Obviously, all of us are into anime. But how many of us are into Japanese cinema that does NOT involve high school students saving the planet from giant alien robots?
In their Saturday evening panel Japanese Cinema 102: Where to go After Kurosawa, hosts Liz and Zod shared their list of the best Japanese directors–and titles–this side of famed filmmaker Akira Kurosawa. Here is just a sampling of their recommendations.
Yasujiro Ozu This postwar filmmaker is noted for his very intense films that stay with the viewer long after seeing them. Film critics consider him just as iconic as Kurosawa.
Tokyo Story (Ozu’s most well-known work in North America)
Tokyo Twilight
Early Spring, Late Spring, End of Summer (trilogy)
Shohei Imamura Born into an upper-class family, Imamura found himself dealing with Japan’s black market following World War II. As such, he gained an appreciation for the country’s underground culture that is reflected in his work.
Pigs and Battleships (this explores the strained relationship between the U.S. and Japan after the war)
Insect Woman
Intentions of Murder
Seijun Suzuki
An artist with an eye for style, Suzuki tends to lean toward yakuza fare in his work. Considered a cult filmmaker in Japanese society, noted American directors like Jim Jarmusch and even Quentin Tarantino have cited him as inspiration.
Branded to Kill
Gates of Flesh
Lupin III: Legend of Gold Babylon (yes, he was one of many directors to tackle Lupin III)
Takashi Miike
Dubbed by Zod the “James Patterson of directors,” Miike is notable for putting out a slew of movies every year. As a result, his library is vast, varied, and the most accessible for North American audiences.
Audition
Ichi the Killer
Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (yes, he is behind the 2018 live-action version of the popular manga and anime)
Hirokazu Kore-eda
Dubbed by Roger Ebert as the “heir to [Yasujiro] Ozu,” Kore-eda is noted for being empathetic and really digging into the lives of his characters, many of whom tend not to live the best lives.
Maborosi
Nobody Knows
Shoplifters (this title earned him the Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at this year’s Oscars)
In addition to directors with storied bodies of work, Liz and Zod also shared some titles that fans of Japanese cinema would definitely take to.
Godzilla (Ishiro Honda) - Do I even need to explain this movie? Hausu (Nobuhiko Obayashi) - A supernatural horror film that is unlike anything else in the genre, in Japan or any other country. How many characters in horror flicks have gotten eaten by a haunted piano? Kamikaze Girls (Tetsuya Nakashima) - Unlike most other entries on this list, Kamikaze Girls is a sweet film that will leave its viewers with a warm feeling. Liz even shared an anecdote about a former roommate who, despite not being into Japanese cinema at all, absolutely adored this picture.
I picked up “Big Bang Love, Juvenile A” (2006) two disc set directed by Takashi Miike the other day. It’s been the first movie to really move me in a while. Frequently saying inside my head, “holy shit” and “this is so fucked up” but that’s not due to anything overtly explicit or graphic in the film, Miike is just a master of suggestion. All it takes is the proper context and a shot of a running shower head to take you out of your comfort zone. Expect a lot of that plus so much more from this one; a film about two prisoners who either coincidentally or by destiny are locked up on the same day for the same crime. As their mysterious backgrounds unfold, so does a classic game of clue when a murder causes an eruption of instability to arise before a small cast. This movie is Miike to the core.
The film uses some very surreal imagery, not unlike something out of The Cabinet of Dr Caligary. Desolate, blood red backgrounds and an intense, almost tribal dance scene starts the movie off for us. Later on, ancient pyramids churn your imagination as the plot cuts to and from different points in time; it even repeats scenes under changing context and that can be disorienting if you aren’t paying attention. The set pieces are very well done with shots in claustrophobic hallways, dimly lit prison cells, and a super creepy and ambiguous ‘laundry room’. Also, the use of green screen enhance the bizarre and ever-moody nature of Big Bang Love. Couple all of this with the eerie, industrial-style soundtrack and you get a very cool presentation.
