'Brother' DVD Comparison Takeshi Kitano's - Brother - DVD Review Takeshi Kitano Brother DVD Review Takeshi Kitano Brother DVD Review Takeshi Kitano Brother DVD Review Takeshi Kitano Brother DVD Review Takeshi Kitano Brother DVD Review Takeshi Kitano Brother DVD Review Takeshi Kitano Brother DVD Review Takeshi Kitano Brother DVD Review Takeshi Kitano Brother DVD Review Takeshi Kitano Brother DVD Review Takeshi Kitano Brother DVD Review

Japan 2000

By many considered a flawed and minor Kitano film, “Brother” is in fact one of his most complex films in terms of character and a very personal film, as it suggests conclusion and end of an era. So it was no surprise, that Kitano told Rayns, that with “Brother” he was done with one chapter of his life and now wanted to begin a new. It all relates to his accident in 1994: It was time to kill off the Kitano who was sorry. But where the is smoke, there usually is fire, and “Brother” is a film where you can put your finger and say, “This is a problem”. A lot of the dialogue serves no purpose (for instance Epps final “speech”) and there is a disharmony between the quiet Japanese minimalist compositions and the chatty American scenes.

Kitano originally wrote the outline while making “Sonatine” and “Brother” should have been sort of a sequel, but instead he made “Getting Any?” and one thing took the next and suddenly he was in Cannes showing “Kids return”. Here he met his old friend Jeremy Thomas, who produced “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” and over dinner Kitano told him about his idea. Thomas was hooked and decided to produce it, but it wasn’t until the screening of “Hana-Bi” at the London Film Festival, that Thomas proposed to Kitano, who accepted instantly.

The normal working procedure of Kitano is one week of TV, then one week of something else (film, writing, music, etc). However, due to the lengthy shooting schedule in LA, Kitano slaved day and night to allow himself a 7 week “vacation”, in which he would go to LA and shoot “Brother”. In retrospect, Kitano today thinks it would have been faster, cheaper and better simply to build the sets in Tokyo and have the actors come to Japan, but he always wanted to make a film outside the US, so here was his chance. Aniki is a yakuza underboss, who after the assassination of his oyabun, refuses to be assimilated into the family of the enemy. In order to test his loyalty, his “brother” is ordered to kill Aniki, but unable to do so, he grants him exile. Aniki goes the America to look for his step brother.

The story almost imitates “Sonatine”, “Brother” is superior in context, almost a Japanese twin to the films of Melville: And as with the films of Melville, being flawed is irrelevant, what matters is what the characters say and do. A great and underappreciated film.

Henrik Sylow of kitanotakeshi.com

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DVD Comparison:

Universe - Region 3 - NTSC vs. Bandai - Region 2 - NTSC - Film Four - Region 2 - PAL

BIG thanks to Pavel Borodin for the Universe and Film Four screen caps and Mark Wilson for the Bandai caps!

(Universe Laser Co. Region 3 - NTSC Left vs. Bandai Japan Region 2 NTSC Middle vs. Film Four - Region 2 - PAL - Right)

DVD Box Covers		Thinking of buying from YesAsia? CLICK HERE and use THIS UPDATED BEAVER PAGE to source their very best...
Distribution	Universe Laser and Video Company Region 3 - NTSC	Bandai, Japan Region 2 NTSC	Film Four Region 2 - PAL
Runtime	1:53:16	1:53:28	1:48:40
Video	1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.85 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 7.73 mb/s NTSC 704x480 29.97 f/s	1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.18 PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Universe Laser and Video
Bitrate Bandai
Bitrate: Film Four
Audio	Japanese & English (Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS)	Japanese /Dolby Digital /Surround English /DTS /5.1ch	Japanese (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles	English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and none	English and Japanese	English, and none
Features	Release Information: Distributor: Universe Laser & Video, Hong Kong NTSC Region 3 Single-sided / single layer Special Feature: Animated Menus Kitano's Biography & (Director) Filmography Keep Case Chapters 9	Release Information: Distributor: Bandai, Japan NTSC Region 3 16:9 Anamorphic Single-sided / Dual layer Special Features: Making of the film, special hot news, trailer, TV spots Release date: June 25th, 2001 Keep Case Chapters 10	Release Information: Distributor: Film Four PAL Region 2 16:9 Anamorphic Single sided, dual layer Studio: Video Collection International, UK Special Feature: Trailer, Featurette, On location, Cast & crew interviews, Scenes by the Sea - the Life & Cinema of "Beat" Takeshi Kitano (48 mins) Keep Case Chapters 21
Comments:	It is kind of a toss up between the Bandai and the Film Four versions. Both are anamorphic but I think I am giving the slightest edge to the Bandai Region 2 NTSC version which appears a little sharper with not as much contrast boosting. It is obvious to anyone with an eye that the Universe Region 3 (HK) version is the worst. The Film Four contains the best extras of the three. If you want this film go for the Region 2 NTSC disc which has an anamorphic image and solid white and black levels. The Region 2 PAL Film Four has some various artifacts visible. True fans of the film may want to get both for the good extra features. I understand the subtitles are the exact same in all three. *- Gary W. Tooze*

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The Japan Journals : 1947-2004,

by Donald Richie

The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film
by Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp

Kon Ichikawa (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs)

by James Quandt, Cinematheque Ontario

Shohei Imamura (Cinematheque Ontario Monographs, No. 1)
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Eros Plus Massacre: An Introduction to the Japanese New Wave Cinema (Midland Book, Mb 469)
by David Desser

The Films of Akira Kurosawa by Donald Ritchie

Ozu by Donald Ritchie

A Hundred Years of Japanese Film by Donald Richie

Check out more in "The Library"

DVD Menus

(Universe Laser Co. Region 3 - NTSC Left vs. Bandai Japan Region 2 NTSC Middle vs. Film Four - Region 2 - PAL - Right)

Screen Captures