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Brother
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray B - United Kingdom - British Film Institute Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (4th May 2025). |
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The Film
 "Brother" (2000) High ranking yakuza member Yamamoto (played by Kitano Takeshi) must go into hiding, so his death is faked by his clan as he departs for the United States where he can be close to his younger "half"-brother Ken (played by Claude Maki, his only contact there. Ken is part of a small drug dealing gang which includes his friend Denny (played by Omar Epps), who at first has a strong dislike for the quiet and violent older Yamamoto. But when Yamamoto sees that Ken and his friends are taken advantage of by rival gangs, he decides to put his yakuza skills to the test by making Ken's group the law of the Los Angeles underworld... A great number of Kitano Takeshi’s films showcase the importance of brotherhood, none more so than his 2000 feature “Brother”". But this is not a film about family in the traditional sense, as it looks at the bonds between gang members. Even the characters of Yamamoto and Ken are not through blood relations, but the much older Yamamoto basically taking care of the orphaned Ken since he was young. But even Yamamoto being old enough to be his father, he is still called “aniki” or “brother” by Ken. Looking at other films by Kitano, male bonding can be found brutal forms in his yakuza features such as “Sonatine”, “Hana-bi”, and the “Outrage” series, but also in comedic and heartwarming ways in his works such as “Kids Return” and “Kikujiro”. "Brother" was Kitano's ninth film as director, and was the first international co-production. It was his first and so far only film he directed that was mostly in English and partially shot in the United States. Producer Jeremy Thomas whose long career shows that he supports artistic integrity of filmmakers from all around the world rather than commercial prospects, was keen to produce a feature for Kitano. Kitano's films were not particularly commercial successes in Japan as many only saw him as a television comedian and could not connect with his cinematic persona, though his praise was starting to reach more people by the late 1990s. Thomas was key in getting Kitano to work in America for a bigger international audience, and for the story Kitano already had an idea in mind about an aging yakuza on the run, but adapted it to an escape to Los Angeles for the production. Many thought "Brother" would be a major departure for Kitano as an international production would lead to compromises in the finished feature and the cultural differences in production styles would make things difficult during the shoot, but "Brother" in fact did not have production issues or compromises. Instead it was a film that has many of Kitano's trademarks as a filmmaker and storyteller, but just set in an American environment. Long before his turn to feature filmmaking, the theme of brotherhood was very important to Kitano. Together with his friend and comedian Kaneko Niro, they formed the manzai comedy duo Two Beat in 1972, with Kitano and Kaneko taking the stage names Beat Takeshi and Beat Kiyoshi respectively. The duo’s bits were dominated by Kitano’s fast paced foul mouthed punchlines and insults that became highly influential towards other comedians and for young kids that copied his antics on the playground, causing concerns among watchdogs and parents. While Beat Takeshi seemed like an unstoppable force, it was with Beat Kiyoshi’s jabs that kept the timing of their acts in place. In the 1980s, it was becoming rarer for Two Beat to perform together, as the two had differing solo schedules, with Takeshi being the more dominating force on television. The two have never officially split and they have worked together on rare occasions, such as the memorable bus stop scene in the 1999 film In the 1980s Kitano was one of the most popular comedians on Japanese television with the top rated sketch comedy show "Hyokin-zoku" and the obstacle course game show that became the worldwide phenomenon, “Takeshi’s Castle”. Both shows featured Takeshi Gundan, or Takeshi’s Army, a group of comedians who were under Kitano’s wing, and were featured as his goons and sidekicks. Members of Takeshi Gundan were frequently placed in wacky and sometimes dangerous situations for Kitano’s amusement, and while this might seem like the situation of a king with his court jesters, he treated his group as an extension of his own comedy brand, and that meant refining and retooling their comedic skills as a teacher or an older brother would. Some members of Takeshi Gundan would make appearances in his films in small roles. In Brother, the bodyguard character of Moose was played by Brad “The Animal” Lesley, who was a memorable fixture on “Takeshi’s Castle”, scowling at participants and throwing them into muddy waters in almost every episode. In the comedy world, Kitano is seen as an older brother to many, but it’s fascinating to note that he was in fact the youngest of five children. His oldest brother Shigekazu was born in 1937 and became an engineer. He passed away in 2013 at the age of 83. The second son was named Katsu, who tragically passed away at the age of ten due to illness. Their third child was their only girl, Yasuko, who became a civil servant. Their fourth child Masaru, born in 1942 became a university professor and researcher, and became a well-known figure on television as both a commentator on news programs and appearances on variety shows from the 1980s onward. Masaru’s personality is a stark contrast to his younger brother of five years, but his intelligence and his friendly nature made him a beloved figure in lecture halls and on television. Masaru stated that it was through his younger brother’s connections that he was pulled into the television world, though it rare for the two of them to appear on any programs together. Being the youngest, Takeshi did look up to his older siblings, but his role models were also professional baseball players and the neighborhood. While the yakuza have a menacing and intimidating image, little Takeshi remembered them being men that were loyal to each other and their clan, as well as showing a nicer side when they interacted with neighborhood children, telling them to be nice to their moms and not to get into trouble. It is probably no surprise that many of his films have been centered around the yakuza, including “Brother”. 