Kill! [Criterion Collection]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

A pair of luckless would-be warriors find themselves caught in the middle of a skirmish between rival gangsters in this darkly comic samurai film. Tabata (Etsushi Takahashi) and Genta (Tatsuya Nakadai) are two hungry ronin who meet in a windswept town which has fallen so deeply upon hard times that the proprietor of the only restaurant has committed suicide in her own dining room. Tabata is a former farmer who dreams of living the exciting life of a samurai, while Genta tried to give up the violent and nomadic life of a swordsman but hasn't had much luck finding other work. The village is dominated by a clan of yakuza who are caught up in a power struggle, and as the two factions split off and declare war on one another, the two new friends find themselves hired by differing sides -- Tabata as a samurai, Genta as a messenger. However, one of Tabata's first assignments is to assassinate Genta, even as his new pal offers him helpful hints on his newly adopted trade. Kiru (aka Kill!) was written and directed by Kihachi Okamoto, one of Toho's leading action directors during the 1960s, who earned a reputation for his strong but cynical perspective on the violence of men. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV, Black and White
• Subtitle: English
• Features:
  • New, restored high-definition digital transfer
  • Original theatrical trailer and teaser
  • New and improved English subtitle translation
  • A new essay by film and culture critic Howard Hampton

AWARDS

• Berlin International Film Festival

•     Film Presented - 2007

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Director:

  Kihachi Okamoto

• Screenwriter:

  Kihachi Okamoto, Akira Murao

• Cinematographer:

  Rokuro Nishigaki

• Composer (Music Score):

  Masaru Sato

• Editor:

  Yoshitami Kuroiwa, Kihachi Okamoto

• Art Director:

  Iwao Akune

• Short Story Author:

  Shugoro Yamamoto