Bullet Ballet (1998)

Description

One-of-a-kind filmmaker Shinya Tsukamoto (Tetsuo: The Iron Man, A Snake of June) presents two action-fueled tales of raging egos and masculinity in crisis, set against the harsh, unforgiving backdrop of Tokyo's concrete jungle. In 1995's Tokyo Fist, insurance salesman Tsuda (played by Tsukamoto himself) has a chance encounter with an old friend, Kojima (Kõji Tsukamoto, the director's younger brother), now a professional boxer. Meek and mild-mannered, Tsuda finds himself threatened by the rawer and more visceral form of masculinity that Kojima represents – particularly when Kojima embarks on an affair with Tsuda's wife, Hizuru (Kaori Fujii, Haze). Enraged and humiliated, Tsuda's only recourse is to enter the boxing ring himself, setting the stage for the ultimate showdown between the two rivals and former friends. Then, in 1998's Bullet Ballet, TV commercial director Goda (Tsukamoto)'s world is rocked when he loses his beloved girlfriend Kiriko (Kyoka Suzuki, Godzilla vs. Biollante) to suicide. His ensuing grief, and desire to understand the circumstances of Kiriko's death, leads Goda down a dark and violent path, exploring Tokyo's seedy underworld, where he comes face to face with juvenile delinquents, gang violence, and an illicit fighting ring. Shot in stark black and white and told largely without dialogue, Bullet Ballet immerses the viewer in the lightless depths of human suffering.