Japan-uary VIII Quick Picks and Pans

The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979) Director/co-writer Kazuhiko Hasegawa’s thought-provoking film is the darkest of comedies, told from the perspective of a country that has lived under the nuclear shadow. Makoto Kido (Kenji Sawada) is an eccentric high school science teacher who decides to create the ultimate experiment, an atomic bomb. He breaks into a nuclear power plant to steal radioactive materials, and proceeds to construct the deadly device. He stays one step ahead of the authorities, goading a hard-edged police inspector (Bunta Sugawara), and catching the imagination of Zero (Kimiko Ikegami), a local TV host. As government officials race against time to locate the bomb, they acquiesce to his increasingly fanciful demands (including hosting The Rolling Stones in Tokyo).

The Man Who Stole the Sun works as an allegory for the Pandora’s Box we have opened and can never close – the constant threat of nuclear annihilation (Kido calls himself “Nine,” as the ninth nation to have a nuclear arsenal). As Kido slowly succumbs to the effects of radiation poisoning, he has less to lose, and his behavior becomes more erratic. His motives are never made clear – does he act out of disdain for authority, boredom, or something else? The ambiguity surrounding the character works for him, as we’re left to speculate. When we hear the ticking bomb in the climax, we can only imagine it ticking for all of us. One thing is likely – you’ll be thinking about the film for days.

Note: It’s perplexing that this film is only available as a Japanese import DVD (The film has an English subtitle option, but alas, the extras do not). If there were ever an ideal candidate for Criterion or Arrow, this would be it.   

Rating: ****. Available on DVD (Region 2)         

Branded to Kill (1967) Seijun Suzuki’s neo-noir crime thriller is fast, sexy, and flaunts enough style for a dozen other movies. Jô Shishido stars as Gorô Hanada, one of the underworld’s top hitmen. He’s sought after for his prodigious skill with a gun, but the hunter becomes the hunted when he botches an assassination attempt. Now he’s at the top of the hitlist, pursued by a fabled killer known only as “Number 1.” To complicate things, he’s become entangled with the beautiful, mysterious Misako (Annu Mari), who enjoys pinning butterflies and birds. Branded to Kill distinguishes itself from other films in the genre, thanks to a relentless pace, inventive camera angles, and an idiosyncratic main character (who has a bizarre rice fixation). It’s required viewing for anyone with a taste for action movies that exceed the norm and keep on going.  

Rating: ****. Available on Blu-ray and DVD

 

Evil of Dracula (1974) The final film in Michio Yamamoto’s vampire trilogy doesn’t have Dracula in it, but the lead villain would have made the eponymous count proud. The title alludes to a western visitor (Roger Green), who visited Japan 200 years ago, rejected Christianity and became a demon that thirsted for human blood. Toshio Kurosawa plays professor Shiraki, who’s invited to a remote, all-female college. The principal (Shin Kishida), mourning the loss of his wife, grooms Shiraki as his successor. The new professor soon discovers that all is not well with the school, as he learns about the history of missing students, with signs pointing to the principal as the culprit. Evil of Dracula recalls Hammer’s vampire films from that era, with a dark, foreboding mansion, and lusty, nubile minions slinking around in diaphanous gowns. The film succeeds, due to improved pacing, compared to its predecessor Lake of Dracula, and an amusing performance by Kunie Tanaka as Dr. Shimomura, who espouses his formidable knowledge about local vampire lore. Great fun.

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray (in boxed set, The Bloodthirsty Trilogy)

The H-Man (1958) Ishirô Honda’s overlooked sci-fi film is a spiritual precursor of sorts to Matango, dealing with body transformation themes. Hydrogen bomb testing in the Pacific affects the crew of a merchant vessel, turning them into puddles of glowing green slime. Back on the mainland, police are on the lookout for a notorious member of a drug smuggling ring. One of their key members has been exposed to the same radiation, and become a shadowy figure, who disappears into the night. His girlfriend Chikako (Yumi Shirakawa), a nightclub singer, might be the key. She’s joined by young researcher, Dr. Masada (Kenji Sahara), who attempts to uncover the secret of the disappearing man. Chikako and Masada face an uphill struggle to convince a skeptical police inspector (Akihiko Hirata) to listen to them. A noir-ish vibe and creepy low-key effects combine to make this something special.