Thematically rich, one of the more easily definable issues dealt with is homosexuality and same-sex romance. There are no sex scenes per se; it’s all somewhat subtle. I felt it added so much to the tension and made for a really unique story. The use of the 'butterfly effect’ concept grants a lot of possibilities in the reasoning behind each character’s actions. It forces you to connect the dots while leaving enough room to second guess yourself. It also deals with themes of destiny, fate, existentialism, and violence. This is definitely a Miike movie and it’s one that does not hold your hand for a second. Nothing is certain, everything is up for speculation… which is my main warning to casual movie watchers: have your thinking cap ready.
The two disc set from AnimEigo comes with everything you’d expect on the actual movie disc as well as an almost 'criterionic’ second disc with special features. There’s about an hour and a half of behinds the scenes footage and an interview with Takashi Miike, plus an essay from Tom Mes who wrote two books on Miike: “Agitator” and “Re-Agitator.” Also on there are production notes and trailers. Definitely recommend finding this version of the dvd.
Tense and moody, keeping it’s feet on the ground but also so dreamlike that it might be on an entirely different planet. However, there are some brief but well done fight scenes to snap you back to the real world. Big Bang Love is lot to chew on for a run time merely 83 minutes long. It moves at a perfect pace allowing it to be cerebral but not to the point of frustration or boredom. It’s disturbing but not graphic, bloody but not gory, dramatic but not sappy… It’s surreal and yet you can relate. The film demands sympathy and is on it’s knees, begging for understanding. Although if you don’t give it a certain amount of attention it will move on without you with disregard for the fact that you’re confused. With a little consideration you will undoubtedly find a tragic love story in the thick of a murder mystery, trapping you in it’s dark, atmospheric corridors. Lots of subplot here too; good for multiple viewings. Also, I forgot to mention there is a J-horror style ghost that appears once or twice in the film. Awesome. Can’t say enough good things about Big Bang Love, Juvenile A!
been on a horror kick, looking for new j-horror movise. by ‘new’ i mean recent; 2012-2013. i have a list coming along after doing some research but i’ll write about them after i watch. i will say though that one of them is affiliated with one of my more-recent favorite directors, koji shiraishi (noroi, occult, shirome)
i think the latest j-horror i watched was 'pov: a cursed film’ which i’ve come to really enjoy; i think i’ve watched it about three times so far.
i took a long break from j-horror after feeling it become saturated as well as misrepresented by critics and reviewers putting just about every miike film into the 'horror’ box. he’s only done like one legitimate horror movie i believe, 'one missed call,’ which kind of sucked. but often i’ll see movies like ichi the killer, gozu, auditon (header) be catagorized as horror along with works of other directors such as sion sono’s strange circus which is just ridiculous and misleading. so i kind of just put it on hold and have been watching everything but 'true’ east asian horror, which you might be able to tell from this blog.
or not.
obviously when looking at true horror films from japan the first image that comes to mind is sadako from the ring series, or cat boy from ju-on, and that’s thanks to takashi shimizu; those are horror movies. not audition. also i’m just not even going to mention shinya tsukamoto, that guy transcends all genres and is a genre himself IMO.
slightly exaggerating.
so lately i’ve been craving scary movies; i’ve been watching a lot american horror films which for the most part are severely lacking, though i’ll note that i’ve quiet enjoyed 'grave encounters’, 'sinister’ and this one on netflix, i forget what its called, 'devils trail’ or something? idk its new on there. oh yeah also the 'vhs’ series i’m a huge fan of. but i’m running out of material, grinding down to movies that are just wasting time.. and because of the recent resurgence of new faces in the j-horror world that i mentioned at the beginning of this, i have my sights set on exploring some of the new scary movies out of japan, but that excludes shimizu stuff… sadako 3d, tormented, rabbit horror…etc no thx
how come koji shiraishi and takashi shimizu look identical can anyone answer that for me thanks
quick note to clarify, i’m looking for films in the horror genre that are focused on being SCARY, not gory/campy. i don’t mind gore or camp obviously.. just not what ive been in the mood for.
