Film 4 (8/24/2005)

Dead or Alive - Unrated Director's Cut (1999)

Director: Takashi Miiki

Recommended by: D_Davis

Has Fentablar seen this before?: No.

I watched Dead or Alive two times tonight, back-to-back. The reason? Input overload. The first viewing of the film was literally that - a viewing. This film stole the eyes right out of my head and held them captive for approximately 105 minutes. This means that, while I was able to piece most of the plot together, I had to watch it again with more desensitized eyes to truly capture what was going on.

Dead or Alive tells a classic Cop versus Robber story within the Japanese culture - but this really isn't your old-fashioned Cop 'n Robber flick. To put it mildly, if your stomach turns easily, do not watch this film. If you have epilepsy, do not watch the first 5 minutes - which, by the way, is one of the most intense and violent opening sequences I've ever seen in cinema.

The primary theme of Dead or Alive is balance, particularly relative to "necessary evil". The astute viewer will see the subtleties of this theme carried out by Miiki with superb cinema acumen, separate from the moments when balance is talked about in portions of dialogue. If you watch this film and question that balance is the primary theme, consider that Dead or Alive both opens and ends with some amazingly violent scenes.

An absolute must-see for mature viewers, especially those who appreciate Asian cinema.

Ratings (scale of 1 to 5):

Plot Effectiveness: 5/5. Yes, I had to watch the film twice to understand what was going on, but that's my fault and not the film's. I wasn't really prepared for what I saw the first time around. After the second viewing, this was an excellent plot that was executed skillfully. Believe me - by the time the final scene comes around, you'll be eager for it.

Cinematography/Shot Selection: 4/5. I don't think I can go much into detail here without spoiling some of the better surprises.

Overall Acting: 4/5. I don't feel there was a bad performance in the film, but there also weren't any that were ground-breaking.

Score/Soundtrack: 5/5. The music fit the scene every time. That's more rare than people think it is.

OVERALL RATING: 4.5/5

~Fentablar~