, and now we can try to tell, why some of the main-figures act in a certain way. The finale is pure western scenario.

...if not? Dont bother. This film is not a toy selling, merchandise hog like Steven Spielberg would churn out, and it lacks the typical structure that usually raises american films to such high levels of mediocrity. The debut of Takeshi Kitano as a director(seemingly by accident after the project was dropped in his lap by Kinji Fukasaku) shows alot of style rarely seen in Japanese films of its time. Kitanos straight forward and gritty portrayal of a cop with no real goal other than to supress his own personal life and mess with criminals is astounding to say the least, and very graphic in how he dispatches many of his arrests. Much of the attitude will leave some viewers scratching their heads, but no doubt if you "get" Beats on screen persona and enjoy vendetta type films you will love this picture for its flair. The squib work is also top notch...