Takeshi Kitano returns to Cannes, 'indifferent' to success

The man with one facial expression.

Easy to be "indifferent" when your success has made you rich AF....

"Japanese historical drama rarely depicts male homosexuality," although "it was common in that era",

Better not tell the traditional family advocates that their samurai heroes were queer.

"Kubi" is his most expensive film yet, having cost 1.5 billion yen to make.

Less than "shoestring" by Hollywood standards! Be nice to see what Takeshi could put out if he actually HAD a Hollywood sized budget for a full film, and not just the money for maybe 1/4 of a scene.

The man with one facial expression.

Back when he was known as "Beat," he was in a scooter accident (yes - scooter!) which left the left side of his face paralyzed.

And, yes, I've been here long enough (!!) to remember that happening.

Kitano's film, especially if it wins international recognition, will make a much-needed contribution to sex education in Japan making people more aware of the queer ways of past military icons and undermining the resistance from head-in-the-sand rightwing LDPQ denialists.

And, yes, I've been here long enough (!!) to remember that happening.

"Genki ga deru terebi" my 3rd year in Japan. I laughed so hard I almost peed myself.

This man is desperately unfunny.

After his weird, out-of-touch comments on same-sex marriage, depicting homosexuality among samurai seems like some sort of progress.

I thought he was quite funny back in the 1980s.

Met him a few times through work, the most arrogant and rude ‘talent’ I’ve ever come across.

So "I wanted to make a film that would never be done on TV" or in mainstream Japanese cinema.

In fact, does historical drama fail to depict samurai homosexuality just because the traditional family advocates would be outraged and would rather censor history for the masses to legitimise their own views and the imposition of them on the rest. This is exactly how ideology works: picking and choosing from among various traditions of the people in the past to create it. There is a battle for the narrative.

Takeshi has plenty of history to choose from.

Japanese history is full of death and bloody massacres.

Making death a noble construct allowed Japanese to objectify it,focusing on the emotional trauma would just turn people insane

He is such a contradiction in styles.

His dramatic work is dark, mature, and complex. Usually, quite enjoyable.

His comedy and variety work is silly, childish, and simplistic. Often, unwatchable.

Kitano has hardly any cred in Hollywood...makes you wonder.