Boiling Point (3-4 x jūgatsu) (1990)

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General		Extras
Category	Crime	Theatrical Trailer Trailer-Takeshi Kitano Trailers Trailer-Eastern Eye Promotional Trailers
Rating
Year Of Production	1990
Running Time	92:44
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Takeshi Kitano
Studio Distributor	Shochiku Madman Entertainment	Starring	Masahiko Ono Takeshi Kitano Yuriko Ishida Minoru Iizuka Takahito Iguchi Makoto Ashikawa Hiroshi Suzuki
Case	Amaray-Opaque
RPI	?	Music	none

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	Unknown	Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.85:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    Boiling Point is the second film directed by legendary writer, actor and director Takeshi Kitano. After his stunning debut film Violent Cop (1989), Boiling Point was considered a letdown. The reasons are varied. While Boiling Point features a wide range of the cinematic techniques that Kitano tried in Violent Cop and perfected in such magnificent films as Sonatine (1993) or Hana-bi (1997) they don't quite work in Boiling Point.

     The Japanese title of the film 3-4 x jugatsu (3-4 October) indicates the fixation of the Japanese for baseball, a game that features heavily in Boiling Point. The film centres on Masaki (Masahiko Ono). He is a shy, vague young man who works in a petrol station and plays baseball, both indifferently. When he fails to wash properly the car of a local Yakuza gangster the Yakuza boss threatens both Masaki and the business. Masaki's baseball coach Iguchi (Takahito Iguchi), a retired Yakuza, tries to intercede but this leads to escalating violence. So Masaki and his friend Kazuo (Minoru Iizuka) fly to Okinawa to buy a gun. There they come into contact with Uehara (Takeshi Kitano). He is a thoroughly nasty man, cruel, brutal and violent, and he is having his own problems as he owes money to the local yakuza. Having acquired guns, both Uehara and Masaki set out to resolve their respective troubles.

     Boiling Point does feature a range of the cinematic techniques that Kitano experimented with in Violent Cop (1989). There are light sources behind the actor (for example, 63:04) and long, slow static takes between bouts of sudden, brutal violence. But a number of things are missing. First, there is very little of the stunning visual imagery that makes many of his other films so memorable. Second, the character of Masaki is lifeless and dull, lacking the charisma that Kitano brings to the screen in the main role in, for example, Sonatine. Indeed, Kitano does not appear in the film until almost the 46th minute and when he does he is a totally disagreeable character. Some critics have found his performance chillingly funny; I didn't find any comedy in it. Kitano has played violent, disagreeable men elsewhere, but even his brutal yakuza in Sonatine had flashes of humour and humanity. Until his appearance in Violent Cop, "Beat" Takashi had been part of a popular comedy duo and he was appalled and angry when the audience laughed at his character Azuma in Violent Cop. Kitano wanted to be treated as a serious actor, not as a comic, so his intention was that Uehara would not be considered funny. Uehara is brutal and cruel, a rapist and sodomite; certainly no laughing matter. It was only later, in Sonatine and after, that Kitano was comfortable enough to reintroduce a genuine black humour to his characterisations of violent men.

     Third is the total absence of a musical score. In most of Kitano's films he makes very effective use of a minimalist score. From the low budget A Scene at the Sea (1991) until Dolls (2002), the music by Joe Hisaishi wonderfully supports Kitano's visuals during the long, slow takes he favours. In Boiling Point he has chosen not to use any music at all. It may be naturalistic, and some critics like it, but I feel it tends to alienate us even further from the characters in the film. In any case, a scoreless film was not something Kitano chose to repeat.

     In fairness, the narrative of Boiling Point is not straightforward. In a lot of the film very little happens, and it happens slowly, the opening baseball sequence, for example, talking over 8 minutes. The scenes in Okinawa are literally and figuratively another world and could be a separate film. Then there is the ending, in which the opening scene is repeated. What are we to make of it? In an audacious move, Kitano leaves the end of the film very, very open to interpretation.

     Boiling Point divided critics and fans after Kitano's stunning debut film Violent Cop. Kitano was still experimenting, pushing the boundaries he later perfected. Violent Cop may not be in the class of his best work but Kitano's films are always worth seeing for their innovation and unique storytelling. Boiling Point is certainly worth a look and you should make up your own mind.

Video

Boiling Point is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, the original theatrical ratio, and is 16x9 enhanced. The print is good if not perfect; there are infrequent artefacts (such as 56:21, 81:57) and edge enhancement (21:52) but blacks are solid and shadow detail very good. The colour palate is muted and lacks the clarity of recent films but none of the items described are distracting or spoil the enjoyment of the film.

English subtitles are the only option. They are in an easy to read yellow font and contain no obvious spelling or grammatical errors.

Video Ratings Summary

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Audio

Boiling Point features a Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track that does what is required in a film with long silences and no music. Directional cues are minor but effective, for example aircraft and vehicle noises, and ambient sounds occur in the surrounds. Subwoofer use is minimal and does not really support the one explosion in the film. Dialogue is clear, lip synchronisation fine.

Audio Ratings Summary

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Theatrical Trailer

Takeshi Kitano Trailers

Promotional Trailers

    There were versions of Boiling Point in Region 1 and Region 2 that are now out of print. Neither was 16x9 enhanced. Region 2 got a new release in May 2009 that is 16x9 enhanced, with video and audio that sounds similar to what we have and no extras. Region 4 seems the best choice. In any case, you can purchase three Kitano films (Violent Cop, Boiling Point and Sonatine) in this box set for less than $40 which is fantastic value for money.

    Boiling Point divided Kitano's fans after his stunning debut film Violent Cop. Kitano was still experimenting, still learning, and in Boiling Point honing a cinematic craft that he perfected three years later in the magnificent Sonatine. Boiling Point has acceptable video and audio (which does not seem to be bettered elsewhere at present) and minimal extras. While it may not be his best work its inclusion in the three film box set allows one to track Kitano's development as a filmmaker.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall