Crying Freeman (1995)

Director:

Christophe Gans

Writers:

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

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 Katô	...	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
Paul McGillion	...	Detective
Russell Ferrier	...	Detective
Ravinder Toor	...	Detective
Janie Woods-Morris	...	Mery
Giorgio Miyashita	...	Ryuji's Bodyguard
Michael Hirano	...	Bedroom Yakuza
Minh Ly	...	Bedroom Yakuza
Ed Hong-Louie	...	Soya Plant Supervisor
Ivy Ng	...	Witch
Paul Wong	...	Photographer
Floyd Faircrest	...	Gallery Assassin
Victor Favrin	...	Gallery Assassin
Morgan Lam	...	Boy in Lobby
Brian Rogne	...	Restaurant Bodyguard (as Bryan Rogne)
Alex Diakun	...	Antonio Rossi
Aundrea MacDonald	...	Kari
Akio Higashio	...	Yakuza Boss
Yukio Kasukawa	...	Yakuza Boss
Zuien Konomura	...	Priest
Mark Oki	...	Mr. Dogaki
Annie Lee	...	Bordello Girl
Yuka Kobayashi	...	Lady Hanada's Maid
Hiro Kanagawa	...	Temple Yakuza
Endo Hidemine	...	Temple Yakuza
Kenji Shimizu	...	Smoking Yakuza

Directed by
Christophe Gans

Writing credits
Kazuo Koike		(comic) and
Ryoichi Ikegami		(comic)
Christophe Gans		(writer) &
Thierry Cazals		(writer)
Roger Avary		uncredited
Laurie Finstad-Knizhnik		uncredited

Produced by
Robert Frederick	....	co-producer
Samuel Hadida	....	producer
Victor Hadida	....	executive producer
Takashige Ichise	....	executive producer (as Taka Ichise)
Aki Komine	....	co-producer
Mitsuru Kurosawa	....	planner
Michele White	....	associate producer
Brian Yuzna	....	producer

Original Music by
Patrick O'Hearn

Cinematography by
Thomas Burstyn

Film Editing by
Christopher Roth
David Wu		(supervising film editor)

Casting by
PoPing AuYeung

Production Design by
Douglas Higgins
Alex McDowell

Set Decoration by
Marianne Kaplan

Costume Design by
Toni Burroughs-Rutter

Makeup Department
Gitte Axen	....	assistant makeup artist
Adam Behr	....	special makeup effects artist
Rosalina Da Silva	....	makeup artist
Kandace Loewen	....	hair stylist
Shauna Magrath	....	second assistant makeup artist
Yvonne Weber	....	key makeup artist: second unit

Production Management
David Rowell	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jim Brebner	....	assistant director
William Gereghty	....	second unit director
Pierre Henry	....	first assistant director: second unit
David Markowitz	....	first assistant director: second unit
Benjamin Rosenberg	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Dean Eilertson	....	assistant property master
Kate Marshall	....	set decoration buyer
Thierry Segur	....	storyboard artist
Grant Swain	....	property master
Stephen Wright	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)

