SummaryNishi leaves the police in the face of harrowing personal and professional difficulties. Spiraling into depression, he makes questionable decisions.
Directed By:Takeshi Kitano
Written By:Takeshi Kitano
Fireworks
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
83
User score
Generally Favorable
7.3
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
83
94% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
6% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
Hana-Bi is a film by an artist too creative -- and too talented -- to set limits for himself. He is a rarity among filmmakers nowadays: A genuine original. [17 Apr 1998]
100
It’s a weird experience that Kitano is offering to movie audiences: We thrill to the violent, heroic exploits that leave many a pierced eyeball, many a severed limb, many a bullet-riddled corpse, but we find uplift in his celebration of community, music, dance, light, color, and companionship.
90
Fireworks is bracing and original, an indefinable film made from familiar elements. "Hana-Bi," its title in Japanese, is a combination of the words for "flower" and "fire," and filmmaker Takeshi Kitano has, in the same way, adroitly fused genres, creating a film in which almost every moment pops out in unexpected ways. [20 Mar 1998, p.F4]
88
A work at once detached and thrillingly intense, an experience where intellectualizing turns to a raw emotion so overwhelming, unexpected in its power, that you sit in your seat as the end credits roll, unable to move.
75
Although it doesn't always live up to its ambitions, the film provides an offbeat portrait of universally relevant human issues. [27 Mar 1998, p.B2]
75
The new Japanese film Fireworks is like a Charles Bronson "Death Wish" movie so drained of story, cliche, convention and plot that nothing is left, except pure form and impulse. Not a frame, not a word, is excess.
50
It's a film with impressive elements, though taken as a whole it's pop entertainment that doesn't fully deliver on the entertainment end.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.3
83% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
17% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Jan 20, 2026
4
A bleak descent into silence and violence that failed to ignite a spark through its heavy, 2.0-rated stillness.260312 (2.0)I watched this 1997 masterpiece in 2011, but its signature blend of explosive violence and meditative silence left me cold. While I can see the artistic merit in its stark portrayal of tragedy and loyalty, the overall experience felt too detached and sluggish for my taste at the time. Despite the director's unique aesthetic, the film couldn't overcome my personal disconnect, resulting in a disappointing 2.0.
Production Company:
- Bandai Visual Company
- TV Tokyo
- Tokyo FM Broadcasting Co.
- Office Kitano
- Alliance Films
Release Date:Mar 20, 1998
Duration:1 h 43 m
Rating:R
Awards
Awards of the Japanese Academy
• 1 Win & 11 Nominations
Blue Ribbon Awards
• 4 Wins & 4 Nominations
Asian Film Critics Association Awards
• 4 Nominations
