Beyond Outrage

Released by: Magnet Releasing
Released on: March 11, 2014
Directed by: Takeshi Kitano
Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Tomokazu Miura, Fumiyo Kohinata
Year: 2012
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The Movie

Two years after Outrage marked the return of Takeshi “Beat” Kitano to the yakuza genre, this direct sequel proves that even at 67 years old, Kitano is still a force to be reckoned with behind and in front of the camera. While it's not necessary to have seen Outrage to get what's going on in this film, knowing who these characters are and how the events of the first film changed them five years later adds a lot of depth to Kitano's yakuza epic. Beyond Outrage is watchable on its own merits and without any prior knowledge, but you're missing out on almost two hours of backstory if you start with the sequel first.

Beyond Outrage opens Detective Katoaka (Fumiyo Kohinata), a corrupt police officer assigned to a yakuza task force, explaining to his new partner how the Sanno clan have grown in power and influence in the five years that have passed since the first film, after Underboss Kato (Tomokazu Miura) took over the gang following the death of Chairman Sekiuchi. We also learn that the elderly yakuza enforcer Otomo (Takehsi Kitano) is still alive after being shanked in prison by the vengeful yakuza Kimura (Hideo Nakano) at the end of the first film, and is about to be released on parole. Before his release, Otomo is visited by Katoaka, who sets in motion a plan to convince Otomo to take revenge against Kato and the Sanno clan, and in the process, start a gang war between the Sanno clan and a rival yakuza organization.

Where in the original film, Chairman Sekuichi ran his organization like a dictator, Kato allows his new Underboss Ishihara to operate the Sanno like a corporation. The yakuza heirarchy is now made up of “Executives,” each sporting an expensive, tailored suit and looking more like a businessman than a gangster, especially when contrasted against the more traditional yakuza of the rival Hanabishi Clan, whose Chairman wears a kimono. There is a subtle cultural critique at play in Beyond Outrage: the enterprising, youth-focused, capitalistic Sanno clan seek to overthrow the older yakuza of the Sanno and Otomo's crew, who live and die by the old yakuza codes of honour and tradition, while the Hanabishi clan talk about honor, and make a show of appearing traditional, but are just as scheming and opportunistic as the new leaders of the Sanno clan. Thematically, Beyond Outrage (and the Outrage series so far) shares a lot in common with Kinji Fukasaku's Battles Without Honor and Humanity series in its cynical depiction of the conflicts between yakuza.

If Outrage was a return to the old-school, Beat Takeshi style of Violent Cop and Boiling Point, then Beyond Outrage is closer in spirit to Sonatine and Hana-bi, which balanced the extreme violence of his early films with existential themes and a more deliberate sense of pacing. Beyond Outrage hasn't lost any of the edge of its predecessor, but it proceeds in a more meditative pace, until that calm is broken by sudden acts of violence in pure Beat Takeshi fashion. Outrage marked Kitano's return to the sudden violence of his early crime films, and Beyond Outrage has its own share of sadistic moments that you won't soon forget. Although there aren't any scenes of tooth torture or face-slashing this time around, Beyond Outrage finds some gruesome ways to use a power drill and a batting cage.

Beyond Outrage is still a film about gangsters fighting each other over money, turf and honor in a nihilistic cycle of violence, but it's also about getting older. What sets Beyond Outrage apart from other gangster films that try to do the same, is that Kitano isn't subtle about showing his age; he looks and moves like an senior citizen, at least until the script calls for him to fire a gun, or drill holes into somebody's eyes. Kitano is comfortable in the role of the world weary tough-guy in Beyond Outrage, and it's no wonder, since Kitano's been playing this part off and on ever since Sonatine. What's impressive is that he's allowing himself to grow older onscreen while still managing to command the same level intensity he's been known for throughout his career.

Audio/Video/Extras

Beyond Outrage looks sharp on DVD in 2.35:1 with an MPEG-2 encode. Kitano is generally known for a realistic visual style, Beyond Outrage reflects his preference for minimalist, stripped-down visual aesthetics. This isn't a film that was ever going to show off the capabilities of your HDTV and the blu-ray format, but what is presented here on DVD is a crisp-looking film with a cool colour palette that suits its style and tone.

The Japanese 5.1 Dolby Digital audio track on this DVD isn't going to wow your ears, but like the video presentation here, delivers what the film sets out to achieve. The score by frequent Kitano collaborator Keiichi Suzuki (Outrage, Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman) is an interesting mixture of ambient synths and guitar noise soundscapes. The music almost seems incidental and barely there until, like the violence of Beat Takeshi, it strikes out of nowhere and in full surround sound. Dialogue in the film is clearly audible, and the gunshots are appropriately booming. Subtitles are available in English, English SDH, and Spanish.

Extras include a 62 minute making-of documentary called Outrage “Further" Beyond, and a trailer reel from Magnolia Entertainment. The documentary gives an inside look at Kitano's filmmaking process. It's rare to have footage of Kitano behind the camera, directing his actors and making technical decisions regarding things like camera blocking and shot composition. It's also unsual to see Kitano so animated, communicative and energetic, since his characters tend to be taciturn and stoic. Kitano's passion for directing is obvious from his behavior on-set. Kitano and several key cast members are interviewed throughout the documentary, and it's especially interesting to hear their thoughts on themes of Beyond Outrage and its violence. Overall, if you enjoyed the film and are a fan of Kitano's work, Outrage “Further” Beyond is worth an hour of your time.

The Final Word

Beyond Outrage is the rare sequel that's better than the original. It's also the first sequel to any of Takeshi Kitano's films. It expands the story of the original, the plot is more complex, the performances by the cast are superior, and even the sporadic violence Kitano is known for is more intense here. Kitano stays true to his “Beat Takeshi” style here, but adds a level of thematic depth to Beyond Outrage and a meditation on growing older than should appeal to fans of Beat Takeshi films like Hana-bi and Sonatine.