Boiling Point (1990)

"Boiling point" is not a movie that you'll easily assimilate. Too much silence, a plot that looks a little bit confusing and that's quite simple at the same time. What's most remarkable about it is the way Takeshi Kitano shoots, his camera is always static, and hi has a very personal view of violence and humor.

Not everyone will understand this story that deals with amateur baseball players and yakuzas, but I guess i's quite advisable for those who love the films of this Japanese director.

*My rate: 6/10

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Fmovies: Having heard good things about Takeshi Kitano's films, I was looking forward seeing "Boiling Point", having purchased both this and "Sonatine" in the sales, even though it broke my Golden Rule of impulse buys: don't buy any film with quotes from un-named sources on the sleeve (especially if they've got spelling mistakes), in this case "A Genuine Original", "Beautifully directed, Indispensible viewing".

Anyway, the quotes were more misleading than lying, as the film definitely is both original and beautifully directed, but only really indispensable for fans of Kitano's, who don't need me to tell them to watch it. For everyone else, it probably isn't the best Kitano film to start with. Marketed as an action movie, the film is much more and much less: it has more heart and intelligence, but much less in the way of action or excitement, feeling more like a slow-burning drama with a little bit of gun-play and one big explosion; John Woo this ain't. However, the acting, from Kitano in particular, is excellent as is the stylish direction: Kitano fills the screen with beautiful images and twisted humour.

Worth a look, if you keep in mind that's very slow moving tale, with more baseball action than there is action movie. *** out of five.

Boiling Point (1990) is about a goofy guy who works at a convince store and plays sandlot baseball in his spare time. His head is always in the clouds. One day he insults a high ranking Yakuza member while at work. Then that's when all of his troubles begin. An interesting film by Kitano. This is his second directorial project (after taking over the directorial reigns for an ailing director in Violent Cop). Even though he's prominently featured in the film's trailer, Kitano is only in the film for several scenes (but his part is very memorable). Don't be fooled by the trailer. This is not a hardcore Yakuza film. It's about a young guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He should've "stayed in bed" that day. Poor kid. Recommended.

A.

Boiling Point fmovies. While not as good as some of Takeshi Kitano's other films like Violent Cop or Fireworks, this still has much to recommend it. For one, this has Kitano's always-stunning direction and twisted mix of comedy and shocking violence. Kitano himself appears in a small role as a gangster, and it's perhaps his most twisted role to date. I would probably only recommend this film to Kitano fans, since it is very muddled and not as tight as his other films. But as a Kitano fan myself, I did like it very much.

This is the second film of Kitano, but the first which is really his, since "Violent Cop" was not initially to be directed by him. What is striking is that in this first film, we can see the premises of the next ones. Though not a real 'yakuza' film, they play a great role in it, and many scenes, are they shot in a bar, on the beach or in a flower field remind us of what Kitano will shoot later for Hana-Bi or Sonatine. A very interesting film, very satirical towards the japanese society and the yakuzas that behave violently just to convince themselves they are tough guys; even if I personally prefer his other movies.

3-4x Jugatsu/Boiling Point(1990) focuses on the theme of rebellion. The second consecutive film by Takeshi Kitano with an outsider who goes against the system. Masaki is a reactionary character who is content to be a nobody. He is an outsider who tends to do things just for the heck of it. Masaki and Uehara have a lot in common because both fight and lose to the system.

Uehara is a charismatic anti hero who is in the film for a small period of time. I only wished that Uehara had more screen time in Boiling Point(1990). Uehara is the meanest and sadistic person in a Takeshi Kitano directed picture. "Beat" Takeshi plays Uehara with flamboyant sadism and unpredictable viciousness. "Beat" Takeshi in Boiling Point(1990) follows in the footsteps of fellow tough guys, Lee Marvin, Robert Mitchum, Charles Bronson, Klaus Kinski, Richard Widmark, Harvey Keitel, Telly Savalas, and Lawrence Tierney.

The act of sodomy by Uehara on his best friend is a shocking scene that attacks the nerves of the viewer. The images from this scene are off beat and unsettling. Uehara seems in this scene to prefer being in the company of of his best friend than his girlfriend. Its scenes like this that gives the film a brutal and dark comic edge. You will never see a scene like this in a Hollywood picture nor for that matter in an American Independant Film because very few are bold and daring filmmakers.

3-4x Jugatsu/Boiling Point(1990) is the first true Takeshi Kitano film that has his trademarks of off beat images, moments of dullness, and sudden violence more completely than in his debut, Violent Cop(1989). Also the first film that Takeshi Kitano wrote and directed on his own. Its here that Takeshi Kitano came into his own as an auteur and movie maker. Takeshi Kitano has a passion for the sport of baseball which is why the main character is a member of his local town's baseball team. Takeshi Kitano films a flash forward sequence that reminds me of Point Blank(1967), the early films of Alain Resair and Nicolas Roeg, plus The Limey(1999).

The acting portion of the film is not a strong point for the director here. Average in fact compared to the other departments of the motion picture. "Beat" Takeshi takes the cake with his amazing performance as the unpredictable, Uehara. Masahiko ono does alright as the average and lazy Masaki. The acting from the rest of the cast varies from person to person.

A favorite motif of Takeshi Kitano is the scene of people hanging out and playing at the beach. In his best films, there is a scene where the main characters go to the beach to relax and take it easy. These scenes show the good nature of the characters of Uehara and his best friend when they are not doing bad things. The beach motif in Boiling Point(1990) is for the main characters a place to find peace and tranquility with its calm waves, soft sands, and cool blue skies. These scenes make the characters very likeable.

A lot of the visual use and motifs from this film is used again in both Sonatine(1993), and Kids Return(1996). The scene where Uehara kills his boss with a machine gun is used in the climax of Sonatine(1993). The idea of the person who messes up in life plays an important role in Kids Return(1996). Suicide is a theme that plays a major role in both Boiling Point and Sonatine. If Violent Cop(1989) is the older brother of Fireworks(1997) than Boiling Point(1990) is the older brother of the masterpiece, Sonatine(1993).

The violence in th