(Japan 2001)

Original Title: Araburu Tamashii-Tachi 荒ぶる魂たち

 

Directed by Takashi Miike Produced by Fujio Matsushima Starring: Mickey Curtis, Yoshiyuki Daichi, Hakuryu, Masato Ibu, Renji Ishibashi, Masaya Kato, Aya Kawamura, Takashi Miike, Hiroki Matsukata Reviewing: Radiance Films UK Blu-ray Release Genres: Gangster / Drama / Action

 

Rating: 3.7 / 5

Radiance Films UK Blu-ray Synopsis: A yakuza (played by Miike himself in a cameo) is murdered after violently assaulting a hostess on rival turf, providing the catalyst for a gang war between a number of factions seeking a redistribution of power. In this densely-layered gangland drama, the backroom manoeuvring of the senior figures in the yakuza, overseen by Mr. Kaito (Hiroki Matsukata, Rapacious Jailbreaker), are juxtaposed against the actions of the street-level mobsters, as the two sides head towards an inevitable collision. Written by Graveyard of Honor scribe Shigenori Takechi, Miike directed Agitator in arguably the most productive year of his career in 2001, alongside Ichi the Killer, Visitor Q, and The Happiness of the Katakuris. Epic in scope, the film is presented here in its original theatrical version, and in a two-part 200 minute extended version, until now only available on Japanese VHS. (150 Mins)

 

Tartan Asia Extreme DVD Synopsis: In this epic of Yakuza honour, betrayal and bloodshed, maverick Japanese director Miike Takashi creates a tale that is at once cool and muted yet unremittingly dark and brutal. Featuring all of the outrageous trademarks that audiences have come to expect from this twisted cinematic mind, Agitator adds a degree of intensity to the mix that needs to be seen to be believed. When a young Yakuza torments the customers in a rival crime family's nightclub, it is not long before his dead body is found. Soon, inter-family retaliation follows, resulting in the death of a prominent crime boss. Devastated by this turn of events, the temperamental Kenzaki vows to avenge his boss's death and, as bloody violence ensues, the body count reaches excessive proportions. Ranging from the darkly comedic to the violently stylish, this is a twisted trip through the tattoo-strewn, bullet-riddled world of the Japanese Yakuza that will leave you stunned and surprised. If only all gangster movies were this outrageous... (150 Mins)

 

Views: Also known as The Outlaw Souls, Agitator is a powerful yakuza film from the legendary Takashi Miike and was only one of the six film projects he had directed in 2001, alongside hits like The Happiness of the Katakuris, Ichi the Killer, and Visitor Q. In a nutshell, Agitator is set in Japan's gritty gangster underworld, that delivers a tale about loyalty and betrayal as a Yakuza leader is pushed to the edge when two ambitious underling's attempt to overthrow him. At the same time, a rival boss makes a bid to take over their clans. This begins with an event at a crime family's nightclub, when a few gang members hound and abuse one of the clubs hostesses – this includes raping her with a bottle, which is done by director Takashi Miike himself who plays the titular agitator. As things go from bad-to-worse, betrayal is tested in the ranks as words are exchanged and plans are set-in-action. As with most Japanese gangster flicks, this leads to lot's of yelling, violent deaths, and plenty of discussions as each gang tries to rule in first place!

 

While probably not as action packed, hyper-kinetic, or wild as some of Takashi's other works, Agitator still makes for a compelling watch and often comes-across like a low budget take on The Godfather at times – albeit in a more, subtle way. Of course, Miike's wicked sense of humour is strewn throughout, allowing the audience to breathe every-now-and-again, as they become focused on it's heavy narrative. As mentioned, this was an exciting year for fans of the director with Miike offering-up a mix of genres such as Visitor Q, Ichi The Killer, and the insane musical-horror, The Happiness Of The Katakuris. But in amongst the madness of those aforementioned titles, Agitator almost seems like it was allowing Miike to catch his breath. And while it certainly isn't any less superior than the rest, I often feel like films like this were faster and easier to produce – which is probably why we see more of this genre from him, than others. Although it has never been seen as one of his greatest, it's only fair to say that Agitator shows no signs of weakness; showing strength in it's 150 minute (theatrical/international version) running-time with strong performances and tight direction. This is backed by a great debut script from Shigenori Takechi, the same man behind Miike's remake of the classic Graveyard Of Honor (2002), Violent Fire aka Deadly Outlaw: Rekka (2002), and wonderfully violent, Izo (2004). Set in the gritty underworld of Japan's Yakuza gangsters, the film plays like a slow-burning epic for the most part, albeit with less action and violence than the directors other gangster-based movies. That said, when it comes about, Miike is sure to remind you who is behind it all with his usual trademarks that have made him such a talked-about, and revered, film-maker.