1999 was a year that Kitano started to put more autobiographical family moments into his creative work. He started writing a series of short novels about his actual family seen through the eyes of his parents. Entitled “Kikujiro and Saki” which used the real names of his parents, he along with his siblings were the main characters of the stories. The stories looked at the lives of an average postwar Tokyo family and their ups and downs through money issues, troubles with the children and more. In the summer of 1999, Kitano’s acclaimed feature film “Kikujiro” was released theatrically, becoming one of his most popular films to date. Although the title and the main character was named after his father who had passed away in 1979, the heartwarming comedy was not particularly based on family memories. Unfortunately, two months after the film was released, Kitano’s mother Saki passed away on August 22nd at the age of 95. While being interviewed by the media after the funeral, he could not hold back his tears as he cherishingly talked about his memories of her. It was the only time that I had ever seen him cry. The man that seemed impenetrable to an emotional breakdown showed that he was human as the rest of us, and that family was always important to him. The final entry of “Kikujiro and Saki” was written just before his mother’s passing, and the collected works featured an introduction by his older brother Masaru. His next feature film was 2000’s “Brother”, and it is interesting to note that there is a central scene in which the characters go to Denny’s mother’s house for her birthday party (featuring Wanda-Lee Evans as the mother and Tatyana Ali as his younger sister). It might be an inconsequential glimpse into Denny’s family life, this kind of scene was never shown in any of Kitano’s feature films up to this point. It was an honestly loving family scene between a mother and her children. It felt like a tribute to his recently passed mother and the love that he had. While most would equate Kitano to the character of Yamamoto that he plays, the character of Denny is also an extension of Kitano himself. He’s a young kid that comes from a loving family that gets caught up in dangerous business but is given a chance to start over again. Kitano does away with his violent side by killing off Yamamoto but having Denny live freely with a clean slate. It’s possibly something that Kitano wanted for himself, by leaving his past and starting fresh, and in a sense the experience did give his career a new trajectory. Following "Brother", Kitano has branched out even further with his work, through filmmaking, television, writing, and painting, in more genres than before. Films like the bunraku love story “Dolls” (2002) and the heartbreaking romantic novel “Analog” (2017) (adapted to screen in 2023 - "Analog") show an emotional side that was quite different from his comedic acts or yakuza films. But in addition, he is still making audiences laugh such as the “Takeshi’s Castle” reboot (2023) and the yakuza/absurdist combination in his latest feature “Broken Rage” (2024). At the age of 78 this year, he continues to be a beloved artist that dares to be creative while also one that embraces the past. In the years since his mother's passing, he has been much more open with stories of his mother and his siblings. My partner, who is not very familiar with his films and only knows him from his television work said, "He really is a mama's boy. He always talks about her." Blood is absolutely thicker than water. "Brother" had pacing and storytelling that was consistent with Kitano's previous yakuza films with quieter moments interspersed with sudden violence that has become a trademark of his cinematic works. The jazzy and relaxing score by Hisaishi Joe was their sixth consecutive collaboration and fantastic one that juxtaposes the violence with the beauty, rather than aiming for gritty. This was also the first time that internationally acclaimed fashion designer Yamamoto Yohji worked on a Kitano production, as they would go on to collaborate on a number of future features. It may have had a broader appeal on paper with its international setting, but the film did not particularly make an international splash. