Ichi The Killer Movie

How do the Westerners perceive the Asian culture? How does an audience viewing a movie made in their own country see the film? And how does cult cinema make an impact in the history of film, bringing in vastly different cultures together to appreciate art. Those are the questions I'll be answering. In this essay let’s talk about the cultural differences and consumption of the movie; Ichi the Killer, directed by Takashi Miike, originally a manga made by Hideo Yamamoto. I will be talking about the movie itself with a quick plot summary of what happens, next I’ll be moving on to the context of the film from the directors point of view down to the audiences, the convergence of Ichi from a manga to a live action movie, production and directors’ stylistic views on gore and hypermasculinity, East vs Western perceptions of the Asian culture and finally how it became a cult movie in both Asia and the Western world.

Ichi the Killer has caused a massive worldwide …show more content…
Miike wanted to shock us, he wanted us to be repulsed by the movie yet captivated by the very thing we find disgusting. Here we see his influence of Hideo's work as a manga artist in the way we see the movie and how it has been shot and filmed. It's daring, dissonant use of camera angles made the audience feel as if they’re was watching a comic book movie. The violence isn't distasteful but instead, it complimented the movies use of those angles and shots. That is not to say that those who watch the movie will find this movie enjoyable, in other words this means that Miike has found his niche audience through violence and it is that violence and the fact that this movie is banned in several countries that causes potential viewers to be curious. Curious enough for them to watch the film and to make their own