In the Realm of the Senses: two lovers pursuing happiness and freedom in a repressive society
Nagisa Oshima, “Ai no korida / In the Realm of the Senses” (1976) Forty years ago this film was made and it still has the power…
Japanese Films
Reviews of films from Japan.
Dead Sushi: wacky comedy horror film takes pot-shots at corporate culture and greed, and food obsessions
Noboru Iguchi, “Dead Sushi” (2012) In the tradition of wacky Japanese comedy horror flicks comes this little number that takes a bizarre concept (bloodthirsty monster sushi)…
Ugetsu: a parable of two men in pursuit of fame and glory, with social justice themes
Kenji Mizoguchi, “Ugetsu” (1953) Two interwined morality plays about peasants blinded by thoughts of personal fame and glory are the basis for an exploration of love,…
A socialist revolutionary parable and story of Buddhist compassion in “Yuki: Snow Fairy”
Tadashi Imai, “Yuki: Snow Fairy” (1981) In the hands of Tadashi Imai, notable as a director of social realist films in Japan in the 1950s /…
Onibaba: a psychological horror study with an anti-war theme
Kaneto Shindo, “Onibaba” (1964) An old Japanese Buddhist tale of a woman who uses a mask to frighten her daughter from visiting a temple becomes in…
French and French-language Films, Japanese Films
The Red Turtle: a pretty and glossy package with a conservative and banal message
Michaël Dudok de Wiet, “The Red Turtle” (2016) God save us all from pretty packages with lots of high gloss finish and finicky attention to detail…
RoboGeisha: a quirky and outrageous sci-fi film with a message of love, connection and reconciliation
Noboru Iguchi, “RoboGeisha” (2009) For a film about two sisters and their love-hate relationship, “RoboGeisha” offers more than just the usual floods of tears, emotional declamations…
I Live in Fear: a portrait of society in denial of looming nuclear attack disaster
Akira Kurosawa, “I Live in Fear” (1955) I must admit to not being very impressed with this film: it seems like an over-long and overwrought soap…
Spirited Away: a lavish film representing the peak of Studio Ghibli’s creativity and the start of its decline
Hayao Miyazaki, “Spirited Away” (2001) In many ways, “Spirited Away” represents the peak of Studio Ghibli’s creativity and innovation, and the beginning of its decline as a creator…
Kakekomi: historical soap opera drama labouring under several sub-plots to tackle serious social issues
Masato Harada, “Kakekomi Onna to Kakedashi Otoko” (2015) A light-hearted historical drama set in Japan during the early 1840s, “Kakekomi …” combines comedy with some social…