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CrimeDrama

Fireworks

- Work is all I've ever known.

Detective Nishi is relieved from a stakeout to visit his sick wife in hospital. He is informed that she is terminally ill, and is advised to take her home. During his visit, a suspect shoots one detective dead and leaves Nishi's partner, Horibe, paralyzed. Nishi leaves the police force to spend time with his wife at home, and must find a way to pay off his debts to the yakuza.

Release Date : 1997-10-30

Language :Japanese

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Bandai VisualOffice KitanoTV TokyoTokyo FM

Production Country : Japan

Alternative Titles : Hana-bi

Cast

Takeshi Kitano

Character Name : Yoshitaka Nishi

Original Name : ビートたけし

Gender : Male

Kayoko Kishimoto

Character Name : Nishi's Wife

Original Name : 岸本加世子

Gender : Female

Ren Osugi

Character Name : Horibe

Original Name : 大杉漣

Gender : Male

Susumu Terajima

Character Name : Nakamura

Original Name : 寺島進

Gender : Male

Tetsu Watanabe

Character Name : Junkyard Owner

Original Name : 渡辺哲

Gender : Male

Hakuryu

Character Name : Yakuza Hitman

Original Name : 白竜

Gender : Male

Yasuei Yakushiji

Character Name : Criminal

Original Name : 薬師寺保栄

Gender : Male

Tarô Itsumi

Character Name : Kudo

Original Name : Tarô Itsumi

Gender : Male

Kenichi Yajima

Character Name : Doctor

Original Name : 矢島健一

Gender : Male

Makoto Ashikawa

Character Name : Tanaka

Original Name : 芦川誠

Gender : Male

Yuko Daike

Character Name : Tanaka's Widow

Original Name : 大家由祐子

Gender : Female

Tsumami Edamame

Character Name : Businessman Throwing Rocks

Original Name : つまみ枝豆

Gender : Male

Yûrei Yanagi

Character Name : Chef #1

Original Name : 柳憂怜

Gender : Male

Sujitarô Tamabukuro

Character Name : Chef #2

Original Name : 玉袋筋太郎

Gender : Male

Tokio Seki

Character Name : Old Hick

Original Name : Tokio Seki

Gender : Male

Motoharu Tamura

Character Name : Chief Detective

Original Name : Motoharu Tamura

Gender : Male

Hitoshi Nishizawa

Character Name : Yakuza Head

Original Name : Hitoshi Nishizawa

Gender : Male

Hiromi Kikai

Character Name : Yakuza Henchman #1

Original Name : Hiromi Kikai

Gender : Male

Shoko Kitano

Character Name : Young Girl Flying a Kite

Original Name : Shoko Kitano

Gender : Male

Yoshiyuki Morishita

Character Name : Yakuza Henchman #2

Original Name : 森下能幸

Gender : Male

Junichiro Asano

Character Name : Yakuza Henchman #3

Original Name : 淺野潤一郎

Gender : Male

Kazuhiro Osada

Character Name : Yakuza Henchman #4

Original Name : Kazuhiro Osada

Gender : Male

Manzō Shinra

Character Name : Man Shot in the Face

Original Name : 森羅万象

Gender : Male

Tetsu Sakuma

Character Name : Yakuza Henchman #5

Original Name : 佐久間哲

Gender : Male

Riba Matsumi

Character Name : Maid at the Inn

Original Name : Riba Matsumi

Gender : Male

Miki Fujitani

Character Name : Florist Clerk

Original Name : 藤谷美紀

Gender : Female

Keiko Yamamoto

Character Name : Nurse A

Original Name : 山本圭子

Gender : Female

Kiyoko Kitazawa

Character Name : Nurse B

Original Name : Kiyoko Kitazawa

Gender : Female

Ai Kishina

Character Name : Girl in the Junkyard

Original Name : Ai Kishina

Gender : Female

Banri Nakamura

Character Name : Kiosk Salesclerk

Original Name : Banri Nakamura

Gender : Male

Masahiro Naya

Character Name : Detective at Stakeout #1

Original Name : Masahiro Naya

Gender : Male

Takayuki Konishi

Character Name : Detective at Stakeout #2

Original Name : Takayuki Konishi

Gender : Male

Yûzô Yada

Character Name : Temple Priest

Original Name : Yûzô Yada

Gender : Male

Kanji Tsuda

Character Name : Man under Interrogation

