Outrage
Outrage is a 2010 Japanese yakuza (organized crime syndicate) film directed by and starring Takeshi “Beat” Kitano, widely considered to be Japan’s foremost media personality. It premiered in the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.
In a ruthless battle for power set in Tokyo, several yakuza clans vie for the favor of their head family in the Japanese underworld. These rival bosses (and under-bosses) seek to rise through the ranks by scheming and making allegiances. Not surprisingly, the results are very bloody – so as expected, this is a very brutally violent movie (you have been warned!).
Outrage has game on many levels – it’s a political thriller following the ins and outs of Yakuza politics of revenge and atonement between bosses, brothers, and cohorts (at least Kitano’s vision of it). It’s also a solid crime drama; as the drama unfolds, the factions take sides, and when the bullets start flying, you can’t help but get caught up in who’s going to come out on top, and even cheer for Kitano’s group of bad guys. It’s also a procedural drama – The way CSI shows you the police procedures of solving a crime, Outrage shows you the procedures of gang war within this fictional Yakuza group. Interesting stuff.