Takeshi Kitano

Beat Takeshi awarded France's top cultural honor

Wednesday 10th March, 07:07 AM JST

PARIS —

Film director Takeshi Kitano was conferred Tuesday France’s highest honor for arts and culture in a ceremony in which the French culture minister lauded him for bringing spontaneity and a message of freedom to his big-screen productions.

‘‘I have developed a longing for Paris the cultural center. (Receiving this decoration) is like a dream,’’ said a joyous Kitano on being named a Commander of the Order of the Arts and Letters. ‘‘I feel uneasy about whether I merit this honor but I will make my best efforts at being worthy of it.’‘

Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand, who bestowed the award at the Fondation Cartier museum, also said the 63-year-old director’s works have extraordinary creativity and that they made him aware of human diversity.

The museum will be showing Kitano’s art works to the public from March 11 through Sept 12. Ahead of the award ceremony, Kitano gave Mitterrand a tour of his works at the foundation.

His films will also be screened at the Centre Pompidou museum in Paris for three months from Thursday.

Kitano, also a comedian under the name Beat Takeshi, debuted as a film director in 1989 with ‘‘Violent Cop.’’ He won the Golden Lion for best movie at the Venice Film Festival with ‘‘Hanabi’’ in 1997.

In 1999, ‘‘Kikujiro’’ was selected to compete at the Cannes Film Festival and the French government decorated him with the honorary title of Chevalier the same year.

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Latest 15 of 57 Total Comments Show All

imarkon at 07:23 PM JST - 10th March

Looks like there aren't many cinema experts in this article comments, uh?
NeoJamal at 07:49 PM JST - 10th March

Why does it surprise many that Ordre des Arts et des Lettres would commend Kitano? Salman Rushdie got his award in 2007, how noble is that?
BurakuminDes at 11:10 PM JST - 10th March

Arise, Sir Beat. Who would've thought a short slapstick comedian who looks strange could have risen to these lofty heights? Merci!
Cos at 01:20 AM JST - 11th March

Ossan, He is not "idolized" in France, his talent as a movie director is acknowledged by those that like cinema. Many directors received the same award. A number of people in France took the time to watch his movies. That can't happen in the US as on 99,9% of the territory, "theaters" only show the local crap and people never get a chance to see anything else than the 20 biggest blockbusters of the season. Kitano is not among my favorite directors (personal taste), but I can only say he did a great job.

Yes, he started as a comedian with a weird sense of humor, he also produces hours of soup for the J-TV, and he paints... So what ? Paul Newman sells tomato sauce. That has nothing to do with the value of the films. And American recognition is a pure joke as those that make the films give awards to their own products. Most of the successful Hollywood stars are untalented silicone dolls carried by tons of marketing. They chased away Chaplin in his time.
3RENSHO at 08:08 AM JST - 11th March

"...he also produces hours of soup for the J-TV"

Correct!
DenDon at 09:23 AM JST - 11th March

I totally agree with Cos, well said
yomuri at 11:05 AM JST - 11th March

What a joke. The French have absolutely no idea about the rubbish that Kitano produces for mainstream Japanese television. When Kitano first started directing he brought some good films to the industry. Sonatine and Hanabi are good works, but then everyone started to realise that Kitano could only script stories about the yakuza. Battle Royale should have been banned from release because of it's over-reliance on blood and gore and Kitano's television programmes are absolute rubbish. **The French should do their research before they hand these awards out willy-nilly. **

Kitano didnt direct Battle Royale. Well researched

I think Kintano is great and enjoy all his work, from his comedy to his movies and his art.
borscht at 12:40 PM JST - 11th March

This person is actually two different people and most of us are assuming they are one and the same. Beat Takeshi hasn't directed a movie. Kitano Takeshi has directed several. Beat is a wiseacre with a plastic hammer. Kitano is the darling of the non-Hollywood movie crowd. The French are awarding Kitano, not Beat. That said, Jerry Lewis got a similar award and he's hardly regarded as a major filmmaker in the US.

And Zatoichi, wasn't that a remake of an old TV samurai drama starring Shintaro Katsu?
bicultural at 06:39 PM JST - 11th March

This guy is a genius.
womanforwomen at 07:02 PM JST - 11th March

The French give Ordre des Arts et des Lettres to many. I have seen how they are very lavish in giving these awards. I cannot say anything about Beat Takeshi movies. Haven't seen them yet.
morriconelover at 08:32 PM JST - 11th March

Yomuri. Well, it has already been pointed out that Battle Royale is not a Kitano movie. And you think Battle Royale should be banned because of being too bloody or violent?...You cannot have seen many japanese movies then. Japan has a big production of violent movie since the 1960ties, and still a big b-movie production that relies a lot on bloody and violent setups. And many of these movies are really well known around the world and on worldwide film festivals. And not only that, but Battle Royale is maybe the most well known japanese movie among young europeans. And many consider it a great movie.
DenDon at 09:59 PM JST - 11th March

if you think Battle Royale or Kitano's films are violent you are right but missing the point. you probably shouldn't watch any classic Kurosawa either, the ending of Sanjuro is one of the most unexpected and violent images in cinema yet an absolutely revered classic.
fussagaijin at 09:57 PM JST - 12th March

Oh my lord...
SpanishEyez37 at 11:44 PM JST - 13th March

The first Kitano movie I saw was ''Battle Royale'' which I thought was brilliant. But it also led me to his other work ''Hana bi'' which to this day I still find haunting.

He is a little bit out there ,because the movie ''Takeshiis'' (sp?) is a head scratcher. But that is part of his charm ^_^
thehedonist at 09:38 AM JST - 16th March

Congratulations on the award. but, I don't need to see the whole awards ceremony three times a day for three days straight. Why does this deserve more air time than actual news??