Hana-Bi

In one of Takeshi Kitano's most acclaimed films, he plays a detective who turns to crime while caring for his terminally ill wife.

Monosyllabic detective Nishi (Kitano) leaves the force after his partner Horibe is seriously wounded and two colleagues are killed in pursuit of a gunman. Dedicating his life to caring for his terminally ill wife, as well as providing for the wheelchair-bound Horibe, Nishi accrues crippling debts. After robbing a bank to ease his financial worries, Nishi takes his wife on a final holiday, pursued by loan sharks and the police.

Award the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, Hana-Bi (Fireworks) was the film that finally resulted in Kitano's recognition back home; the first of his films to receive a host of nominations at the Japanese Academy Awards.