Boiling Point

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DanTheMan 2 What Boiling Point may lack in contemplativeness, playing the material not for action or thrills but with comedy so dark and deadpan that its intent can be easily lost on many. Tranquillity explodes into violence, which recedes to its original serenity. A tale unfolding sedately against a backdrop of calm sunny stillness punctuated by shocking moments of unpalatable violence that points to the behind-the-scenes mundanity of the perceived glamour of organised crime in Japan as presented in yakuza films. As his first scripted effort, that narrative almost dissolves into abstractions and digressions, but Kitano largely stays the course with a compellingly warped look at the uniquely Japanese culture of violence. Kitano himself turns up very late in the film's runtime, his presence as welcomed as ever, leading both protagonists and viewers alike on a guided tour of the bleaker recesses of the human psyche with the lack of a musical score heightening the tone and storytelling power behind his magnificent direction. Boiling Point may not be as refined as Kitano's later works, but it more than establishes Kitano as an artist with a clear vision and distinctive style. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/27/24 Full Review Audience Member I came to this knowing very little about it - and found it a gripping, taut drama with a delightfully cutting comedic tone. Indignity, humiliation and shame are heaped and heaped again and again until those on the receiving end of it all seemingly have no choice but to risk dangerous violent action. If at times the script and other aspects of the film feel a little too on the nose, it's still an excellent watch. It seemed to me to raise deeper issues about the dangers of putting societal convention above truthfulness - but that may be more a reflection of what's going on in my life as I watch it; I don't really understand Japenese culture acutely enough to really dig below the surface in that regard. But it's true that much about the plot - especially the repeated abuse of women and the rape of a man (though it may be attempted rape - the film does not make it clear if the act was followed through), along with the climax's reliance on hiddenness all suggest that there is something here about what goes on beneath the surface of societal formality and adherence to codes of politeness. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member I am re-watching the films of Takeshi kitano whom I always enjoy. he's a solid director and a compelling actor. His films are often quite violent, and full of dark humour. "Boiling Point" fits the bill and is another entry into the Japanese gangster genre for him. This isn't one of Kitano's best films, but worth a watch for fans of his. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review camille l Boiling Point ne fait jamais réellement sens et parfois traîne franchement en longueur, surtout dans une première partie d'un calme trompeur avant la tempête incarnée par le personnage de Kitano. Celui-ci déchaîne les enfers avec un ensemble d'insultes, d'agressions et de massacres qui détonne totalement avec le reste du film et des autres personnages (l'excellent Dankan en tête). De ce fait, Boiling Point parvient à être divertissant, drôle et extrêmement grinçant pendant une heure et demie malgré un twist final qui en laissera plusieurs sur le bas-côté. Kitano et Dankan sont particulièrement excellents, dans des rôles complexes, mais les seconds rôles ne sont pas en reste. Un bon deuxième acte après Violent Cop. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member The extremely deadpan humour is enjoyable for the first act, but when Takeshi's surprisingly annoying and unamusingly unpleasent character shows up and totally dominates the middle section it kind of goes off the rails a bit. I kept wondering what this guy had to do with the rest of the movie. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Takeshi Kitano's second feature is nearly as powerful as his first. 'Boiling point' (3-4 x Juugastu) tells the story of isolated teenage protagonist Masaki as he travels to Okinawa in order to purchase a gun to kill the local Yakuza. Upon his arrival Masaki finds himself in the company of Uehara (Played perfected by Kitano) a sociopathic mobster who manipulates, assaults and sodomises unrepentantly. Tonally 'Boiling Point' is similar to Kitano's début feature 'Violent Cop'; characters remain largely expressionless and outbursts of violence are intertwined throughout the story in a nihilistic fashion giving the film an overall existential feeling (much like 'VC'). Another similarity between the films is the likeness drawn between characters; Masaki's actions often feel similar to Uehara's and ultimately the two feel as if they are in search of the same thing. 'Boiling Point' is engaging and intriguing, Kitano's ability to convey a perpetual state of emptiness in an interesting fashion is unmatched and the splashes of dark humour add to the dreamlike nature of the film in a positive way. Despite all the positives the film's climax lacks the same potency as 'Violent Cop's and is therefore hard to recommend above it. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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