uselesspsychicgarbage (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} nothing_inside) wrote,@ 2005-09-12 22:54:00 |
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Izo (2004)
Directed by Takashi Miike
Written by Shigenori Takechi
Edited by Yasushi Shimamura
Running Time: 128mins
Main Cast:
Kazuya Nakayama
Kaori Momoi
Ryuhei Matsuda
Ryosuke Miki
Beat Takeshi
Ken Ogata
Synopsis:
Low level assassin Izo is speared to death on a cross, but returns as a vengeful spirit so full of wrath that he is seemingly invincible as he transcends time and space killing all who cross his path.
Comments:
Nobody else in mainstream film production is as prolific as Japan's Takashi Miike, and it seems inevitable that this immutable force will leave a significant mark on film history. Having directed 33 films since his theatrical debut in 1995 with Shinjuku Triad Society, not to mention the countless straight to video and TV series efforts, the man will even be found acting (albeit briefly) in Eli Roth's (Cabin Fever) forthcoming sophomore cinematic effort Hostel. With Izo it becomes apparent that production time is a limitation, for depite its grand intentions and relatively large budget (Miike now gets the backing he wants) what is presented is a muddled and mundane, pseudo-philosophical story that fails miserably to warrant the two hour plus running time that it achieves.
With an entirely fractured narrative line, Izo ensures that space and time are as defunct for the viewer as they are for our eponymous anti-hero. As Izo, the man, travels from place to place and era to era little is done to establish the relativity of his existence, but with some level of analysis it is clear that Miike is trying to capture both the chaotic nature that drives humanity and the labyrinthine situation that our vengeful spirit finds himself in. The insertion of multiple characters with little explanation makes the film fairly difficult to penetrate, and although the inclusion of stock footage depicting the most loathsome acts of human existence serves to add substance to the notion that human violence is always forthcoming, and will always repeat itself, the film is too energetic and complex to be overly depressing or nihilistic.
Izo is Miike's first samurai flick (well the first one where a samurai sword serves as the primary weapon) and he very rarely shows any flair for the genre. The multiple conflicts touch on the unbearable as the insistence on repeating the same editing pattern for each fight does nothing to prevent the film from coming completely monotonous. Indeed when Izo kills infinity (the figure not a character) and Miike still doesn't stop you begin to wonder if a conclusion is ever his intention, because frankly at this point I was rooting for one. Of course with Miike you can always be sure that within the pandemonium there will be moments of flourish of beauty and revulsion. On numerous occasions the film withdraws to a stunningly radiant field of tall grass, a range of dazzlingly coloured flowers populate the expanse that seems to provide hints of the possibility of a benevolent direction for human nature, although there is little doubt an alternative reading could be entirely abject. In contrast to this resplendent imagery, Miike also delights with his ability to depict the most gruesome act. When Izo visits a theme park and confronts a host parents and their children it seems at first that the murderous rampage will conclude, but knowing the director and his constant desire to push the limits of decency this is predictably not the outcome and within minutes the ground is strewn with the blood spattered bodies of the young and innocent. It is of course pertinent to the message of the film: if violence prevails the weak suffer.
A mention must be made of the incredibly poor folk-singer, who along with his trusty acoustic guitar, appears on numerous occasions to perform meaningful ballads ripe with metaphor (or at least I trust that was the intention since my copy refused to subtitle these efforts) and provide me with an opportunity to take a tea break - at one point a close-up of the man's face as he sings remains on screen without a single cut for a mind-boggling seven minutes. If it wasn't clear already Izo would have benefited immensely from added time in the editing suite. The acting is bearable, although the appearance of Bob Sapp is questionable as the man, despite his enormous screen presence, is little more than a snarling beast. Takeshi Kitano makes an unexpected appearance but his talent is wasted in a role that is frequently overlooked by the screenplay, and adds an almost cameo touch to his presence. Provided with the opportunity to direct a man with the experience and skill of Kitano and then to waste him is a decision that is barely unforgivable, but then it highlights the fundamental feature defining Izo, it has potential but is ultimately a squandered opportunity.