Original Name : 津田寛治

Gender : Male

Yôichi Nagai

Character Name : Cop Driving an Unmarked Car

Original Name : Yôichi Nagai

Gender : Male

Kôsuke Ôta

Character Name : Bartender

Original Name : Kôsuke Ôta

Gender : Male

Muhômatsu

Character Name : Construction Worker

Original Name : Muhômatsu

Gender : Male

Omiya no Matsu

Character Name : Restaurant Client

Original Name : Omiya no Matsu

Gender : Male

Shiyô Kosuga

Character Name : Brat #1

Original Name : Shiyô Kosuga

Gender : Male

Gambino Kobayashi

Character Name : Brat #2

Original Name : ガンビーノ小林

Gender : Male

Al Kitago

Character Name : Man Selling Taxi

Original Name : Al Kitago

Gender : Male

Yûji Aikawa

Character Name : Woman Walking in Mall (uncredited)

Original Name : Yûji Aikawa

Gender : Male

Hiroshi Umeda

Character Name : Male Bank Clerk #1 (uncredited)

Original Name : Hiroshi Umeda

Gender : Male

Kenji Yamagami

Character Name : Male Bank Clerk #2 (uncredited)

Original Name : Kenji Yamagami

Gender : Male

Tomoya Naitô

Character Name : Male Bank Clerk #3 (uncredited)

Original Name : 内藤トモヤ

Gender : Male

Katsuya Takamatsu

Character Name : Male Bank Clerk #4 (uncredited)

Original Name : Katsuya Takamatsu

Gender : Male

Yasufumi Sakamaki

Character Name : Male Bank Clerk #5 (uncredited)

Original Name : Yasufumi Sakamaki

Gender : Male

Atsushi Ito

Character Name : Male Bank Clerk #6 (uncredited)

Original Name : 伊藤淳史

Gender : Male

Mitsuyo Ishigaki

Character Name : Female Bank Clerk #1 (uncredited)

Original Name : Mitsuyo Ishigaki

Gender : Female

Ayako Masuya

Character Name : Female Bank Clerk #2 (uncredited)

Original Name : Ayako Masuya

Gender : Female

Sumiko Takai

Character Name : Female Bank Clerk #3 (uncredited)

Original Name : Sumiko Takai

Gender : Female

Mariko Chiba

Character Name : Female Bank Clerk #4 (uncredited)

Original Name : Mariko Chiba

Gender : Female

Miho Kitahara

Character Name : Female Bank Clerk #5 (uncredited)

Original Name : Miho Kitahara

Gender : Female

Yoshiko Andô

Character Name : Female Bank Clerk #6 (uncredited)

Original Name : Yoshiko Andô

Gender : Female

Kaoru Sugiyama

Character Name : Female Bank Clerk #7 (uncredited)

Original Name : Kaoru Sugiyama

Gender : Female

Kikuo Itô

Character Name : Male Bank Customer #1 (uncredited)

Original Name : Kikuo Itô

Gender : Male

Shûji Ôtsuki

Character Name : Male Bank Customer #2 (uncredited)

Original Name : 大槻修治

Gender : Male

Hidetoshi Kawaya

Character Name : Male Bank Customer #3 (uncredited)

Original Name : 河屋秀俊

Gender : Male

Koichiro Hama

Character Name : Male Bank Customer #4 (uncredited)

Original Name : Koichiro Hama

Gender : Male

Masaru Takahashi

Character Name : Male Bank Customer #5 (uncredited)

Original Name : Masaru Takahashi

Gender : Male

Ritsuyo Ono

Character Name : Male Bank Customer #6 (uncredited)

Original Name : Ritsuyo Ono

Gender : Male

Yôko Imamoto

Character Name : Female Bank Customer #1 (uncredited)

Original Name : 今本洋子

Gender : Female

Kiyoko Negishi

Character Name : Female Bank Customer #2 (uncredited)

Original Name : Kiyoko Negishi

Gender : Female

Saki Kaneko

Character Name : Female Bank Customer #3 (uncredited)

Original Name : Saki Kaneko

Gender : Female

Kaoru Tomoe

Character Name : Female Bank Customer #4 (uncredited)

Original Name : Kaoru Tomoe

Gender : Female

Ayu Nakagawa

Character Name : Female Bank Customer #5 (uncredited)

Original Name : Ayu Nakagawa

Gender : Female

Maiko Watanabe

Character Name : Female Bank Customer #6 (uncredited)

Original Name : Maiko Watanabe

Gender : Female

Kazue Fujita

Character Name : Female Bank Customer #7 (uncredited)

