DEADLY OUTLAW REKKA (2003)
Directed by Takashi Miike
Starring: Riki Takeuchi, Kenichi Endo
Genre: Yakuza/Action
Running Time: 102mins

Rating:

Following the death of his boss, and father figure, recently out of prison Kunisada embarks upon a journey of revenge against the rival gang who ordered the hit. However, all is not how it seems as Kunisada uncovers the truth behind the shady deals that exist within his own clan. Suddenly revenge becomes a much bigger task than first imagined. Pursued by two hitmen Kunisada and his close friend (played by Endo) find themselves as both hunters and the hunted as cross and double cross leads to murder, mayhem and a bazooka.

"I figure somethings gotta come out if I pull the trigger."

Deadly Outlaw Rekka (Violent Fire) is without doubt the most straight forward Miike film I have seen so far. With a simple plot that doesn't stray too far away from the generic Yakuza revenge story, Miike's film takes a straight forward revenge story and infuses it less with the histrionics of his back catalogue and more with a gradual bending of theme and plot. It is told at breakneck speed by a very talented and assured director capable of spicing up this otherwise average tale with occasional moments of madness only to then take the whole tone and atmosphere of the film and flip it from being a serious film with comic moments, to being a fun movie with moments of seriousness.

This flipside halfway through is seamless and is a very impressive shift putting Deadly Outlaw Rikka into the same enjoyment bracket as the likes of Miike's earlier work Fudoh: The Next Generation. The flipside concerns itself with adulthood and childhood with the film regressing from initial maturity to immaturity. The film opens with an edgy serious tone, a foreboding sense of dread and more importantly a sense of responsibility with a very clear understanding of consequence.

However, this gradually becomes overtaken with the reckless abandon of a child incapable of taking responsibilities for its actions. As such, a playful approach is taken, not only by the films characters, but by the actors also, who work to add humour to the proceedings. Adding a foundation to this is the films director, Miike, who gradually stretches the rules of the world he has created to succesfully introduce the frenzy of the films final moments.

There are some who will simply find this transition from seriousness to almost self-parody too strong a change to work effectively however, in my opinion it is handled expertly with the two protagonists (played by Takeuchi and Endo respectively) having cut off all ties and all responsibilities it becomes fitting that they should embark upon their suicidal mission with such recklessness, with such abandon. If they have nothing to lose and the will power to achieve their goal, then....why not?

Deadly Outlaw Rikka is an electrifying movie that provides laughs, excitement, some brutally realistic action (crowbar attack) that cracks along with the sole intention of being a source of entertainment. A lot has been said of Miike's films and a lot of theories are bound to raise their heads with each release (I know that I am guilty of searching for a subtext on many occasion) but with Rikka there is the sense that everything is done with the intention of entertainment firmly in place. It is not a social commentary, it may have regular Miike motifs such as alienation et al, however, there can be no denying that the underlying theme of Deadly Outlaw Rikka is to give its viewers a damn good time, and a loud one at that. It's about explosions, danger, excitement, charismatic performances, and rock music. Featuring a soundtrack consisting entirely of the 70's album Satori by psychedelic rock group "Flower Travellin' Band" Miike gives the screams of frontman Joe extra weight as the film kickstarts with a frantic assassination that already hints at the comic book style bending of rules that will later come into full effect during the films closing stages.

The performances are accomplished throughout, the majority of the work relying upon the tough guy persona's that each actor brings to the table. And with a cast consisting of Shinichi Chiba (Sonny Chiba), Riki Takeuchi, Ryosuke Miki and the gravel voiced Tetsuro Tanba there is no danger of Miike's film lacking power. However, kudos has to be given to Kenichi Endo who supplies yet another electrifying performance. With Miike allowing him to run free Endo's capabilities are endless a truly fascinating actor to watch one can only imagine how many more lead roles he would get had he looked a little more like Asano, or Ando. The talent is surely there to be seen.

Another film and another fascinatingly entertaining entry to Miike's catalogue of films.