Entertainment Value: 5/10
Potential for film-making analysis: 6/10
IMDB Vote: 5/10
Directed by Takashi Miike
Written by Shigenori Takechi
Edited by Yasushi Shimamura
Running Time: 128mins
Main Cast:
Kazuya Nakayama
Kaori Momoi
Ryuhei Matsuda
Ryosuke Miki
Beat Takeshi
Ken Ogata
Synopsis:
Low level assassin Izo is speared to death on a cross, but returns as a vengeful spirit so full of wrath that he is seemingly invincible as he transcends time and space killing all who cross his path.
Comments:
Nobody else in mainstream film production is as prolific as Japan's Takashi Miike, and it seems inevitable that this immutable force will leave a significant mark on film history. Having directed 33 films since his theatrical debut in 1995 with Shinjuku Triad Society, not to mention the countless straight to video and TV series efforts, the man will even be found acting (albeit briefly) in Eli Roth's (Cabin Fever) forthcoming sophomore cinematic effort Hostel. With Izo it becomes apparent that production time is a limitation, for depite its grand intentions and relatively large budget (Miike now gets the backing he wants) what is presented is a muddled and mundane, pseudo-philosophical story that fails miserably to warrant the two hour plus running time that it achieves.
With an entirely fractured narrative line, Izo ensures that space and time are as defunct for the viewer as they are for our eponymous anti-hero. As Izo, the man, travels from place to place and era to era little is done to establish the relativity of his existence, but with some level of analysis it is clear that Miike is trying to capture both the chaotic nature that drives humanity and the labyrinthine situation that our vengeful spirit finds himself in. The insertion of multiple characters with little explanation makes the film fairly difficult to penetrate, and although the inclusion of stock footage depicting the most loathsome acts of human existence serves to add substance to the notion that human violence is always forthcoming, and will always repeat itself, the film is too energetic and complex to be overly depressing or nihilistic.
Izo is Miike's first samurai flick (well the first one where a samurai sword serves as the primary weapon) and he very rarely shows any flair for the genre. The multiple conflicts touch on the unbearable as the insistence on repeating the same editing pattern for each fight does nothing to prevent the film from coming completely monotonous. Indeed when Izo kills infinity (the figure not a character) and Miike still doesn't stop you begin to wonder if a conclusion is ever his intention, because frankly at this point I was rooting for one. Of course with Miike you can always be sure that within the pandemonium there will be moments of flourish of beauty and revulsion. On numerous occasions the film withdraws to a stunningly radiant field of tall grass, a range of dazzlingly coloured flowers populate the expanse that seems to provide hints of the possibility of a benevolent direction for human nature, although there is little doubt an alternative reading could be entirely abject. In contrast to this resplendent imagery, Miike also delights with his ability to depict the most gruesome act. When Izo visits a theme park and confronts a host parents and their children it seems at first that the murderous rampage will conclude, but knowing the director and his constant desire to push the limits of decency this is predictably not the outcome and within minutes the ground is strewn with the blood spattered bodies of the young and innocent. It is of course pertinent to the message of the film: if violence prevails the weak suffer.
A mention must be made of the incredibly poor folk-singer, who along with his trusty acoustic guitar, appears on numerous occasions to perform meaningful ballads ripe with metaphor (or at least I trust that was the intention since my copy refused to subtitle these efforts) and provide me with an opportunity to take a tea break - at one point a close-up of the man's face as he sings remains on screen without a single cut for a mind-boggling seven minutes. If it wasn't clear already Izo would have benefited immensely from added time in the editing suite. The acting is bearable, although the appearance of Bob Sapp is questionable as the man, despite his enormous screen presence, is little more than a snarling beast. Takeshi Kitano makes an unexpected appearance but his talent is wasted in a role that is frequently overlooked by the screenplay, and adds an almost cameo touch to his presence. Provided with the opportunity to direct a man with the experience and skill of Kitano and then to waste him is a decision that is barely unforgivable, but then it highlights the fundamental feature defining Izo, it has potential but is ultimately a squandered opportunity.
Entertainment Value: 5/10
Potential for film-making analysis: 6/10
IMDB Vote: 5/10
