Crying Freeman (1995)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Christophe Gans

Writers:

Kazuo Koike (comic) and
Ryoichi Ikegami (comic) ...

Release Date:

13 January 1996 (South Korea)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Once in a lifetime comes the perfect killer.

Plot:

A lethal assassin for a secret Chinese organisation, who sheds tears of regret each time he kills, is...

Plot Keywords:

Manga | USA | Based On Comic | Male Nudity | Female Nudity

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Mark Dacascos	...	Yo Hinomura / Freeman
Julie Condra	...	Emu O'Hara
Rae Dawn Chong	...	Det. Forge
Byron Mann	...	Koh
Masaya Kato	...	Ryuji Hanada
Yôko Shimada	...	Lady Hanada
Mako	...	Shido Shimazaki
Tchéky Karyo	...	Det. Netah
Kevan Ohtsji	...	Takeshi Shimazaki
Debbie Podowski	...	Customs Agent
Murray Lowry	...	Head Customs Agent
Mikal Tang	...	Koh's Driver
Jerry Wasserman	...	Chief Randall
Tong Lung	...	Shimazaki's Bodyguard
Kiyoto Matsumoto	...	Shimazaki's Bodyguard

Also Known As:

Crying Freeman (France)
Crying Freeman (Italy) (video title) [it]
Crying Freeman - Der Sohn des Drachen (Germany) [de]
Crying Freeman: los paraísos perdidos (Spain) [es]
Eliberatorul (Romania) [ro]
Los paraísos perdidos (Spain) [es]
Mafian pyöveli (Finland) [fi]
O Combate - Lágrimas do Guerreiro (Brazil) [pt]
O Dragão (Portugal) [pt]
Samurayin gözyaslari (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Ta dakrya tou ektelesti (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

Canada | France | Japan | USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | Philippines:R-18 | Belgium:KNT | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) (cut) | France:-12 | Germany:18 (video premiere) | Italy:T | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video premiere) | New Zealand:R18 | Australia:MA | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

British Columbia, Canada

Company:

August Entertainment

Trivia:

Based on the manga Crying Freeman. There is also an anime based on the same manga, "Kuraingu furîman".

Quotes:

Shido Shimazaki: [sits at a table with laughing police men. With a forceful loud bang onto the table he breaks their laughter and says:] 'The Sons of the Dragon' exist! And so does the Freeman!

Movie Connections:

References Le samouraï (1967)

Brilliant work of art

Some spoilers may follow.

"Crying Freeman" is one of my favorite movies ever. I can watch it again and again many times. This movie is first of all a work of art. It is uncanny beautiful, in every small detail. Almost each episode I can watch through as if it were a picture of a talented artist. Graceful, elegant, very aesthetic - CF is a masterpiece of visual art. I fell in love with it when I first saw the starting credits: a wonderful katana sword turning and revealing the title in a flash: "Crying Freeman". And the rest of the credits, no less beautiful. I thought that if the creators of this movie could make the opening title so stunningly beautiful, then the movie itself would not disappoint me as well. And it didn't. But besides visual beauty, CF has a marvelous plot, actors and... Well, I'll simply say the whole blend of all things that make a movie is perfect in the "Crying Freeman". And again, when I try to describe my impression from some part of the movie, I can think of only one word - beautiful. No, even "fair". Yo Hinomura, deadly and elegant, as a katana blade. Beauty of death. And his another side - soft and artistic. Beauty of art and poetry. Emu O'Hara, fair and tender. Beauty of peace and modesty. Lady Hanada. Even she has the beauty - of pride and honor. Beauty can be found in every detail.

And deep layers that accompany each Christophe Gans' movie... You might watch "Crying Freeman" a hundred of times and on the hundred and first you'll something you haven't seen before.

I am very grateful to all the people that made the creation of "Crying Freeman" possible.