Pikunikku

Picnic (1996) - Movie

Picnic, directed by Shunji Iwai, is a surreal and poetic Japanese film that explores themes of mental illness, existential searching, and human connection through a dreamlike lens. Set mostly within the walls of a bleak mental asylum and its desolate outskirts, the story follows three young patients-Coco, Tsumuji, and Satoru-who each carry emotional wounds and delusions that shape their reality.

Coco, a fragile girl with a troubled past, forms a strange bond with Tsumuji, who believes the end of the world is imminent. After discovering a Bible, Tsumuji becomes convinced the world will end on a date he misinterprets, and the trio begins preparing for doomsday. They break out of the asylum and embark on a whimsical, sometimes dark, journey across the city's rooftops, believing they must find the perfect spot to witness the apocalypse-a "picnic" with the end of everything.

Shot in a grainy, washed-out style that heightens its haunting beauty, Picnic blends fantasy and despair. The characters' distorted perceptions and naive attempts to understand the world offer a stark commentary on the alienation and confusion felt by the mentally ill, and perhaps by youth in general. The film shifts between eerie silence, philosophical musings, and bursts of childlike joy, often blurring the line between imagination and reality.

As their journey nears its end, Coco comes to her own interpretation of freedom and existence, which leads to a quiet, ambiguous conclusion that invites reflection rather than resolution. The ending suggests both an escape and a transcendence, depending on the viewer's perspective.

Minimalist in plot but rich in emotional depth and atmosphere, Picnic is a contemplative work that uses its 68-minute runtime to leave a lasting impression. It remains one of Iwai's most enigmatic and visually poetic creations.

Review written by artist jayakumar jrain.

Iwai's Swallowtail and Love Letter are two of my favourite films. Asano and Chara are high calibre actors, and there are the stunning visual set pieces we've come to expect from Iwai, including the most arresting, startling suicide death ever committed to celluloid, a thing of sheer beauty. Unfortunately, the story is just too flimsy. The characters are not developed beyond their prognosis; Asano's demon makes disturbing hallucinatory appearances, but apart from that back story the rest is just three mentally disturbed people walking (and walking, and walking...) on a wall. There seems to be a short version and an extended version kicking about - I had the extended version, and it felt long. This seems to work better as a short film. The pseudo-Christian references are lame, a bum note in an otherwise passable effort. Thankfully, Iwai paid more attention to script in his later outings. This early one is strictly for fans looking to chart the director's development.

How do one feels the rules, the World, the Bible, and love when s-he's mentally disturbed? Reaaly cool! Chara and Asano Tadanobu are awesome and it has incredible cinematography as i think it can be expected from Shunji Iwai. The cinematography enhances the whole stuff, with a crescendo till the very end of the movie. It tells a lot while keeping it low on the words, as it let one feels from the inside point of view thanks to the humor and the great sensibility that are put into it. Overall a charming movie, on a barely easy field :)

This is the second Shunji Iwai movie for me. His films aren't officially available in France, which is a real pain in the *ss.

I've seen Love Letter, Swallowtail Butterfl, April Story from Iwai Shunji before this shortfilm.And I finally got to see it several days ago.

It's really great,another gem from Iwai.It's the best shortfilm I've ever seen,I think.

It feels like an allegory ,about our society and something we lost while struggling in it.I can't say out the signification clearly,but it DOES make me ponder about many things.

And the cinematography,is very beautiful.I got deeply absorbed in the dreamlike picture,especially the slowly_fluttering black feathers in the last scene.I felt overwhelmingly sad at the time.

All the performances are perfect,embodying the significance Iwai intended for.

According to the four films I've seen, Iwai Shunji is the hope of Japan film industry.Expect more stunning from him.

I am very impressed by shunji iwai's films just like everyone else seems to be. I loved swallowtail butterfly so much. This film was good too, but it seemed to lack the feeling of reality and the created world in swallowtail.

Chara is really awesome, and the other two guys do well at times, and lack at times in their acting skills. the loony people just don't always seem that looney, you can at times tell that they are just acting that way.

still the film is done beautifully, and the story is interesting enough. watching three crazy people take a walk on a wall to see the end of the world is certainly original, and surprises may come. so anyhow. i would say that you should watch this, but don`t miss swallowtail.