Born in Tokyo in 1947, Takeshi Kitano is a comedian, television host and actor, known to Japanese audiences as 'Beat' Takeshi. As a film director he took over Violent Cop (1989) and made a name with a series of deadpan yakuza films, such as Sonatine (1993), in which violence erupts suddenly in a quiet, still frame. He also paints, and his own paintings appear in Hana-bi (1997), which won the Golden Lion at Venice. A motorcycle accident in 1994 left his face partly paralysed. He later won the Silver Lion for best director for Zatoichi.
Filmography
- Violent Cop (1989)
- Boiling Point (1990)
- A Scene at the Sea (1991)
- Sonatine (1993)
- Kids Return (1996)
- Hana-bi (1997)
- Kikujiro (1999)
- Brother (2000)
- Dolls (2002)
- Zatoichi (2003)
- Outrage (2010)