''Kikujiro'' () is a 1999 Japanese
road
A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation.
There are many types of ...
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...
starring, written, and directed by
Takeshi Kitano
is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, filmmaker, and author. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. With th ...
. Its score was composed by
Joe Hisaishi
, known professionally as , is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist, known for over 100 film scores and solo albums dating back to 1981. He is also known for his piano scores.
Hisaishi's music has been known to explore ...
. The film was entered into the
1999 Cannes Film Festival
The 52nd Cannes Film Festival was held from 12 to 23 May 1999. Canadian filmmaker, actor and author David Cronenberg was the Jury President. The Palme d'Or went to the French– Belgian film ''Rosetta'' by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.
The festi ...
.
''Kikujiro'' tells the story of a young boy searching for his mother during his summer vacation. The film is mostly divided into smaller chapters, listed as entries in the boy's summer vacation diary. Kitano's inspiration for the character (not the film) was his own father, Kikujiro Kitano, a
gambler
Gambling (also known as betting or gaming) is the wagering of something of value ("the stakes") on a random event with the intent of winning something else of value, where instances of strategy are discounted. Gambling thus requires three elem ...
who struggled to feed his family and pay the rent.
Similar to his earlier works ''
Getting Any?
is a 1995 Japanese film, written, directed, edited, and starring Takeshi Kitano. ''Yatteru'' (やってる) is the colloquial form for ''yatteiru'' (やっている), ''yatteru'' coming from the Japanese verb ''yaru'', which is an informal word m ...
'' and ''
A Scene at the Sea
is a 1991 Japanese drama film written, edited and directed by Takeshi Kitano starring Claude Maki.
Plot
A deaf garbage collector happens upon a broken and discarded surfboard. The discovery plants in him dreams of becoming a surf champion. Enc ...
'', Kitano references the
yakuza
, also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the ter ...
only tangentially in ''Kikujiro'', a departure from his work in crime dramas such as ''
Sonatine'' and ''
Hana-bi''. Aimed at the whole family, the film was allegedly inspired by ''
The Wizard of Oz'' with the basic premise being a road trip. Kitano's familiar elements and locales are present: drawings, vignettes, the seaside, and
angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...
s. Although the plot is composed largely of sad events, the film often has a light-hearted atmosphere, achieved mostly through Kitano's character and his somewhat bizarre encounters.
Plot
Masao, who lives alone with his grandmother in an old
Shitamachi area of
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
, receives a package, and in looking for a seal finds a photo of his long lost mother. He finds her address in
Toyohashi
is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 377,453 in 160,516 households and a population density of 1,400 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . By area, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefecture's second-lar ...
, several hundred miles to the west. Leaving home to see his mother, he meets his grandmother's neighbors, Kikujiro and his wife. Kikujiro's wife forces Kikujiro to accompany Masao on a journey to see his mother, telling Masao's grandmother that they are going to the beach.
At the start of their journey, Kikujiro is not serious about reaching Toyohashi. He gets absorbed in
track cycling
Track cycling is a bicycle racing sport usually held on specially built banked tracks or velodromes using purpose-designed track bicycles.
History
Track cycling has been around since at least 1870. When track cycling was in its infancy, it ...
races and gambles away their winnings. Later, left outside a
yakitori
is a Japanese type of skewered chicken. Its preparation involves skewering the meat with , a type of skewer typically made of steel, bamboo, or similar materials. Afterwards, they are grilled over a charcoal fire. During or after cooking, th ...
restaurant, Masao encounters a molester. After a narrow escape, Kikujiro promises to keep to the journey and take Masao to his mother.
When the
taxi
A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...
Kikujiro steals breaks down, they are forced to
hitchhike
Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free.
Nomads hav ...
to Toyohashi, meeting various people along the way. They get lifts from a
juggler
Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipulation of one object ...
and her boyfriend on a date, and a travelling poet who delivers them to
Toyohashi
is a city in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 377,453 in 160,516 households and a population density of 1,400 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . By area, Toyohashi was Aichi Prefecture's second-lar ...
. When they finally reach the address of Masao's mother, Kikujiro finds her living as a
housewife
A housewife (also known as a homemaker or a stay-at-home mother/mom/mum) is a woman whose role is running or managing her family's home—housekeeping, which includes caring for her children; cleaning and maintaining the home; making, buying an ...
with another man and their daughter. Masao's mother lives a completely different life from what he expected. It is almost as if she has forgotten him. Kikujiro tells Masao that she has just moved away, pretending not to have seen her. He tries to comfort Masao with a small blue bell shaped like an
angel
In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God.
Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...
bullied from two bikers whom he happens to come across.
Masao is so disappointed that Kikujiro cannot help but try to brighten up their return trip to Tokyo. He tells him an angel will come at the sound of the bell.
They visit a summer
matsuri
Japanese festivals are traditional festive occasions often celebrated with dance and music in Japan. Many festivals have their roots in traditional Chinese festivals, but have undergone extensive changes over time to have little resemblance ...
held in a local
Shinto shrine. While Kikujiro gets into trouble with some yakuza over a fixed shooting game, Masao dreams of dancing ''
tengu
are a type of legendary creature found in Japanese folk religion (Shinto). They are considered a type of '' yōkai'' (supernatural beings) or Shinto ''kami'' (gods). The ''Tengu'' were originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey and ...
''.
Back on the road, they meet the poet and the two bikers again. They decide to camp a few days together. Masao enjoys playing some traditional games with them.
