The action scenes are splendid and some of them will surely reach much deserved ‘cult’ status. The same goes for all the scenes of violence so important for Yakuza films. Torture, shoot outs or Yakuza mobsters cutting off their own fingers as a symbol of their remorse and apology – all the scenes are quite realistic and will make some viewers close their eyes but they are not so graphical to be described as gore. I was a little puzzled though by members of the audience laughing at some of the violent scenes – maybe it’s Kitano’s specific sense of humor visible to more experienced viewers of the genre.

Music matches the mood of the film perfectly complementing both action and dialogue scenes without being overwhelming. It’s very modern and continues the atmosphere and mood established first in ‘Outrage’.

Camerawork and editing are masterful. Still following many rules of a Hollywood action flick, Kitano manages to incorporate a lot of his own style. For example scenes slowly fade out leaving viewers a few seconds of extra time to enjoy the mood of the film or to put some more thought into analyzing the complicated plot.

‘Outrage: Beyond’ is a great Yakuza film, a great sequel to ‘Outrage’ and a signature film of the Japanese mafia/gangster genre. I strongly recommend watching it but do yourself a favor and watch ‘Outrage’ first – like the Godfather series it is equally good and will make the sequel Outrage Beyond an even more enjoyable experience.

-Mat Kolodziejski