Rob – Ichi The Killer
As somebody who uses violence on a day-to-day basis just as a way of getting things done, I would say that there’s little I enjoy more than a good old fashioned violent spree. Be it murder or maiming, nothing makes me happier than the wanton destruction of people or property. When you have an interest, or viewpoint, you’re more able to appreciate the joy
of seeing that particular interest, or viewpoint, depicted in a thrilling way on the big screen.
For this reason, I am going to put forward Takashi Miike’s ultraviolent Ichi the Killer as my pick of the bunch, with regards to violent sprees. No other film quite cuts it (so to speak) as far as wanton, near-meaningless violence goes. I’m not saying that Ichi the Killer is the only violent film to come from Japan, far from it – the place is paved with gallons of cinematic blood. Films like Battle Royale, Audition, Visitor Q (more cartoonish and surreal), the Tetsuo series, even Takashi Miike’s TV show MPD Psycho all prove Japan’s violent mettle. But what draws me to Ichi the Killer is the combination of great performances, a charismatic central protagonist, a good story, and the aforementioned gallons of blood.
It concerns a young man named Ichi, who is being used by local hoodlum Jijji to provoke a yakuza war. Ichi happens to be a masochist, and Jijji uses that in conjunction with some questionable mental manipulation to start a killing spree of epic proportions. The story becomes more convoluted, involving planted memories and such, but what stands out after repeat viewings is a scene involving Ichi taking on a group of yakuza in a small room. This is just one small battle in the middle of the one-man war that Ichi represents, and it actually happens off-screen. The camera stays on a wall near the doorway and, as the scene carries on audibly in the background, copious amounts of blood and guts arrive on said wall, culminating in an actual dismembered face, removed fully from the skull, landing and sliding down perfectly in front of the camera.
If you want violence, the likes of which you’ve never seen, see Ichi the Killer. It will make you realise how just a little violence in your day will go a long way.