Rating: ***½. Available on DVD

Cold Fish (2010) Director/co-writer Shion Sono’s (with Yoshiki Takahashi) thriller, allegedly based on a true story, paints a bloody portrait of a dysfunctional family triad who become enmeshed in the whims of a sociopath. Nobuyuki Syamoto (Mitsuru Fukikoshi) runs a small tropical fish shop with his distant wife Taeko (Megumi Kagurazaka) and troubled daughter Mitsuko (Hikari Kajiwara). When his daughter is caught shoplifting at a supermarket, Syamoto has a chance encounter with Yukio Murata (Denden), the wealthy, charismatic owner of a rival aquarium store. We quickly discover Murata’s warm demeanor and generous nature is only a façade for his bullying, violent tendencies, as he uses Syamoto’s family as pawns. Syamoto soon becomes his unwitting “apprentice,” as an accomplice to his shady business dealings and murder (or as Murata calls it, making people “invisible”). Sono doesn’t shy away from Murata’s gory deeds, but if you have a strong stomach, it’s a compelling portrait of deceit and psychological manipulation.   

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray (Region B) and DVD

Wolf Guy (1975) Sonny Chiba stars as Akira Inugami, the last of his kind – he’s not exactly a wolfman – he doesn’t transform into another form, but possesses the attributes of a wolf, with heightened senses and quick reflexes. Inugami helps a tiger-woman/junkie fight yakuza thugs and shady government agents who want to harness her energy for their own nefarious ends. Based on the manga Urufu Gai by Kazumasa Hirai and directed by Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, it’s a nutty blend of action and horror, and a hell of a ride. Just watch it. You’ll be glad you did. And don’t forget to fasten your seatbelts.

Rating: ***½. Available on Blu-ray, Shudder, Kanopy

Lake of Dracula (1971) This is the second title of Yamamoto’s loose trilogy, bookended by The Vampire Doll (1970) and Evil of Dracula (1974). Shin Kishida stars in the title role, with a performance that’s closer to Lee than Lugosi, imposing and animalistic.  Akiko (Midori Fujita) re-experiences a traumatic event from her past, and begins to notice people in her town are falling under the spell of a mysterious figure. Unfortunately, her younger sister Natsuko (Sanae Emi) and fiancée Dr. Takashi Saeki (Chôei Takahashi) refuse to believe her. The first two-thirds drag (most of the action is reserved for the final act), but it’s heavy on atmosphere.

Rating: ***. Available on Blu-ray (in boxed set, The Bloodthirsty Trilogy)

Tomie (1998) Director Ataru Oikawa and writer Ataru Oikawa’s tepid adaptation of the Junji Ito manga is slow going, but it has its moments. Miho Kanno plays Tomie Kawakami, a girl with a mesmerizing effect on all who cross her path. Death and misfortune follow. The film could have benefitted from more of Ito’s signature style and general weirdness. Instead, we’re subjected to a collection of generic J-horror tropes with a singular story (instead of the episodic narrative from the manga). The most damning aspect, however, is Kanno’s bland performance, failing to capture the alluring quality of the titular character. Skip the film and read the manga instead.

Rating: **. Available on DVD

NOTE: This is my 100^th edition of Quick Picks and Pans (I’ve really done that many?). Thanks to all my readers, old and new!

The Great Yokai War (aka: Yôkai Daisensô)

(2005) Directed by Takashi Miike; Written by Takashi Miike, Mitsuhiko Sawamura and Takehiko Itakura; Based on the novel Teito Monogatari by Hiroshi Aramata, and the works of Shigeru Mizuki; Starring: Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Hiroyuki Miyasako, Chiaki Kuriyama, Bunta Sugawara and Kaho Minami; Available on Blu-ray (Region 2) and DVD

Rating: ***½

“If this film turned out to be boring, I would’ve wasted a year of my life. But I was having lots of fun during that time. I thought I made a film that was close to what I was thinking, so that was good. I’m satisfied, but is everyone okay with this?” – Takashi Miike (from documentary, The Making of The Great Yokai War)

Takashi Miike is infamous for films that test your intestinal fortitude, such as Audition, Visitor Q, and Ichi the Killer, but those titles are only the tip of his extensive filmographic iceberg. Miike proves he has a softer side with his (gasp) family friendly supernatural adventure The Great Yokai War. It’s a remake, of sorts, of 1968’s Big Monster War (aka: Yôkai Daisensô), which pitted a vengeful Babylonian demon against Japanese spirits, commonly known as yokai. Miike’s version (based loosely on the source material for the 1968 film, as well as the novel Teito Monogatari by Hiroshi Aramata) keeps the action in the modern era, but the stakes are just as high, in a battle between yokai clans. The joint production between Kadokawa Pictures (celebrating its 60^th anniversary) and Nippon Television Network underwent an extensive pre-production phase to bring the myriad yokai to life, thanks to fanciful designs by Junya Inoue and Tomo Hyakutake, makeup by Yuichi Matsui, and CGI effects by Kaori Otagaki.

