Beat

A bartender's life in the US-controlled Okinawa of the 60's. A life among yanks, hookers, and friends. A colourful comedy and tragedy with a strong musical presence.
A flourishing entertainment industry has developed on Okinawa, i.e. entertainment fitting young American GI's: bars, liquor, and prostitution. This is where Takeshi has come for easy jobs, leisure, and fast money. Thanks to his good English, he befriends the American soldier Ryan,
and recru its him for some different shady activities. As it turns out, Ryan has a more serious definition of friendship than Takeshi.
Takeshi and his ex-girlfriend work in the same bar. She has a new boyfriend,
a big American that Takeshi does not like at all. In the frustration of his life and situation, Takeshi orchestrates a prank during an American air raid exercise. The film begins and takes off in a furious pace.
You can not tell that this is the director's screen debut. Theatrical director Miyamoto shows his capabi I ity to work with a camera and explores all angles and possibilities. One thing about theater does come to mind, the drama symbol of the laughing and the crying masks. Without giving away too much of the plot,
I can say that the masks appear in the film. Not literally, but symbolically through the mysterious shift in the story.
The music and pace - the beat - flows through the film like the film's heart beats. It works with Miyamoto's blistering and colorful images and it is seductive and exciting. Image and sound are in a wonderful cooperation with the story and characters. Hopefu Ily th is wi II not be Miyamoto's lastfilm, forthe sake of us who do not have the opportunity to see his theatrical productions in Japan.
FREDRIK STENSHAMN

Premiärstatus
Skandinavisk premiär: Medverkande
Claude Maki,Yuki Uchida,Dean Stapleton: Producent
Shinya Kawai: Manus
Amon Miyamoto: Foto
Gennikichi Hasegawa: Talat språk
Japanese