Inugami

A mini-festival spared me the bother of buying this, and gave the opportunity of seeing it on a large screen. "Inugami" opens with an aerial shot of a two-lane following the low winding juncture of two lushly forested mountains. It's the kind of landscape that inspires Hayao Miyazaki. At the end of the line, find a small, insular, modern-day village, on whose outskirts a not-old old-maid follows generations-old traditions making very fine paper.

Our out-of-town protagonist falls in love with the paper-maker. Small town tensions, based both in the present and in the past, simmer, boil, explode.

Not great, but worth seeing for the scenery and paper-making alone. Put's me in mind of Mitsuo Yanagimachi's 1985 "Himatsuri."

I recently watched the Japanese film 🇯🇵 Inugami (2001) on Shudder. The story follows a schoolteacher who relocates to a quiet town, starts a new class, and begins a romance with a local woman. His new love interest, however, comes from a family with a mysterious past-one he initially brushes off, until strange occurrences begin to unravel both around him and throughout the town. Soon, he starts to question whether the old rumors might actually be true...

Directed by Masato Harada (Gunhed), the film stars Yûki Amami (Countdown), Shiho Fujimura (Zatoichi's Cane Sword), Atsurô Watabe (The Flowers of War), and Makoto Togashi (Cure).

This is definitely a film that won't be for everyone. It's a slow burn, with an eerie atmosphere and unique story elements. The world is well built and immersive, but the pacing can drag, and there's a sense that more could-and should-be happening. On the plus side, the corpse effects are creative and the autopsy scenes are particularly imaginative. The setting, especially the family home, becomes increasingly sinister as the film progresses, and there are some genuinely unsettling moments as the mystery unfolds.

The conclusion ties the mythology and plot together in a satisfying way, though it would've been stronger with a more engaging buildup.

In conclusion, Inugami offers enough intrigue and atmosphere to keep you curious, but not quite enough action or momentum to stand out in the genre. I'd give it a 6/10 and recommend it only if you're in the mood for a moody, measured supernatural drama.

This is a remarkable film and narrative, for a number of reasons.

First, the photography of the Japanese forests and mountains is exquisite. Some of the forest scenes, for example, are amazing in the way director Harada uses the camera, as though flying or drifting through upper branches, circling, swooping down and then around to focus on a young couple walking. Or, tracking along a pathway, coming up to large boulders, zooming up the face and then above and to look down directly upon a young man sitting on the top. Or, again, drifting through the mists of the forest, rising and falling as though traveling with the breeze. It was, for me, entrancing to watch and admire the skill of the shooting.

Then there is the soundtrack – a delightful combination of Western and Eastern pieces that suited every mood that the story attempts to convey. I didn't take note of the closing credits but there were many excerpts that were quite familiar, including some from Verdi.

And, having an interest in Japanese culture (I have taught Shotokan karate for nearly thirty years), it was also a delight to witness a lot of the process of making rice paper. I know that won't appeal to others as much as to me, but the practice is an integral part of the story also, acting as a counterpoint to the encroaching evil of modernity in the form of a planned harvesting of much of the forest to make way for the development of a golf course...

Add in now the actors, none of whom I'd seen before. Not that it mattered: they all performed their roles flawlessly, even though others might think some of the actors may have been overacting, particularly Kazurhiro Yamaji who played the belligerent husband and incestuous womanizer, Takanao. Yuki Amami who played Miki Bonomiya is just sublime as the main protagonist of this drama - one that surrounds the myth of the Dog Spirit that is a curse upon the Bonomiya family of the village of Omine. All of the village's troubles surface when the new teacher, Akira Nutahara (played by Atsuro Watabe) arrives to take up a new job at the school. He's much more than what he seems to be and unhappily for all, he falls in love with Miki, with startling and surprising results. And, in the background, lurks a local hunter who has killed 999 wild animals - and he's waiting for the right moment to bag number 1000...

