Violent Cop (1999) (Non-Violent Cover)

In his directorial debut, famed Japanese personality Takeshi Kitano (acting under the alias Beat Takeshi) plays Azuma, a brutal but honorable cop at the end of his rope. Azuma's trying daily routine involves dealing with a naive new partner and caring for his drug-dependent, mentally challenged sister. When a friend on the police force is killed and his sister is kidnapped by drug dealers, Azuma begins walking a mercilessly vengeful path that leads to a shocking finale.

VIOLENT COP is a stunning first feature from Kitano, who took over for veteran director Kinji Fukasaku after he left the project. Primarily known as a television comedian, Kitano rewrote the script to better suit his surprisingly dark vision of the film, which serves an intriguing introduction to his unique directorial style, combining scenes of extreme violence with beautifully meditative shots. Elevating the then-waning yakuza genre to a more artistic level, Kitano's film is a landmark in late 20th century Japanese cinema.