| Graveyard of Honor |
  | Starring: Goro Kishitani, Narimi Arimori, Ryousuke Miki Directed: Takashi Miike Release Date: 2002 Run Time: 131 Minutes Format: DVD Distributor: AnimEigo | |
| Film Synopsis |
In Japan’s underground yakuza society, some men define themselves by honor, others by vengeance… and some are beyond definition — cold-blooded merciless sociopaths. And in this remake of Kinji FUKUSAKU’s (Yakuza Papers, Battle Royale) cult classic, celebrated director Takashi MIIKE redefines the Yakuza movie genre.
Based on the real life of an infamous gangster, Graveyard of Honor is the story of Rikuo ISHIMATSU, a lowly dishwasher who unknowingly saves the life of a Yakuza Oyabun (Godfather) and quickly rises to a position of power in his gang. Loyally supporting his Oyabun and his brother gangsters, Ishimatsu wreaks havoc on anyone who stands in their way, inevitably earning himself a trip to the slammer. Five years later, he is released, expecting to rejoin the only family he has ever known. But his short temper turns a simple misunderstanding into an escalating orgy of violence that destroys everyone around him.
Graveyard of Honor is a penetrating meditation on human nature, demonstrating once again that a man’s worst enemy is truly himself.
-AnimEigo
| Audio/Video |
Audio
Audio Format(s): Japanese DD 2ch
Subtitles: English
Audio if good pretty clear but for it being 2002 it should be 5.1 surround sound but it is what it is and its sounds good for that
Rating:
Video
Disc Format: DVD-9/DVD-5
Encoding: MPEG-2
Video Aspect: 16:9
Resolution 720 x 480
The film fills the whole TV also its pretty gritty looking as im sure that the way they wanted it to feel like. Blacks are good and the colors are as good as well with no pixilation but distant shots, faces lose some detail. The film has a 90’s feel when viewing the PQ due to the grittiness but like I said before that’s the way they wanted it to be. Over all it’s not bad, but it’s not Blu-Ray like.
Rating:
Theatrical release Date: June 22, 2002
Disc release Date: August 14, 2007
| Extras |
- 2 Disc
- Interview Special
- “Making Of” Featurette
- “Making Of” Teaser
- Premiere Special
- Press Release Interviews
- Image Gallery
- Program Notes
- Theatrical Trailers
| My Thoughts |
Graveyard of Honor is a realistic gory film that is injected with Heroin. First off this film Is pretty realistic excluding some blood squirts and the pool off blood the rolls of the roof lol. The film takes you on a ride of action,drug-ed depression, death and life. Over all the film is crazy, slow at first but when the lead actor gets off track and go’s crazy it’s all up hill. Takashi Miike takes you on a journey with this film through the eyes of a guy who joins the Yakuza. What follows is tons of violence like rape, gun-play and also shows drug use and nudity.
Rikuo the main character Joins the Yakuza and quickly rises close to the top but Rikuo is just crazy so it doesn’t last. First off he rapes a lady twice who then becomes his wife then he goes insane when the godfather wasn’t around to give him money so he almost kills a member. From there he is wanted but he still has connections who hide him. later on he goes to see the godfather who he then shoots because he thought he was reaching for a gun but turns out it was just money. After this he just looses it as he knows whet he did was messed up. skipping a few details and scenes he winds up taking Heroin and this is where things get even more intense and realistic.
Rikuo also gets his wife addicted to it and by the way he also rapes another lady. Drugged fueled he seems to me invincible killing all who comes at him, killing every one in a room. Through out the rest of the film you take that journey with him as he dopes up and you see the effects it has on him and his wife. My favorite scene was this knife scene where he tries to kill his best friend but does kill hi his friend’s friend. The knife fight was insanely realistic.
The film ends crazy and there are a bunch more things that happen in the film but you will have to pick it up if you want to see them.
This film was a great view and I recommend this. I give Graveyard of Honor a 4.5 out of 5
If they would have shown more of the Yakuza story like how they made money and what not the film would be more life-like and would have given the viewer more insight on the Gang. I would give it a 5 if they have done this, but hey its still a crazy film.
| Trailer |