Kwaidan: a lesson in four parts about having contact with the spirit world
Masaki Kobayashi, “Kwaidan” (1964) Often billed as a horror film, “Kwaidan” is in fact a quartet of fantasy stories of which three were based on traditional…
Japanese Films
Reviews of films from Japan.
The Eel: tale of redemption labouring under too many complex abstract themes
Shohei Imamura, “The Eel / Unagi” (1997) Japan’s boys in blue have an enviable record in obtaining a near 100% rate of criminal convictions and never…
A Tattooed Life: underrated yakuza character study expressing anti-nationalist nihilism
Seijun Suzuki, “A Tattooed Life / Irezumi Ichidai” (1965) A surprisingly touching and quite emotional drama, told in a traditional way, this is an underrated yakuza…
Royal Space Force – the Wings of Honnêamise: a handsome coming-of-age film about individual and communal redemption
Hiroyuki Yamaga, “Royal Space Force – the Wings of Honnêamise / Ôritsu uchûgun Oneamisu no tsubasa” (1987) A very visually handsome and often stunning film to…
Steamboy: epic cyberpunk film shooting its load too quickly and running out of steam
Katsuhiro Otomo, “Steamboy / Suchimoboi” (2004) A decade in the making, Katsuhiro Otomo’s second full-length film is an epic cyberpunk fantasy that carries a message about…
Suicide Club: gory horror flick intended as interrogation of the state of modern Japanese society
Sion Sono, “Suicide Club / Jisatsu Sakuru” (2002) Famous for its controversial premise, full-on gory presentation and an arresting opening sequence of 54 school-girls jumping off…
Branded to Kill: existentialist yakuza thriller parody of the corporate rat-race and its values
Seijun Suzuki, “Branded to Kill / Koroshi no Rakuin” (1967) After his previous gangster flick “Tokyo Drifter”, director Suzuki fell afoul of his bosses at Studio…
Tokyo Drifter: surreal pop-art gangster flick riffing on corporate loyalty and surviving in a corrupt world
Seijun Suzuki, “Tokyo Drifter / Tokyo nagaremono” (1966) A tale of larger-than-life characters grappling with their consciences and their loyalty to their superiors and the life…
Laputa, Castle in the Sky: a joyful adventure film with an earnest social responsibility message
Hayao Miyazaki, “Laputa, Castle in the Sky / Tenko no shiro Ryaputa” (1986) One of Studio Ghibli’s great joys, this film has everything you could possibly…
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind: visually beautiful film with a strong but naive and woolly-brained ecological message
Hayao Miyazaki, “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind / Kaze no tani no Naushika” (1984) Based on his own manga of the same name, Miyazaki’s…