ANN ARBOR—Some call him the Japanese Clint Eastwood?a tough guy actor who went on to make his own critically acclaimed movies. But the Eastwood comparison fails to describe the many talents of Takeshi Kitano.Movie lovers will have a unique opportunity to see for themselves at a summer film series that begins July 29 and features four Kitano movies.The event, free and open to the public, is organized by the Center for Japanese Studies, which has hosted the longest-running film series at the University of Michigan. It began in 1975.The comparison to Eastwood is partly due to Kitano’s roles in films like “Violent Cop” (1989), in which he plays a Dirty Harry-like policeman. But unlike the American actor, Kitano started in show business as a stand-up comedian before moving to television and eventually movies.”He’s a major force in Japanese film,” said Markus Nornes, professor of screen arts and cultures at U-M. “He works in a wide variety of genres, and yet can readily detect his unique style in every film.”Nornes added that Kitano is his own industry in Japan, where he is known by his stage name, “Beat Takeshi.” He still appears on television every week as a talk show host. Kitano also sings, dances, paints and writes poetry as well as essays, novels and screenplays.”His television persona is raucous, but the films are surprisingly precise and careful, shifting between subtle stasis and raging action,” Nornes said.The films, shown at 7 p.m. in Angell Hall (Auditorium A), will include:? July 29: “Kikujiro” or “Kikujiro no Natsu” (1999). A tender story about an ex-gangster who goes on a road trip with a boy searching for his mother. Kitano wrote, directed and starred in the movie.? Aug. 5: “Fireworks” or “Hana-bi” (1997). A cops-and-gangster tale starring Kitano as a troubled detective who quits the force to care for his dying wife. Winner of the Golden Lion Award at the 1997 Venice Film Festival.? Aug. 12: “A Scene at the Sea” or “Ano Natsu, Ichiban Shizukana Umi” (1991). A deaf garbage collector dreams of being a champion surfer and receives encouragement from his deaf girlfriend. Kitano wrote and directed the movie but does not appear in it.? Aug. 19: “Demon” or “Yasha” (1985). Kitano stars as an ex-gangster, or yakuza, who resettles in a remote fishing village.

The Japanese Studies Center is part of U-M’s International Institute, which houses 18 centers and programs that focus on world regions or global themes.
http://ns.umich.edu/index.html?Releases/2011/Jul11/JapanFilm