Kikujiro (1999)

Kikujiro: Takeshi Kitano's road movie
Eiga Sai 2003 highlights a film that shows the gentler side of a revered director

Japanese filmmaker Takeshi Kitano likes to use static shots that impart tranquility. Then suddenly, he jolts viewers off their seats by rudely interrupting the serenity with graphic violence. With Kikujiro, however, the director veers away from this usual style by displaying his endearing, gentle and funny side (he actually plays the title role). This marked difference is just among the many surprises Kitano has in store with Kikujiro.

Sonatine, his 1993 opus, blends comedy with the gangster genre. It's the film that endeared him to many film buffs, who consider it as Kitano's masterpiece, but this writer begs to disagree. The movie paved the way to what could arguably be considered two of his most memorable features: Hana-bi/Fireworks, which wont the Grand Prize at the 1997 Venice Film Festival for its lyrical and moving look at the mob's world, and Kikujiro, which was among the crowd favorites during the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.

Lead character Kikujiro is asked by his wife to accompany the 10-year-old Masao (Yuseki Sekuguchi) to Toyohashi, where the boy's mother supposedly resides. The child lives with his grandmother, and he's been yearning to see his mom, who's never been present in his life. However, the middle-aged guy is hardly the suitable companion for a lonely child. Kikujiro is irascible.

Before embarking on the trip, however, Kikujiro stops to bet at the cycling races. He loses all of the boy's pocket money, but the bad start is followed by the unusual road trip that has them encountering an array of oddballs. These include a young couple (who teaches them how to juggle oranges), a drifting writer and two motor bikers (whose leather outfits project a tough facade and mask a tender personality). In their own unique ways, each one of them makes Masao happy.

It's Kikujiro, though, who turns out to be the most amusing figure: grinning and flashing the peace sign instead of scolding a group of under-aged boys who are smoking. He then scoffs at a pair of young men imitating Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. Yet shortly after, Kikujiro himself attempts to copy the duo's unforgettable tap routine.

Kikujiro isn't your usual road movie. Don't expect the protagonists to experience a catharsis in the end. On the contrary, Kikujiro is whimsical, less in-your-face and more laid back. It allows viewers to relish the lush scenery and the playful, and intimate touches set up by the inventive Kitano.

Kitano also has a great eye for beauty. The multiple framed shots of the writer's van from the eyes of a dragonfly and the reflection of Kikujiro and Masao dissipating in the circular motion of the mug wheel are remarkable. Then there's Joe Hisaishi's score, which is mostly played on piano. It's captivating to listen at first, but its repeated play is infectious and hypnotic that it's impossible not to smile whenever it's played. I've been humming it ever since.

Kikujiro makes an amusing diversion, but viewers familiar with Takeshi Kitano consider the film as one of his masterpieces. The filmmaker has cast himself against type; he's not the cool guy we saw in his previous works, which usually highlight his twitching face and tattoos. In Kikujiro, Kitano is warmhearted, sensitive and hilarious. It's like Robin Padilla playing John Puruntong. It's hard to picture Padilla doing it, but Kitano has done it.

(First published in The Manila Times on September 3, 2003)