Kikujiro (1999) [Film Review]

Kikujiro; or, There and Back Again

If you’re into modern Japanese cinema, you must have heard about Takeshi Kitano. Some of the critics hate him for his yakuza dramas, whereas others hail him as the successor of Akira Kurosawa. Regardless of diverse opinions about Kitano, he is indeed one of the most influential movie directors out there. In view of the on-going summer aura, I decided to review the film which is in almost every top 5 list of Kitano’s best pictures. Grab your backpacks and prepare for a road trip with Kikujiro.

Release Info

Directed by: Takeshi Kitano Starring: Yusuke Sekiguchi, Beat Takeshi, Kayoko Kishimoto
Language: Japanese Original Title: Kikujirō no Natsu (Kikujirō's Summer) Runtime: 121 min

Plot

Masao (Yusuke Sekiguchi) is a little boy who is looked after by his grandmother in Tokyo. With the end of a school year, Masao finds himself lonely as his friends go on holiday trips with their parents. One day, he accidentally finds at home the address of his mother whom he has never seen. Masao leaves home on his own, determined to reach Toyohashi which is 180 miles away from Tokyo. Yet, he is immediately attacked by a group of teenagers. Grandmother’s neighbour, Kikujiro’s wife (Kayoko Kishimoto) intervenes and after hearing the boy’s story, she orders her husband, a lazy ex-yakuza slob (Kitano) to accompany Masao on his long journey. In consequence, a quiet boy and an aggressive thug begin an extraordinary trip across Japan during which they discover how much they have in common.

 

This Mister is strange

First of all, Kikujiro is not an ordinary road trip movie. Well, every Kitano’s film is not ordinary in its own right, but this is the issue for a whole separate article. Kikujiro pushes itself forward out of Kitano’s filmography with slow-paced narration, phantasmagorical imagery, and elements of magic realism. All in all, the story is told from the perspective of Masao, as we see consecutive parts of his trip arranged into the entries of his diary. Nevertheless, although Kikujiro focuses on dead serious issues of rejection, alienation, and solitude, it manages to deliver its content in a light and comedic manner. That is mostly due to Kitano’s comedic background as well as the ironic take on existential anti-heroes the director used to exploit so much in, for example, Violent Cop (1989), Sonatine (1993), and Hana-bi (1997).

 

The most interesting thing in Kikujiro is perhaps not the story, but the characters. On the one hand we have Masao who is on the search for his mother; on the other, there is Kikujiro who has already lost his mother. Only when the truth about Masao’s mother is revealed halfway in the picture, Kikujiro finally comes out of his shell and attempts to console the boy. As a result, the trip back to Tokyo becomes much more meaningful to both of them as they encounter strange but likeable characters (who seem to be taken straight out of Haruki Murakami’s novels).

 

In terms of performances, nothing much can be said apart from that they’re flawless. Kitano gives a stellar performance as Kikujiro, yet it is Yusuke Sekiguchi as Masao who is the heart of the picture. I’ve read a few negative comments on the internet that the kid was miscast, but in my opinion, he was a great casting choice. With his ordinary presence and lack of acting experience, Sekiguchi managed to bring natural childish innocence as well as internal loneliness which made his character so relatable. I’m quite surprised that he never played in anything else after Kikujiro.

 

Of other notable mentions, Kayoko Kishimoto graces the film with her appearance, but is given a very limited screen time. Also, Gurêto Gidayû and Rakkyo Ide do hilarious job as the bikers. As far as I can remember, the scene of “alien visitation” was spoofed in Kitano’s other film Glory to the Filmmaker! (2007). In addition, we should not forget about Joe Hisashi, the film’s composer and a frequent collaborator of Kitano. Hisashi’s music for Kikujiro is one of my all-time favourite scores by him (this and Sonatine). Especially the track called Summer will definitely get you in a holiday mood.

Recommendations

Definitely recommended to everyone. Kikujiro is, in my personal opinion, Kitano’s best picture. If you want to explore Kitano’s films, but you’re too afraid to get into his yakuza flicks, then Kikujiro is the best choice to start with. His other films are undeniably amazing and special, but Kikujiro hits the nail right on the head with its simple premise, which is unexpectedly turned upside down as the film progresses. This is not a story about a man and a boy becoming friends. This is a story about a boy being saved by kindness of complete strangers.

Overall score: 10/10