Outrage (2011)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Blistering performances.

The crime drama is usually one of the top genres of all time according to many film lovers out there since it brings the best of both worlds and realities: one of which we only know through the news medias (and sometimes through life when we become part of it, usually the worst side as victims or worse, as actual part of it - not me and hopefully not you) and the dramatic aspects of it all when the characters face dilemmas, decisions and all sorts of problems. "Outrage" seemed to have all those elements combined but it failed to generate enough interest halfway through with its plot emptiness, lack of a higher purpose which criminal films tend to have and some errors on the way. Takeshi Kitano's film is a huge disappointment, worthy of praise due to its cold reality presentation in the luminous violent sequences, which puts to shame many Hollywood films in recent years. But a movie doesn't and cannot survive with just those moments.Most of the time I like to present the movie to the readers, explain plot points and what's it all about. With "Outrage" I simply can't do that. Not because I was lost in trying to figure out who was who and what was their position in the crime syndicate presented here but it's due to confusion in seeing what was the major goal and gain the bosses had with their crime wave, which permeates the film. The people on the top of the pyramid didn't have a visible cause for all the killings that came. Stay at the top of the game and be the only source of guns and drugs in the whole place, eliminating competition at the same time when they were eliminating people from their own "family"...whatever, the film didn't work since they overlook and fail to present their actual line of work. There's changes of leadership, brutal murders but it's hard to understand why they're doing what they do. I refer this to the leaders, not necessarily the henchmen or the minor individuals. Example: when one of top figure is lured into a Yakuza bar without knowing the folks behind it and he's forced to pay a ridiculously high bill, I can get that, specially the outcome that develops later. But most of the time the leaders orders were contradictory, ineffective and we were never able to see the exact difference between groups, their business deal except when they were killing each other and cutting their pinky fingers to pay due for some offense.Through most of the ordeal in watching "Outrage" all I kept thinking was that the murder/death sequences were amazingly done - the dentist torture scene managed to erase my "Marathon Man" trauma, it was a lot worse - and like where's the great dialogues, the spectacular dramatic moments? It went on and on without much gain for me. Around the same week I saw "Gommora" (which was also an entry at the Cannes Film Festival, different years however), a multi-layered hyperlink film about crime society in Italy and despite some confusing aspects and problems with its structure, I find it a better film than "Outrage". You could understand how the system worked, why people were killing each other, selling arms, stealing it, doing drugs or selling toxic waste...that criminal pyramid was real and even the action/suspense sequences were amazing. With "Outrage", I couldn't like much of anything. It was dry, empty, lacking in purpose and lacking in art and entertainment values. And I won't even bother mentioning the plot holes that appeared along the way.I'm amazed that there were sequels to this thing which I'll pass. I was starving for a higher purpose throughout the picture and was left hungry for more. Not a good sign, so you can easily skip it. You won't miss much. 5/10

OUTRAGE marks the first Beat Takeshi Yakuza film from the writer/director/star in a decade, ever since the exemplary BROTHER. The good news is that OUTRAGE is a mini-masterpiece of a Yakuza film, with a classic tit-for-tat plot, some outrageously gory moments, and a real verve and drive to it that makes for unmissable viewing. Be warned: this is very grisly stuff indeed, and it may well be the goriest Yakuza film I've yet to watch.The plot is familiar stuff about a feuding Yakuza family and how the feud begins with small scale stuff before building into a full-blown massacre. The production values are exemplary: this is beautifully-shot stuff in which even the gore and bloodshed is handled in an attractive way. The performances are all very good, not least from the brooding auteur himself, and the ending is extremely downbeat and pessimistic rather than the usual gung-ho stuff we see in the movies. A sequel, BEYOND OUTRAGE, followed.

