Onibi : The Fire Within. by Rokuro Mochizuki (1997). Early Artsmagic DVD Review.

The second of two upcoming Artsmagic releases of Mochizuki movies; an early review of another unusual Yakuza movie

Mochizukis' slightly newer work "Onibi" is a more filmic experience than "Another Lonely Hitman" which I also watched recently. There is still a heavy flavour of placing unusual characters in a very real everyday environments, and in often real emotional situations, with a slice of the truly unusual and unfamiliar too.

Noriyuki Kunihiro (refered to as Kunihiro or Kuni-chan, played by Yoshio Harada, recently seen in Azumi and 9 Souls) is an ageing Yakuza hitman with two murders, and 27 years in jail to his name. On release his friend Naoto Tanigawa (played by Sho Aikawa, in a small but pivotal role) realises that as a modern Yakuza - essentially a illegitamate businessman more than a feuding Yakuza of old - the pent-up passions of a man such as Kunihiro are invaluable due to their rarity. Kunihiro, as with the central character from "Another Lonely Hitman", wants to be loyal to his friend but is torn between Yakuza life and the gentle legitimate existence he longs for.

His ageing jaded eyes want nothing more than a gentle job and a loving woman, but his passionate soul (which belies his quiet exterior) can either explode in rage or be channeled into love. It's this central theme which drives this touching love story, and brings both negative and positive events into his new life.

In Time Kunihiro finds piano-playing Sakata, a woman half his age, and channels his passion towards that new relationship. Tanagawa tries to provide and integrate Kunihiro into his gang and draws him towards a position of trust in order to exploit his passions for more business oriented means, in hope of increasing everyones status within the gang and its' position in the Yakuza world.

Sakata and Kunihiro go on their adventure together, setting up home and going about their daily business. As things progress, the relationship (however positive) also begins to contain the potential to destroy one another. No matter how hard Kunihiro tries he is being pulled into directions he is aware are dangerous, but love drives him uncontrollably but willingly down roads that are all too familiar.

Once again, Mochizuki is masterfully portraying a man on the fringes not only of society, but also the underworld life to which he has grown accustomed. The atmosphere is melancholic, romantic and beautifully touching. Although Kunihiro is in many ways dangerously on the edge, his life is filled with potential and hope. One turn of events could rip it all apart, another could lead to the happiness he truly longs for.

All together, this is a much easier film to take in and watch. It isn't without its' subtleties of sophistications, but it is much clearer and less ambiguous a tale. Although it's not possible to literally relate to the story in some respects, they are minimally played out enough to offer more of a romantic tale than Yakuza drama, The Yakuza end of the film provides the dangerous draw for Kunihiros personality, and plays on the fringes of his and Sakatas central story.

Again, this may not be an obvious choice for a DVD release, and set against more Yakuza dramas than most of those new to Japanese cinema may have seen it may not stand out as much as it would in its' homeland. But, it does offer a beautiful romance that's character driven, and a great drama too. Personally, it does require a little more effort than i often like to put into watching a film most of the time, but having said that i do like such stories on occasion and they usually leave much more of an impression on me than most films do.

Highly recommeded to fans of character pieces, and another fine yet unusual choice for an Artmsgaic release.