The most prominent and influential figure in Asian cinema as a whole and Japanese - in particular, is undoubtedly Takeshi Kitano. Great director, adding to the treasury of world cinema some outstanding pictures of the actor with the inimitable style of play, the actor with the impassive face of the Sphinx.

The path to the director's career China began in 1971. Then, together with his friend Kiyoshi Kaneko he created a comic duo «Two Beats» - «two quarters." Much later, a reminder about these first steps will be the alias Beat Takeshi, under which China still appears as an actor. The duo was fantastically popular. Starting with performances in strip clubs, "quarters" two years later appeared on television, and in 1976 received a prize as the best television comic duo. In those years, the comedian Kitano can be seen simultaneously on several channels.

In the early eighties, the screens out the controversial and ambiguous Nagisa Oshima film "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence." In addition to the content (the action takes place during World War II, the memories of which the Japanese are very painful), questions have caused filming Takeshi Kitano. The famous comedian made an unexpected role - the entire movie actor never joked. By the way, China will not be any joke or smile and in his next film, a comic from the past remain only memories.

Then followed a series of uninteresting roles in even less interesting films. It's worth noting that the Japanese mainstream, especially in those years, most of them raises serious doubts as to its cultural value. China wants to star in the movie "Cool cop" (Japanese version of Hollywood "Dirty Harry"), but a busy schedule on TV is not the same as the shooting schedule. Producers offer Kitano himself directing the film, he agrees and successfully led the process.

Debut director Kitano-struck for the incredible cruelty of that time. Since that time it became the hallmark of documentary precision shooting, frightening realism of what is happening, poetic gangster theme - the theme of eternal kitanovsky Yakuza and the habit to play in his films the leading role.

The first film of Takeshi Kitano was perceived cool enough. The same fate awaited several of the following works - the director is looking for his own style, it refers to the melodrama, the comedy, and returns to the yakuza. However, this trial and error, which seemed, and no end, there is the film "Sonatine", which entered the classics of Japanese cinema. Yakuza it acquire a human face, bloody battles between lead a normal life - learn the folk dances, fireworks and arrange themselves actually quite nice people. Kitano minimizes dialogues (which, in general, at the moment is the hallmark of the entire Asian cinema) and focuses on the visual range.

In 1994, Takeshi Kitano has an accident, which completely changes his life and provokes revaluation career. The diagnosis - a partial facial paralysis. Even if half of face smiling Kitano, the other remains stationary. Piercing, completely deadpan gaze, facial expression is absent. "The actor with the face of the Sphinx," as journalists called Kitano. That is so it appears in all his next film, almost without change from picture to picture, so it is already in the late nineties, the whole world knows.

Success came in 1997 with the release in theaters of one of the best Japanese films, master of genre painting cop movie "Fireworks." Little known to the general public Kitano received top awards at Cannes and Venice. I remember, "Fireworks" has become one of the first films that have appeared in the open in the year in Russian art-house theaters. Otnye all these works, despite the rather monotonous scenes - the police, the Yakuza and the continued bloody clashes between them - called persistent interest.

But gangster tape - not the only thing capable of Takeshi Kitano. The film "Dolls" has become a real kinotriumfom: some small piercing love stories with the inevitable tragedy aftertaste. The plot unfolds against the background of bright colors, Takeshi sets the task to mix as many colors and brilliantly conceived implements. Kitano went far beyond the borders of his country, his talent has become the heritage of all the world. "Dolls" - perhaps the most aesthetic and truly contemplative painting in the history of world cinema.

In the movie "Takeshis" China once again went beyond his role. He took off his wide and extremely difficult to perceive art-house, so blurred the lines between reality and fantasy inadequate that for the majority of the audience the film was beyond comprehension.

Creativity Takeshi Kitano is absolutely unpredictable. He surprises so often that make predictions - employment is very naive and useless. No one knows what the audience will see the premiere of the next film, but one thing is for sure: the former comedian, a self-taught genius face of the Sphinx and the tireless destroyer boundaries surprise again, no doubt.

Daria Petchorin

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