 

One of the main leads of the film is the handsome Masaya Kato, who plays Kunihiko. Born in Nara, Japan, this model-turned-actor first came to my attention when he played opposite the awesome Mark Dacascos in Steve Wang's incredible martial-arts action-comedy, Drive (1997). Prior to that, he also starred alongside Mark in the hugely underrated Crying Freeman (1995), and I've since enjoyed him in films such as Muscle Heat (2002), Aragami (2003), Fighter In The Wind (2004), and Shinjuku Incident (2009) with Jackie Chan, as well as Gozu (2003) and Terraformers (2016) which were also directed by Takashi Miike. His boss is played by the wonderful and hugely prolific Naoto Takenaka, who starred alongside Kato in Kane Kosugi's fun Muscle Heat (2002) and Derek Yee's fantastic Shinjuku Incident (2009), and have no doubt shared the screen many times over the years. No matter whatever film I see him in, I have to admit that Naoto always leaves an impression. The earliest film I remember seeing him in was in Shinya Tsukamoto's fun Hiruko The Goblin (1991), followed by Tokyo Fist (1995), the wonderfully funny Waterboys and brilliant ninja flick Red Shadow, both from 2001, Ping Pong (2002), and 20th Century Boys: Chapter 1 (2008), as well as Takashi's own Ley Lines (1999), The Happiness of the Katakuris (2001), and The Great Yokai War (2005). Although often cast in a comedy based role, Naoto proves to be an amazing dramatic actor, and impresses as mob-boss Higuchi. Both are joined by a fantastic cast with names such as the famed Hiroki Matsukata, Masato Ibu, Mickey Curtis, Taisaku Akino, Renji Ishibashi, and Takashi Miike himself – as previously mentioned...

 

Although it may take a bit of focus, Agitator is a Takashi Miike film well-worth-watching. It's slow-burn pace helps bring a natural feel to the story, allowing it's characters to breathe and mope-about as things play out. And while flashbacks give us insights into some characters pasts, jumps in time let us see where they are going as Kunihiko stays determined to get revenge for the murder of his boss – no matter what the cost! Recently restored and released on Blu-ray by Radiance Films alongside Fudoh: The New Generation and Deadly Outlaw Rekka, it was great to see Agitator hold up after all these years. Not only do we get a beautiful new print of the lengthy (widely seen) theatrical version, but fans now get the chance to see – for the first time outside of Japan – the original two-part extended (200 minute) version, albeit in a slightly lesser quality as Agitator was initially made as part of the V-Cinema collective which was DTV. It still looks good and makes for a fantastic bonus feature on this release. Japanese film expert Tom Mes does his best to entertain us with information on the film and everyone involved, via his in-depth audio commentary over the main feature – revealing that both versions were, in fact, director's cuts for different reasons. Fans will also love the new 24 minute interview with director Miike, where he discusses his time with the production, the cast involved, and Yakuza gangs in modern society. I remember a time when he was very low-key about doing interviews, so this was great to see. And finally, we get a low-quality trailer to finish things off – opening with the credit title of 'thank you and fuck you', but it certainly grabs your attention. All in all though, a fantastic release of a great film, this Blu-ray release of Agitator is a must for all fans of Takashi Miike's gangster films!

 

Overall: Slow-burning, tense, and well-acted, Takashi's Agitator is a great watch and a nice addition to the gangster-genre!

 

Radiance Films Blu-ray Extras: Extended Version in Two Parts, Audio Commentary with Tom Mes, New Interview with Takashi Miike, Trailer

 

Tartan Asia Extreme DVD Extras: Trailers