I watched this once and then stored it. The included chapter list has some stains. Review Director/Screenplay: Yoichi Sai Original Work: Yang Seok-il Screenplay: Yoshinobu Tei Cinematography: Takeshi Hamada Art Direction: Toshihiro Isomi Lighting: Takashi Takaya Cast: Takeshi Kitano / Kyoka Suzuki / Tomoko Tabata / Joe Odagiri / Yutaka Matsushige / Yuko Nakamura / Mihoko Tadanono / Mari Hamada / Sansei Shiomi / Shushi Kashiwabara / Atsushi Ito / Kazuki Kitamura / Jun Kunimura -- Contents (from the "CD Journal" database) From Amazon In 1923, Kim Jun-pyeong (Takeshi Kitano) left his homeland of Jeju Island, Korea, and came to Osaka, Japan. This man, filled with desires for money and sex, trusts only his own body and has no sense of common sense or morality. He continues to reign over his family and town before and after the war... Based on Yang Seok-il's autobiographical epic novel, this is a definitive drama filled with violence and eroticism, directed by the brilliant Yoichi Sai. Takeshi Kitano plays the protagonist, who lives solely for his desires, using his wives, relatives, and even mistresses as stepping stones, with an unparalleled intensity and presence. The depiction of the women around him (Kyoka Suzuki, Tomoko Tabata, Yuko Nakamura, Mari Hamada, etc.) and their intense lives is also impressive. Despite the sometimes appalling scenes, the overwhelming power of the visuals forces the viewer to confront the screen. It transcends mere personal preference and evokes a sense of ethnicity and kinship in all viewers with the true power unique to cinema. One can only bow down to the directing power that achieves this. This is an excellent home drama, a paean to a people, a personal Showa history, and a masterpiece of human drama that could only be achieved by director Yoichi Sai.