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 2nd, 2000, followed by screenings in Toronto, New York, and Pusan among others at festivals. It opened theatrically in Japan on January 27th, 2001, in the United Kingdom on March 23rd, 2001, and in the United States on April 6th, 2001. The film received a lukewarm response from critics. Fans of Kitano did not see a major progression in his artistic expression and felt the American setting was not particularly necessary for the story. Others that were not familiar with his work were expecting a John Woo type of an action packed gangster feature and instead received an introspective gangland drama with a slower pace. In Japan the film was not a hit, only grossing 800 million Yen, barely making the top 20 Japanese films of the year. (This was the year that "Spirited Away" broke all records, grossing 30.4 billion Yen - nearly ten times the amount that the Kitano starring "Battle Royale" grossed, which was the third highest grossing Japanese movie of the year. It was not a major awards winner either, with only one win for the always reliable Terajima Susumu for his role of Kato, as Best Supporting Actor from the Mainichi Film Concours. Kitano stated that the original cut of the film was more than three and a half hours, and a lot had to be cut to trim the story down to a two hour runtime which he was contractually obligated to do. There were no issues of studio or producer interference, though the only setback came from the American distributors Sony Pictures Classics, which received an NC-17 rating for the violence, had to make some changes to remove blood digitally to bring the rating down to an R. The United States was the only country to receive the censored version theatrically, as well as on home video. "Brother" has some flaws, but it is still a well made and interesting character study on bonding, friendships and family through the eyes of Kitano. It may not be his best work, but it was an important transition film for the filmmaker and one that deserves a second look for reassessment. Note this is a region B Blu-ray
Video
The BFI presents the film in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio in 1080p AVC MPEG-4. The transfer comes from UK rightsholder Channel 4, with their modern Film Four opening logo starting the film. The image is a bit problematic, as color correction seems to be completely off in this HD master. Many indoor and nighttime sequences are incredibly dark. So dark that it is hard to even make out faces and figures. Detail on clothes and backgrounds are crushed, colors for skin tones look darker than usual, and overall does not look right. On the other hand there are some scenes outdoors that look completely fine with bright skies and hues. In comparison to previous transfers on DVD such as the UK Film Four release from more than two decades ago, the hues are completely different, with the image having an overall brighter look that is balanced throughout. The transfer itself comes from the original film source, and the grain is visible throughout. Some minor damage marks can be found on close inspection, but nothing too disruptive to speak of. Grain management is fairly good and the image is in the theatrical aspect ratio, though there are moments of image wobble that is most obvious during the credits and still shots. Kitano films have been hit or miss in transfers on the Blu-ray format, with many of the issues coming from original rightsholder Office Kitano/Bandai Visual which have had problematic issues. (Third Window Films stated some of their Kitano Blu-rays had a number of issues that had to either be corrected by them for release or requesting Bandai to redo their transfer as it was unacceptable for release.) Looking at captures of the German Blu-ray release from over a decade ago, the darkness and color timing issues seem to be prevalent in their transfer as well, leading to believe that this same Channel Four master was used for their release. Even though the image is technically much sharper than it was compared to the DVD releases, the older DVDs may be a better way to visually experience the film as you can actually see the necessary details. This is not at all the fault of the BFI, and it's just an unfortunate case with the master being inadequate. Because of Kitano's always busy schedule, we will never be able to see a "director approved" transfer for all his old films, but we can all hope someday that better care will be made. The film's runtime is 113:51, which starts with a 20 second text notice that the BFI does not condone the racist language in the dialogue of the film, along with the modern Film Four logo before the film starts with the familiar Office Kitano logo.
Audio
English/Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English/Japanese LPCM 2.0 stereo The original 5.1 audio which is a mix of English and Japanese (along with a few lines of Spanish) is presented in lossless form. This was the first film Kitano made which was originally mixed in 5.1. There is directional play with dialogue to be heard, in which voices can sometimes be heard from the left or right or from the rear speakers if characters are off screen. The sequence in which Denny sees Yamamoto taken hostage and Omar Epps is looking directly at the camera, his voice is from the center speaker while the gang members and Kitano's voices are heard in the rear speakers, as if they were directly behind the audience. As for music and effects, they also use the full soundscape very well, especially with Hisaishi's wonderful score coming to life. Dialogue, music, and effects are mixed well and there are no issues with dropout, hiss, pops, or other noise to speak of. In comparison to the lackluster image transfer, the audio is on the positive side. There is also an uncompressed stereo track downmixing the 5.1 audio. There are optional English (for Japanese portions), English HoH subtitles for the main feature, both in a white font which are easy to read, well spotted and without errors. The default track subtitles only the Japanese portions. The second track is for the hard-of-hearing, and subtitles the Japanese portions as well as the few Spanish lines, captions the English dialogue, and adds the speaker name, the language if the language spoken changes, and sound effects.
