Kitano Takeshi

by Aaron Gerow

World Directors Series

British Film Institute, 2007, ISBN 9781844571666, colour plates, black & white photographs, paperback 

Near Fine Condition, minor bumps to edges (shelf-wear)

'In his illuminating study of Kitano's films, Aaron Gerow explores these issues of auteur-ship and stardom as they relate to problems of personal and national identity in a Japan confronting an age of globalism.  From his early days as half of a stand-up comedy duo, Kitano has used pairs throughout his films to explore tensions between cinema and television, traditional and modern, Japan and the world.  Combining a detailed account of current Japanese cinema and film criticism with unique close analyses of Kitano's films, from Violent Cop to Takeshis', Gerow, a renowned expert on Japanese cinema who has himself participated in the debates about Kitano in Japan, provides a nuanced account of the work of this intriguing and unpredictable film-maker.'