A night-club owner, an unemployed businessman, an ex-cop on drugs, a small-time pimp and a transvestite (well, sort of) find together to rob a yakuza-gang. Against expectation they can pull off the heist, but afterwards they are hunted down by two professonal hitmen (one of them played by Takeshi Kitano at his stoic best). Without giving too much away one can say that the end can compare to "Hamlet" in terms of (relative) body-count.
The story is really simple and has been told many times before, but the great cinematography, the good performances and the intensity of the violence make it seem fresh and exciting. I recommend this film to anyone who likes dark, nihilistic gangster-movies. Definitely not for the squeamish.
("Gonin 2" is not a sequel, but tells a similar story with women in the leading roles. Although also quite good it's not as great as the first one.)
The story is really simple and has been told many times before, but the great cinematography, the good performances and the intensity of the violence make it seem fresh and exciting. I recommend this film to anyone who likes dark, nihilistic gangster-movies. Definitely not for the squeamish.
("Gonin 2" is not a sequel, but tells a similar story with women in the leading roles. Although also quite good it's not as great as the first one.)