It's a complex story that mixes ancient myth and ceremony, incestuous family ties, jealous and unrequited lovers, and a gradual descent into murderous horror. For those who enjoy the idea of ghosts or spirits, there is also the Dog Spirit, a loose translation of the title. Inugami, however, has a literal translation of 'god dog', which is a palindrome in English: looks and spells the same, either way. And that, I think, is curiously appropriate, considering the true nature of Miki and her mother, Tomie (played by Shiho Fuimura). So, for those who delve or dabble in Freudian psychology, this story is a treat; for others less inclined, it tends to be confusing especially if you pay little heed to the family connections. The subtitles, however, are up to scratch – but I did skip back a few times, just to make sure I was following the story okay.

Overall, however, the whole experience appears to move quite slowly, so some viewers will chomp at the bit, wondering why nothing much seems to be happening at various times. All I can say is: patience is a virtue.

My only real criticism is that the story ends ambiguously, appearing to remain rooted in fantasy, instead of psychology.

And finally, I was interested to note Harada had directed Kamikazi Taxi (1995), a thriller I saw ten years ago, now. I quite enjoyed that, as I have Inugami. The difference between the two in genre, pacing, narrative and mise-en-scene, however, is so great it amplifies the skill Harada shows as a director. I think Harada is, therefore, a director to watch (no pun intended) and monitor.

Not recommended for children of any age: the graphic sex scenes and violence are just too much for immature minds.

Yes, this beautifully filmed fable would have delighted Sigmund Freud. If you are really uncomfortable with the theme of incest, albeit unwitting, do not watch this movie, because it is central to the plot. As in Oedipus Rex, a grim fate hangs over and destroys the hapless characters involved. It is fascinating to watch this archetypal drama playing out in the context of a superstitious Shinto world view.

But this is not the only theme driving this complex drama. The interplay of the traditional and the modern is consistently in the forefront, and the film sees the good and the bad in both. The irreplaceable art of Japanese paper-making, which is shown in some detail, comes out of the same traditional culture that fosters destructive superstitious beliefs. Similarly, the forces of "progress" and modernity work for both good and bad purposes. A plan is afoot to cut down the beloved forest to make way for a big modern country resort, destroying what is good in the traditional culture (including the paper-making art); and yet the modern spirit of reason seems to be the only hope for freeing these villagers from the destructive superstitious beliefs that enslave them. The traditional world of Shinto is full of ghosts and deities, of beauty and horror, and it does not easily coexist with modernity. Nothing is simple here.

These are some of the themes at play in this complex fable. The film invites repeated viewings. There is much to see: it is very beautiful, and the acting is excellent. It is full of surprises, and is highly entertaining. When you watch, be careful to note the family connections of the characters. The family tree is important. Director Masato Harada has created something memorable and unique, and it cannot be easily classified in one genre or another.

This is a drama-fantasy about two Bonomiya families in the computer age, shunned by villagers because of the legendary curse of the Inugami (wild dog deities), supposedly borne by the women. It focuses on gentle spinster Miki Bonomiya (Yuki Amami). Her mother Tomiè (Shiho Fujimura) quietly/firmly rules the 'lower home'. She and surly/Internet-wise brother Takanao (Kazuhiro Yamaji) are strong believers of the curse. Miki and her younger sister Rika (Myu Watase) refute the curse. Takanao's oft-battered wife Sonoko (Shion Machida) and their children are innocent bystanders. Seiji Doi (Eugene Harada), from the 'main home', firmly sides with Miki.

Dramatic changes occur after a new teacher Akira Nutahara (Atsuro Watabe) meets Miki. He is entranced by her skill in fine paper-making (for calligraphy) and her placid beauty. Miki becomes suddenly youthful and sensuous as they begin a passionate affair. Villagers begin to gossip about their affair. Then, tension mounts as tragedies in the village are blamed on the curse of Inugami and long-hidden secrets, involving Miki and Takanao, are slowly revealed. The culmination is the annual ancestral Shinto rites in which Takanao decides on Miki as the human sacrifice to appease the dog deities.

Yuki Amami played the male roles in the decades-famous all-women Takarazuka Revue.