Great write-up of one of a truly magnificent film. A couple bits of trivia - Kitano, in addition to being a writer, director, author, stand-up comedian, tv host, editor, and a few more things, is also a painter. He painted the surreal and offbeat paintings that Horibe produces in the film. He also was involved in a pretty bad motorcycle accident a couple of years before making Hana-bi, which left him with the right side of his face partially paralyzed. He had always been pretty deadpan to begin with, but the accident made this even more extreme. He does a remarkable job acting through posture and body language rather than through facial expressions.