Dead or alive [DVD] (D)

Kinetic, ultra-violent and uber-cool feature from Japanese director Takashi Miike (Audition) was a hit in Japan immediately spawning a sequel. The narrative concerns the fortunes of a band of Yakuzas, drug trafficking and police attempts to stem the trade whilst engaging in brutal methods to achieve their aims. Narcotics cop Jojima, is on a mission to bring down Ryuichi, a Chinese born gangster. In perusing the case, Jojima faces great personal losses and is soon on a violent collision course with his archenemy. The script, by Ichiro Ryu, contains a youthful exuberance and a sadistically comic edge partnered with gruesome surreal murders and raw depictions of sex and drugs. Whilst the narrative features portraits of the many subcultures competing for space in the Japanese underworld, Miike favours broad depictions of character over complex profiles. But perhaps the reasons for engaging in Miike’s stylistic excesses has more to do with aesthetics in any case, as he utilises slow-motion photography and contrasts it with rapid editing to reflect the shifting, amoral gangster landscape where his protagonists roam. Cast includes: Riki Takeuchi, Sho Aikawa, Renji Ishibashi, Hirotaro Honda, Susumu Terajima and Tomoroh Taguchi.