Review of Ichi the Killer (2001) by Joey M — 20 Feb 2010

I turned this off at about the part where Ichi kicks the one guy in half. I like Miike and this movie had more than enough going for it visually and plot-wise without the need for gratuitous violence...which is what it is since it doesn't serve the story in any way, shape or form. Really there's no categorization for this kind of on-screen violence since it's neither campy (except for the few left-field instances when it chooses to be) nor fun and doesn't reflect on the motivations of any character other than to show that this world is inhabited by bloodthirsty animals.

Moral objections and the scope of the violence isn't even the point. The point is simply that it overshadows everything and takes center stage, and when one particular lust becomes the focus it's then nothing more than voyeurism. It's a shame really because Takashi Miike has proven he can create a compelling, balanced film that can still shock the viewer without bringing them to the saturation point.