This film is about warring clans within a larger yakuza community. Mr. Chairman is the current overall leader; Ikemoto is one of his vassals. Ikemoto, however, has started an alliance with the Murase family, which deals drugs. Mr. Chairman is old school, and does not like trading in drugs. The protagonist, Otomo, is a vassal of Ikemoto, but is a sworn brother of Murase. Mr. Chairman charges Otomo with breaking this alliance by moving against Murase. Otomo is reminded rather strongly that his loyalty to Mr. Chairman should outweigh his brotherhood to Murase.In the meantime, Detective Kataoka of the Organized Crime Unit keeps getting paid off by Otomo. Kataoka gives Otomo intelligence that keeps the police off Otomo's back.Otomo sends an underling to let one of Murase's lieutenants cheat him out of 1 million yen. When the lieutenant arrives at Otomo offices, he sees that the Otomo group is vassal to the Ikemoto family, and begs to skip receiving the payment. Otomo's people insist. Word gets back to Murase, who phones Otomo immediately. Otomo accepts money and a finger and an apology from Murase's under boss, Kimura. The Ikemotos demand a finger from the under boss for the insult.As one might imagine, there was a lot of hurt pride. That, coupled with mistakes by underlings, ignites an escalating set of reprisals. Alliances shift. Ikemoto wants to keep the skim of the drug money, for instance, despite all the thunder coming down from Mr. Chairman.Otomo tries to keep his standing with Mr. Chairman sound, but it is not easy; nor is keeping his sworn brotherhood with Murase. Mr. Chairman makes it worse by demanding reprisals.-----Scores-----Cinematography: 10/10 Beautifully shot using excellent equipment.Sound: 7/10 Moot; I read the subtitles. The background music was good, and the actors seemed to be well miked.Acting: 8/10 All the actors were rather good. Gladly, the ones with the most screen time were the best.Screenplay: 7/10 As a move-forward all-the-time action film, this was great. However, I could have used a bit more exposition of motivation. The film made more sense the second time I watched it, but was still a little unclear.

What are some words out there to describe the evil Japanese clan "Yakuza?" It comes down to brutality, unforgiving, relentless, and an absolute pledge. Fortunately, The Outrage, directed by Takeshi Kitano who is famous for Battle Royal, manages to tell the cruel side of Yakuza world where a verbal conflict leads to spattering blood until the strongest wins. To summarize the plot, the two different crime organizations owned by an affluent Sanmo-kai chairman get into a vicious quarrel as each subordinate gets killed one by one from back-to-back retaliation. As they are inclined to execute everything they are told by their higher-ups under any occasion, the story gets deeper and intense.We also get to see all types of violence for the punishment and vengeance. One of the traditional ways of making it up for one's miscue is to slice one of their fingers. There is zero mercy and sympathy.To talk about some downsides, As the justice being the symbol of the police, a lieutenant forms an alliance with the Yakuza chairman by getting a bribe. There is no need to reprimand the director portraying an unlawful decorum of police here. But, the real disappointment lies on the incompetent power of a legislative body that faces against Yakuza being one-sided as they easily makes a mockery of the police.For example, there is a scene where a luxury car with a corpse in the trunk tries to pass through an inspection gate which is heavily guarded by more than three officers. And, one of the subordinates, Ishihara who is fluent in English pretends be a foreigner who does not understand a word of Japanese so the officer just meekly lets them pass despite discovering blood dripping from the trunk. That is not all. The officer getting rejected for frisking the trunk because they state that it belongs to an embassy! It neglects the duty and proprietary of the police whose jobs are to identify any suspects.Not only that, while a number of Yakuza members getting killed in public, the police does not even try to arrest a single member because of inadequate evidence! All I see is the same lieutenant taking a bribe and yelling at the alleged Yakuza "You did it right?" "Don't lie to me!" whilst the rest of his comrades being dormant. Can't the director bother to make an even one scene where forensics examining fingerprints?Even it is an intention of director to show corrupted side of Japanese police, I still think they should implement detailed investigation scenes where police and Yakuza congregate.Other than that, the story itself delivers well. The lesson in this movie would be human beings have the effrontery to betray anyone in order to fulfill their own goal, at least in Yakuza world. Sadly, the world we are living in may not be as hopeful as we think yet.