Extras
Featurette (2:16) An all too brief EPK featurette which has clips from the film, plus interviews with members of the cast and crew such as Epps and Thomas along with behind the scenes footage. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1 / 1.85:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Cast and Crew Interviews (15:05) Presented here are vintage interviews with Kitano, Mori, Thomas, and Epps conducted separately, with title cards written on screen in English for the prompts. From working in an overseas environment, the subject matter, Kitano's style in directing and in acting are expressed in the EPK interviews. Note that portions of Epps' interview are also included in the documentary also found on this release. The Kitano and Mori interviews are in Japanese with burned-in English subtitles while Thomas and Epps speak in English. There are some typos in the burned-in subtitles, which were also inherent in the original UK DVD release. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Japanese/English Dolby Digital 2.0 with burned-in English subtitles for the Japanese portions Behind the Scenes Footage (4:01) Presented here is a montage of behind the scenes sequences in which Kitano can be seen directing both the Japanese cast and crew in the early Japan scenes as well as him in America with an interpreter. These are presented without subtitles, as was also the case on the original UK DVD release. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in Japanese/English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Scenes by the Sea: Takeshi Kitano" documentary (48:46) This Channel 4 television documentary directed by Louis Heaton is an excellent look at Kitano and the making of "Brother", featuring interviews with Kitano and other cast and crew, as well as exclusive behind the scenes footage. Discussed are Kitano's life growing up in postwar Japan and his inspirations, his rise in the world of comedy, his endeavors into acting and filmmaking, and much more. There are some moments that are repeated from the above featurettes and interviews, but much of the content is exclusive here, including an interview segment with Tatyana Ali, who more or less makes a cameo appearance in the film itself. A small bother is that the Japanese interviews are overdubbed in English by a narrator, but it is still essential viewing and an excellent extra for the film. in 1080i60 AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "The Green Flash" 1988 short film (25:25) Ben (played by Peter Onorati) gets his leg injured during a mob altercation on Coney Island and hides out under the boardwalk until things blow over. He meets a young runaway teen named Charlie (played by Omar Epps) who at first seems like a nuisance but the two find eventual common ground and friendship. The short was directed by Adam Davis, who had just graduated from NYU Film School and worked from a script by former classmate Bob Gaydos. It was Davis' first work as a director after working on some independent productions as a crewmember, and significantly was the first on screen role by Epps when he was just 14 years old. Even at that young age, he was able to bring the odd outsider character depth, and though he was less than half the ages of all the other cast members, upstaged all of them. A dramatic short with heart, it is a standout work from a small crew with no budget, and has been incredibly hard to see for a long time, not having any official release on home video until now. It was first screened at the Chicago International Film Festival in 1988 and at the Council on International Non-Theatrical Events Film Festival the following year. The short was shot on film and the transfer seemingly comes from an analog source. The transfer is fairly good, with some minimal damage marks to be found. Colors are a bit dark and murky at times but it is in a watchable state without any issues of analog errors. The audio is also fair, though there are some hissy points which seem to be due to the source. The short has also been embedded below, courtesy of the director's YouTube channel. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono with optional English HoH subtitles Original Theatrical Trailer (1:54) The original English language trailer is presented here. The trailer has also been embedded below. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.85:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Booklet A 32 page booklet is included with the first pressing. The first essay is "Yakuza Tropes in Translation" by professor Jennifer Coates on the history of the yakuza genre, where "Brother" and Kitano's films fit in and their significance. Next is the essay "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" by author Adam Bingham on the film and where it stands in Kitano's filmography. Then there is "Blood Relations" written by me, James-Masaki Ryan of all people. The essay is part of my review above, as it looks at Kitano's history, his family and family values, and how "Brother" was a significant change following the death of his mother and signifying a new chapter for his life. Next is a 2001 conversation with Kitano conducted by Tony Rayns which was first published in Sight & Sound magazine focusing on the making of "Brother". This is followed by a full cast and crew listing (though Watari Tetsuya and Tony Coletti's names are both missing a single letter in each of their names). There are also special features information including a new recollection by "The Green Flash" director Adam Davis, recalling working on the film and seeing how far Epps and Onorati have gone on in their Hollywood careers since then. He also recalls how a decade after the film's production that it appeared as a clip on "The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show" when Wayans showed guest Epps one scene. This was something that Wayans did on almost every show, showcasing an embarrassing early role. But obviously this short was not something to be embarrassed about. There are also technical information on the transfer, acknowledgements, and stills. Note that much of the text has spoilers for the film, but for some reason the BFI put a major ending spoiler photo on a page in which my essay appears. The film was first issued on Blu-ray in Germany by Capelight Pictures in 2012 which had the "Scenes by the Sea: Takeshi Kitano" documentary, the vintage interviews, and the short featurette. It was released on Blu-ray in Japan by Bandai Visual which only included trailers as extras. In 2024, Australia's Via Vision released it on Blu-ray under their Imprint Asia label, which included an exclusive commentary by critic Mark Schilling, a visual essay by film scholar Aaron Gerow, plus the vintage Chanel 4 documentary, interviews, and featurettes as found on this new BFI release. (The Imprint release is not in our database at the moment, as complete specs are TBC.) There is also a 2017 Blu-ray in Spain by Divisa and a 2021 Blu-ray in Italy by CG Entertainment. (Both are also not in our database as specs are TBC.) Other notable clips: A clip from the film, courtesy of the BFI. (Note the darkness of the transfer.) "Ballade" by Joe Hisaishi The original Japanese trailer Kitano, being interviewed by the media at his mother's funeral in 1999
Overall
"Brother" works on many levels and is another great yakuza work from Kitano, even with its flaws. The BFI release has a problematic transfer with the image due to the source material, but receives good marks for including all the excellent Film Four DVD extras and adds the hard to find early short starring Epps. Still comes as recommended. Amazon UK Link
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