“Violent Cop” (その男、凶暴につき), Original Release Japanese Movie Poster 1989, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) I361

This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed in 1989 for the first theatrical release of Violent Cop / その男、凶暴につき / Sono otoko, kyōbō ni tsuki, directed by and starring Takeshi Kitano / Beat Takeshi.

This is one of the most highly sought-after Japanese movie posters from Kitano’s filmography, marking the beginning of his career as a major filmmaker.

Violent Cop was Takeshi Kitano’s directorial debut, a stark and uncompromising neo-noir crime film that introduced the quiet brutality, deadpan tension, sudden violence, and minimalist visual style that would come to define much of his later work.

Kitano plays Detective Azuma, a volatile, Dirty Harry-type police officer whose brutal and unorthodox methods place him at odds with both criminals and the system itself. After the suicide of his friend and colleague Iwaki, and the kidnapping of his sister by yakuza gangsters, Azuma descends into an increasingly violent personal war, breaking every rule in pursuit of revenge and justice.

The poster features a powerful black-and-white full-body portrait of Takeshi Kitano, standing centrally against a stark pale background. Huge Japanese typography dominates the composition, with the bold kanji 「凶暴」 / “violent” cutting across the centre of the image. The title text 「その男、凶暴につき」 translates roughly as “That Man, Being Violent”, also known internationally as Violent Cop or Warning: This Man Is Wild.

The design is minimalist, confrontational, and instantly memorable — perfectly matching the film’s stripped-down, cold-blooded atmosphere. Rather than relying on action imagery, the poster presents Kitano as an immovable, dangerous presence, making it one of the strongest and most iconic Japanese crime posters of the late 1980s.

The poster also features credits for 監督・主演 / Director & Star: Beat Takeshi, and 製作 / Producer: Kazuyoshi Okuyama, with distribution by Shochiku-Fuji / 松竹富士株式会社.

About the film
Violent Cop / その男、凶暴につき is a landmark Japanese crime film and the first directorial work by Takeshi Kitano. Released in 1989, it marked the transition of Beat Takeshi from television comedian and actor into one of Japan’s most internationally respected filmmakers.

The film’s bleak tone, sudden bursts of violence, emotional restraint, and morally ambiguous lead character helped establish the style that Kitano would later refine in works such as Boiling Point, Sonatine, Hana-bi, and Brother.

Why collectors prize this example
Directorial debut: this poster represents the beginning of Takeshi Kitano’s filmmaking career.

Original 1989 release: printed for the film’s first Japanese theatrical campaign.

Iconic monochrome design: stark black-and-white portraiture with massive Japanese typography.

Highly sought-after Kitano poster: one of the key pieces for collectors of Japanese crime cinema, Beat Takeshi, and late-1980s Japanese film design.

Condition
This poster is in excellent condition.

It presents beautifully, with strong contrast, clean overall appearance, and superb visual impact. Please refer carefully to the imagery, showing both the front and back, as this is the exact poster that is for sale.

It is over 35 years old!

It is not a reproduction and not a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.