After his parents’ divorce, 10-year-old Tadashi (Ryûnosuke Kamiki) moves from the big city to the country, to live with his mother and semi-senile grandfather (who experiences intermittent moments of lucidity). In the small fishing village, old traditions are alive and well. He attends a festival, enduring the jeers of his fellow schoolmates, who mock his ignorance of local customs. The festival features a Kirin Dance, where he’s chosen as the “Kirin Rider,” the “Guardian of peace, friend of justice.” “Kirin Rider” proves to be more than just an honorary title, as he lands in the middle of a looming battle between yokai factions which threatens the end of human civilization. Soon, Tadashi becomes immersed in the strange parallel world of yokai, starting with a cute little forest sprite that resembles a cross between a cat and a ferret, Sunekosori, which only he can see. He embarks on a quest to the Great Tengu Mountain, to obtain a sword that will help him vanquish the enemies of peace. He’s aided by a trio of yokai: Shoujou (Masaomi Kondo), the leader of the Kirin Dance, Kawataro (Sadao Abe), an excitable amphibious half-human/half-turtle known as a kappa, and Kawahime (Mai Takahashi), a river princess. They attempt to recruit other yokai in the impending war, although they face formidable opposition by the evil yokai Agi (Chiaki Kuriyama) and malevolent spirit Lord Kato (Etsushi Toyokawa).

The Great Yokai War is a who’s who of spirits from classic Japanese folklore. One of the pleasures of watching the film is identifying the various yokai, of every conceivable size, shape and description. It’s a terrific introduction for the uninitiated to the strange and wonderful world of yokai, as well as a treat for yokai enthusiasts to see their favorite spirits in action. The film is stuffed with old and new favorites. An exhaustive list is beyond the scope of this review, but some highlights are the aforementioned kappa, the faceless Nopperabo, an animated umbrella, Kara-kasa, Rokura Kubi, a long-necked woman, Yuki-Onna, a snow woman (she declines to participate in the battle, because it’s not her season).

Miike wanted a departure from traditional designs. He succeeded, but not to distraction – the results on-screen are easily recognizable, yet with a stylistic twist. The filmmakers employed a combination of CGI* and practical effects to bring the yokai to life. Don’t expect Hollywood levels of computer-generated wizardry, but photorealistic imagery isn’t the goal. The Great Yokai War boasts some imaginative makeup. According to yokai designer Tomo Hyakutaka, the filmmakers originally planned to render Ippon Datara, a red-furred sword-making yokai with one giant foot, with CGI. They wisely chose to create a suit instead.

* Fun Fact: According to CGI director Kaori Otagaki, 20 million yokai appear in final crowd scenes, compared to 1.2 million, cited in some reports.

If you come away from The Great Yokai War with the impression it’s nothing but a bunch of silly creatures running around, you’ve missed the point. Amidst all the mayhem, Miike and company have integrated some mature themes about growing up and environmental responsibility. Although Tadashi seems to follow the reluctant hero trope,* it doesn’t take long for him to come around. As Tadashi accepts his role as the Kirin Rider, we see his right of passage from a child to the man he will eventually become. One of the film’s conceits is that adults don’t see yokai, implying they have lost the tenuous connection with nature and their childhood. Most adults refuse to see the extraordinary, favoring the practical and mundane instead. One notable exception is Sata (Hiroyuki Miyasako), a yokai-obsessed journalist who briefly catches a glimpse of Kawahime, who saved him from drowning as a child. The other prevalent theme, humanity’s wanton destruction of nature, results in life out of balance. The erratic, wary behavior of the yokai suggest there’s a delicate link between yokai and the natural world. We’re left with the sobering realization that we brought the calamity upon ourselves with our greed and carelessness. Shoujou describes Yomotsumono, a massive, city-sized yokai that threatens Tokyo, as “the accumulated wrath of resentful things humanity had used and thrown away.” Yokai, as depicted in the film, are long-lived, but not eternal. We’re in danger of losing them forever, literally or metaphorically, through environmental strife, or folklore failing to pass down from one generation to the next. If the yokai go, we could be next. As Princess Kawahime states, “Those who discard their past have no future.”

* On a side note, I’m always annoyed by movies that take too long for the protagonist to accept his/her fate. It’s a contrivance that only serves to stall the plot.

At times, spectacle threatens to overwhelm the story in the effects-laden climax. It feels as if the filmmakers loved the subject so much, endeavoring to bring as many yokai to the screen as possible, that they couldn’t bear to part with anything. While the onscreen action seems bloated at times, the film never loses its heart. There are some heavy themes peppered throughout, but it doesn’t compromise its sense of fun. The Great Yokai War understands its audience, giving us a little more in the bargain. Amidst the eye candy, Miike has included some challenging elements for those who wish to explore them. It’s a tantalizing mixture that rewards on multiple viewings.  

References:

• Sci-Fi Japan article, “A look at the incredible fantasy adventure Yôkai Daisensô from Takashi Miike and Kadokawa Pictures,” by Keith Aiken.

•  Short documentary, The Making of The Great Yokai War

• Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide, by Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt