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Fireworks Actors: Takeshi Kitano, Kayoko Kishimoto Director: Takeshi Kitano Number of Items: 1 Picture Format: Letterbox Format: Color, Widescreen, Dolby Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Running Time: 99 minutes Studio: New Yorker Films Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Region Code: 1 Product Group: DVD Release Date: 2000-07-11 Buy from Amazon

Customer Reviews: Total numer of reviews: 57 Average rating: 4.5 "Kind of a mixed bag this DVD" First off, the movie is great. Its presented uncut and in the Original Language here. The DVD even offers some nice Extras. But in the technical department this DVD is really weak. The transfer isnt anamorphic, its just 1:1.85 letterboxed. The subtitles, which the cover describes as enhanced, are only hardsubs, so you cant turn them off. Then the picture blurs quite a lot on motion and of course the transfer is interlaced... Despite that, the picture is ok, enough details and good colors, a bit too dark though. But the biggest joke on this DVD is the Dolby Digital 5.1 Track. Well, the track has 5 channels, but you can hear all the stuff from every channel. So even the voices are coming out of each speaker (even the surround ones). This was a real let down for me, since the DD 5.1 track was the reason for me to buy the US DVD and not the french or japanese one (which only have DD 2.0). "Suprizingly excellent film" This movie is what film generally ought to be like, art. Low on dialoge (very low in fact- for those that do not enjoy reading subtitles), and big on vision. This film is not what is expected. See it for yourself you wont be disappointed. (WARNING: others seeing this film claim it to be dark, and sad. I do not agree with that, but the viewer should be warned.) "FIRST-CLASS DVD FOR A FIRST-CLASS DIRECTOR" Winner of the Golden Lion of the 1997 Venice Film Festival, HANA-BI aka FIREWORKS is the movie that revealed japanese director Takeshi "Beat" Kitano to the international movie audience. Only a few curious movie lovers knew then Takeshi Kitano through SONATINE, A SCENE AT THE SEA or BOILING POINT. Firstly, I would like to point out the superb quality of this DVD presentation of New Yorker Films. Theatrical trailers (american and japanese), filmographies of the main actors, an excellent featurette presenting Kitano at work during FIREWORKS shooting, a gallery of Kitano's paintings and, last but not least, interviews of the director discreetly hidden in the scene access department of the DVD. Thank you for these bonus features that allow us to know a little better this very interesting director. Like in Kitano's precedent movies, FIREWORKS describes the consequences of a crucial decision taken by the main character of the movie. Takeshi "Nishi" Kitano has had a bad year : his wife is slowly dying at the local hospital and his best friend is confined in a wheelchair, shot while Nishi was visiting his wife. Nishi robs a bank and decides to offer to his wife a trip into the japanese countryside before facing the consequences of his act. A good introduction into the imaginary world of this first-class director. "The best movie in the recent 10 yrs" This is the mature one among all Takeshi Kitano works. I do not agree that somebody sat this is a dark and sad movie. The leading role relutantly accept the arrangement of destiny. He try to conquer something in the dark side. we even can find this attitude in many tiny places. Also, some funny segments expose the humor talent of Takeshi Kitano. "This movie is WAY TOO SLOW." I love stylized movies with stylized violence. This movie is just too slow (you have to have a lot of patience).