Original Name : Kazue Fujita

Gender : Female

Yuki Iida

Character Name : Female Bank Customer #8 (uncredited)

Original Name : Yuki Iida

Gender : Female

Rieko Motohashi

Character Name : Female Bank Customer #9 (uncredited)

Original Name : Rieko Motohashi

Gender : Female

Ryôta Koyama

Character Name : Grandson Visiting Temple (uncredited)

Original Name : Ryôta Koyama

Gender : Male

Takao Toji

Character Name : Man with Grandson (uncredited)

Original Name : Takao Toji

Gender : Male

Matsumi Fuku

Character Name : Landlady (uncredited)

Original Name : Matsumi Fuku

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Drop Dead. Hana-bi (AKA: Fireworks) is written and directed by Takeshi Kitano. It stars Kitano, Kayoko Kishimoto, Ren Osugi and Susumu Terajima. Music is by Joe Hisaishi and cinematography by Hideo Yamamoto. Yoshikata Nishi (Kitano) is a loose cannon police detective who quits the force after a tragic incident results in his partner, Horibe (Osugi), being confined to a wheelchair. His retirement brings him the time to care more for his seriously ill wife Miyuki (Kishimoto). Nishi can find no peace, though, more so as he has borrowed money from the Yakuza to pay for his wife's needs, and they are growing impatient for the repayment... Very early in Kitano's superb slice of Japanese neo-noir there is a piece of graffiti on the wall, it says "Drop Dead", while Hisaishi's music is a devilish accompaniment to the scene. It's ominous and foreboding, setting the tone for what is to follow. Pic is deliberately paced, beautifully so, with the opening nonlinear approach and scattergun shifts in time adding a sort of psychological maelstrom to the impending narrative darkness. Yet to suggest it as a perpetually bleak picture is doing it a small disservice, for Kitano (himself working from a damaged psyche that occurred in real life) has this adroit eye for poetic beauty and human tenderness that marries up with bursts of violence and emotionally shattering passages of play. And it works brilliantly, with stabs of humour also filtering in via the outer frames. Nishi the character is a force of nature and a walking - brooding - contradiction, a man pained behind his sunglasses, his expressionless visage amazingly still saying so much. When he explodes the impact is doubly strong, mainly because dialogue is so sparse, but the interwoven visuals - very much a Kitano speciality - strike an almighty chord for the story. To which we edge towards the finale, which unsurprisingly brings beauty and infinite sadness. Unfussy camera work, sabre sharp editing (Kitano & Yoshinori Oota), elegiacal musical arrangements, art, kites and Kitano's intense performance, this rounds out as film making greatness. In fact, a masterpiece. 10/10

R

r96sk

@r96sk

2022-03-05

There's greatness in there, for sure, but 'Fireworks' (or, the better title, 'Hana-bi') drags on for too long. I was with it for the first 45-55 minutes, but the final portion of the film really dragged for me; aside from a few moments, it kinda just repeats the same sorta scenes over and over. Like, personally, I got it... needed a bit more to it, in my opinion. There are some very good performances, no doubt. Takeshi Kitano is the obvious star of the show, though I was also impressed by Ren Osugi - who is just as excellent as the aforementioned writer, producer and director of this 1997 flick. The support cast are solid, while everything onscreen looks neat too. I did like this overall, but I can't say it hit me as much as it evidently has for others. Worth a watch, either way.

C

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-05-24

You wouldn't want to be policeman "Nishi" (Takeshi Kitano). His young child died a few years earlier, his wife is terminally ill in hospital and his partner at work takes a bullet that renders him paraplegic. Unsurprisingly, he hits the skids a bit and his priorities become compromised. When his wife is told she can come home, he is determined to make that happen - but where will the money come from to facilitate her? Well he goes and borrows some money from some unsavoury types he has encountered in his career. With his sole raison d'être now being to spend as much time as he can with his ailing wife, some of his other decisions become more and more dubious and requiring of increasingly dangerous and violent action as his creditors demand repayment - in cash or in kind. This is really quite an effective mix of the romantic and the brutal. It illustrates the vulnerability of even the most robust of human beings when touched by tragedy and despair - and when that person is a cunning and capable killer, these risks for all become ever more exacerbated. There's not a great deal of dialogue here, it's mostly Kitano reacting to and dealing with the scenarios he faces trying to sustain that sense of stability and to deal with his crescendo of guilt and it's quite enthralling at times to watch. It does plod along a little at times, and can also be repetitive but it's a different style of dark drama that shows us an human side of someone not motivated by power, or money, or revenge.