Sound Department
Bill Mellow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill Sheppard	....	temp dub
Cal Shumiatcher	....	sound designer
Kerry Uchida	....	sound effects editor
Rob Young	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
James Paradis	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Bruno Lesieur	....	creature modeler
Bruno Maillard	....	title designer
Thierry Malherbe	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Marc Akerstream	....	stunts (as Mark Akerstream)
Scott J. Ateah	....	stunt coordinator
Curt Bonn	....	stunts
Mike Ching	....	stunts (as Michael Ching)
Jeff Chivers	....	stunts
Dean Choe	....	stunts
Ed Chow	....	stunts
Mike Crestejo	....	stunt assistant
Mike Crestejo	....	stunts
Marny Eng	....	stunts
Alette Falle	....	stunts
Bill Ferguson	....	stunts
Shishir Inocalla	....	stunts
Robert Joya	....	stunts
Russell Jung	....	stunts
Steve Jung	....	stunts
Victor Kimura	....	stunts
Yuka Kobayashi	....	stunt double: Lady Hanada
Yuka Kobayashi	....	stunts
Kenji Koyama	....	stunts
Byron Lawson	....	stunts
Calvin Lee	....	stunts (as Alvin Lee)
Randy Lee	....	stunts
Robert Lee	....	stunts
Mitchell A. Lee Yuen	....	stunt double: Koh
Mitchell A. Lee Yuen	....	stunts (as Mitch Yuen)
Che Leong	....	stunts
Derek Lowe	....	stunts
David Lyle	....	stunts
Johnny Mah	....	stunts (as John Mah)
Kiyoto Matsumoto	....	stunts
Philip Nishkihawa	....	stunts (as Philip Nishikahama)
Gerald Paetz	....	stunts
Paul Pat	....	stunts
Rick Pearce	....	stunts
Darryl Quon	....	stunts (as Daryl Quan)
Ryoto Sakata	....	stunts (as Ryota Sakata)
Trish Schill	....	stunts (as Patricia Schill)
Kymberly Sheppard	....	stunts
Lee Sollenberger	....	stunt performer
David Soo	....	stunts
Ferdinand Soriano	....	stunts
Yiro Sotosono	....	stunts
Chris Suda	....	stunts
Warren Takeuchi	....	stunts
Gerry Therrien	....	stunts
Owen Walstrom	....	stunts
John Wardlow	....	stunts
Robin Webb	....	stunts
Pat Wong	....	stunts
Paul Wu	....	stunts
Richard Yee	....	stunts
Tong Lung	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Simon Hunt	....	rigging gaffer
Tenzin Lhalungpa	....	first assistant camera
Guy Paterson	....	best boy
Randal Platt	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Lisa Robison	....	second assistant camera
Ian Seabrook	....	second assistant camera
Neil Seale	....	camera operator
Neil Seale	....	camera operator: second unit
Michael Wale	....	second assistant camera

Editorial Department
Lorie Olson	....	assistant editor
Kevin Willis	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Barbara Chomos	....	unit publicist
Kelly Dahliwal	....	stand-in
Zane Grewer	....	craft service
Joel Hurley	....	production assistant
Greg Jackson	....	location manager
Robert Murdoch	....	assistant location manager
Patrick Ponn	....	stand-in
Brian Roberts	....	production coordinator
Susan Standfield	....	stand-in
Harvey Wong	....	stand-in
Ronin Wong	....	stand-in (as Ronin)

Thanks
Roger Avary	....	special thanks
David Hadida	....	special thanks
Ron Perlman	....	special thanks: dubbing for Tcheky Karyo
Deborah Kara Unger	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• August Entertainment
• Crying Freeman Production
• Davis-Films
• Fuji Television Network
• Movie Vista Productions (MVP)
• Ozla Productions
• Toei Company
• Tohokashinsha Film Company Ltd.
• Yuzna Films

Distributors

• Pathé Distribution (1997) (UK) (theatrical)
• Rapid Eye Movies (1997) (Germany) (theatrical)
• América Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (France)
• Paris Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• RCV Film Distribution (Belgium)
• RCV Film Distribution (Luxembourg)
• RCV Film Distribution (Netherlands)
• Reel DVD (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Rizzoli Corriere della Sera Home Video (RCS) (Italy) (VHS)
• Toei Company (1996) (Japan) (all media)
• TriPictures (Spain)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (Germany) (DVD)

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:

Version of Long man sha shou tze yo ren (1990)

Extremely stylish

I think this movie captures the essence of the original comic book series.

Although Mark Dacascos and Julie Condra are competent in their lead roles, I think the other couple, Masaya Kato and Yoko Shimada playing Ryuji Hanada and Lady Hanada respectively, deserves some mention. The scene where they are locked in an embrace and a kiss while she pulls out the dagger stuck to his back sticks in mind.

Beautifully photographed and surprisingly not so much gore amid the violence is shown on screen. However, this is not a movie everyone will enjoy -- those with no knowledge of the series and clueless as to the atmospheric approach taken by the original creators of the series would find this movie empty.