Hana-bi (Fireworks)

Kitano who directed it, also stars as Nishi, a man whose only two emotional states are anguish and enchantment.  His wife suffers from some extremely lethal disease which has taken her speech,too. She is going to die soon and Nishi wants to make his wife's last weeks as enjoyable and nice as possible. His partner Horibe is shot and paralyzed for the rest of his life during one shoot out.  In the meantime, Nishi is forced to deal with Yazuka in order to get some money for his wife's medical care . That leads ofcourse to troubles with the gangsters as he isn't able to pay back his loans.  Meanwhile Horibe remains busy with his paintings.  The shoot out flashback is one memorable sequence in this film, and it is in its slow motion one of the most beautiful, yet horrifying depictions of violence ever possible.

The film is almost unbearably sad and emotional , and its most tragic character is Horibe, the partner who is paralyzed and totally abandoned by his wife and children after the accident. Nishi spends time with his wife.  They do childish things together , such as playing with the kite of a girl they meet on the beach. But when a stranger laughs at his wife ,  Nishi brutally beats him.  He is a caring man.  He is happy when the world leaves him alone and when it doesn't, he strikes back.  It's a quiet film yet strong and deep, filled with human weaknesses and vulnerable situations. There are little mutual gestures between them -so much is expressed silently.
                
This film doesn't glorify violence or present it as an important tool ; it analyzes violence and shows many aspects of it.  Kitano is excellent as Nishi.  At times, he is tough and very unforgiving man while at other times he is a man totally lost in a world of sorrow and pity.