Kikujiro is reminded of his own mother (it is implied that she, like Masao's mother, also left him as a child). Kikujiro gets one of the bikers to take him from their camp to his mother's
nursing home
A nursing home is a facility for the residential care of elderly or disabled people. Nursing homes may also be referred to as skilled nursing facility (SNF) or long-term care facilities. Often, these terms have slightly different meanings to i ...
in
Daito-cho, a small country town, but he eventually decides not to see her and returns to the camp.
The men continue to do their best to entertain Masao by larking about for a few more days. Before they are to return to
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
, Masao dreams about them appearing over the
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye. ...
. In the morning, the bikers say goodbye to them and leave the camp. Masao and Kikujiro get a lift in the poet's car to Tokyo. After dropping them off at a bridge, the poet continues on his way to
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of ...
and
Kyūshū.
Before Masao and Kikujiro part, Kikujiro says, "Let's do it again sometime," and Masao thanks him. Kikujiro tells Masao to take care of his grandmother. Masao asks Kikujiro's name and Kikujiro answers, "Kikujiro! Now scram!" Masao passes a small bridge with the angel bell ringing.
Themes
The film explores alienation and inclusion in Japanese society. The main characters, and those who help them along the way, are all considered outcasts from accepted social norms, not being part of a traditional family or group structure. Characters who maintain a more accepted lifestyle are frequently at odds with the protagonists.
Early in the film, the protagonists react to their alienation with anger (Kikujiro) and sadness (Masao). Along their journey, they start to discover how alike they are and the events in Toyohashi act as a turning point from which the characters begin to find comfort in their shared isolation.
Cast
*
Beat Takeshi as Kikujiro Takeda
*
Kayoko Kishimoto
is an actress.
She appeared in several of Takeshi Kitano's films, such as '' Hana-bi'', ''Kikujiro'' and '' Dolls''. She won the award for best supporting actress at the 23rd Japan Academy Prize for ''Kikujiro''.
Biography
In 1976 at a Hideki ...
as Kikujiro's Wife
*
Yusuke Sekiguchi as Masao Sugiyama
*
Yūko Daike as Satoko Sugiyama
*
Kazuko Yoshiyuki
(born 9 August 1935) is a Japanese film actress and voice actress essayist.
Biography Early life
Kazuko was born in Tokyo as a first daughter of Eisuke Yoshiyuki, a writer, and Aguri. She has an older brother, Junnosuke Yoshiyuki, a novelist, ...
as Masao's Grandmother
*
Beat Kiyoshi as Man at the bus stop
*
Great Gidayu
Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements
* Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size
* Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent
People
* List of people known as "the Great"
*Artel Great (born ...
as Biker
*
Rakkyo Ide as Biker's Friend
*
Nezumi Imamura as Travelling Man
*
Fumie Hosokawa
is a Japanese actress, singer, and model. She is often referred to as the “original” ''kyonyu'' (huge breasts) idol.
Life and career
Hosokawa was born in Mutsu, Aomori Prefecture and lived in Etajima, Hiroshima Prefecture until the age of ...
as Juggler
*
Akaji Maro
is a Japanese actor, Butoka, and theater director.
Early life
In 1943, Maro was born in Sakurai, Nara, Japan.
Career
Maro's film career began in 1980. As an actor, Maro has over 42 film. In 1972 Maro is the founder of Dairakudakan Tempute ...
as Scary Man
*
Daigaku Sekine as
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the ter ...
Boss
Soundtrack
The album includes "Summer", one of the most famous compositions by Hisaishi; it was also re-arranged and used for
Toyota Corolla commercials, for instance. These recordings can be found in his album ''Curved Music II''.
#"Summer" − 6:26
#"Going Out" − 1:17
#"Mad Summer" − 2:55
#"Night Mare" − 1:49
#"Kindness" − 1:57
#"The Rain" − 5:38
#"Real Eyes" − 3:16
#"Angel Bell" − 3:12
#"Two Hearts" − 2:01
#"Mother" − 2:13
#"River Side" − 6:13
#"Summer Road" − 3:08
Credits
*Cello (solo) – Yumiko Morooka
*Composed by – Joe Hisaishi
*Executive producer – Emmanuel Chamboredon, Russell Ziecker
*Violin (solo) – Rieko Suzuki
Reception
The film received mixed reviews. It has a 61% approval rating on
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...
based on 51 reviews, with an
average rating
In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7 ...
of 5.91/10 and 44% approval rating, based on 25 reviews, on
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
.
Documentary
Film director
Makoto Shinozaki made a documentary of the making of ''Kikujiro'' entitled ''
Jam Session'' (Jamu sesshon Kikujirō no natsu kōshiki kaizokuban). It was produced and distributed by
Office Kitano
is a Japanese comedian, television presenter, actor, filmmaker, and author. While he is known primarily as a comedian and TV host in his native Japan, he is better known abroad for his work as a filmmaker and actor as well as TV host. With th ...
and was screened at the
Rotterdam Film Festival and other festivals.
References
External links
''Kikujiros official websiteat
Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics Inc. is an American film production and distribution company that is a division of Sony Pictures. It was founded in 1992 by former Orion Classics heads Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and Marcie Bloom. It distributes, produce ...
*
*
{{Mainichi Film Award for Excellence Film
1999 comedy-drama films
1999 films
Japanese comedy-drama films
1990s Japanese-language films
Films directed by Takeshi Kitano
Japanese road movies
1990s road comedy-drama films
Films shot in Tokyo
Films scored by Joe Hisaishi
1990s Japanese films