Eyes of the Spider

Six years ago, the daughter of accountant Naomi Niijima was brutally murdered. Time has not tempered his grief, and his lust for vengeance is strong. After disposing of his daughter's killer, Niijima falls down a rabbit hole of violence and criminality from which he may never be able to escape. Quitting his job and taking up employment with an old friend, Niijima is soon a member of the Yakuza. With the police tempting him to turn states evidence on one side, and the Yakuza drawing him further into the criminal underworld on the other, will Niijima survive; or succumb completely to the darkness around him?

Written and directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 'Eyes of the Spider' is a low budget effort that is off-beat and interesting. A companion piece to 'Serpent's Path,' the film is an atmospheric, nihilistic exploration of the grieving process. Though there are many moments featuring Kurosawa's bizarre sense of humor- and there are a few violent set pieces- it is primarily a somber, psychological drama that packs quite a punch. The narrative is deceptively simple and- though the story lags in places- complex themes are examined in a mature, thoughtful way throughout.

Niijima's embrace of violence is his only remaining outlet for the pain of losing a child, which- for whatever reason- he cannot express in conventional terms. Whereas in 'Serpent's Path' the narrative is forwarded through action and reaction, 'Eyes of the Spider' is more of a cerebral experience, with considerably less voluble displays of emotion. It forces the viewer to think; to put oneself in Niijima's shoes. The grief is killing him as it forces him to kill. How would we react in such a situation? Like Niijima, would we go down the violent path? Would revenge satiate our overwhelming sense of loss? 'Eyes of the Spider' asks interesting questions, inspiring rumination on behalf of the viewer.

Loss has turned Niijima's world into a cold, colorless one, which Kurosawa shows through his muted aesthetical approach. Masaki Tamura's cinematography is frequently static, with many scenes playing out in real time. This lends proceedings an atmosphere of stark realism, which heightens the tone of silent despair that runs throughout 'Eyes of the Spider.' Absorbing and visually striking, Tamura's work lingers in the mind long after the credits have rolled. Additionally, Kan Suzuki's tight editing establishes for the film a deliberate pace that contributes to the overall narrative impact and aforementioned tone.

'Eyes of the Spider' finds Show Aikawa starring as Niijima, delivering a restrained performance of great emotional resonance. A most versatile performer, Aikawa creates a compelling and idiosyncratic character in Niijima, one whose greatest strength lies in his quietness. Like Charles Bronson, Aikawa carries with him an aura both menacing and mournful, which makes the role all the more intriguing- and his stillness all the more deadly.

Dankan co-stars as the old friend who draws Niijima into the Yakuza, bringing an intensity and charm to the role that should endear him to audiences immediately. Bizarre and unpredictable, he is a force of nature like a whirlwind; fine from a distance and incredibly dangerous up close. Also worth mentioning is the late, great Ren Ôsugi, playing the manipulative policeman Yoda. Ôsugi steals every scene he's in with his ease of performance and depth of character; one will certainly remember his work fondly.

Quiet, odd and engaging, 'Eyes of the Spider' is a simple, affecting film containing entertainment value of the intellectual and emotional variety. Powerfully acted and featuring stunning, stylish cinematography from Masaki Tamura, the film is an achievement on every level. To cut a long story short: Kiyoshi Kurosawa's 'Eyes of the Spider' is a strong film containing vengeful violence and gargantuan grief that is well worth watching.

Niijima is a man without a life. His daughter was killed six years ago, and he just got his revenge against the man that killed her. But then an old acquaintance offers him the chance to join his business, and even though it is pretty obvious it is a shady one, Niijima agrees.

"Eyes of the Spider" is a very interesting movie, full of moody moments and long shots, that depicts the life a man that takes the path of violence and destruction. Niijima just doesn't seem to have a clear focus in life, and so, it is not much a problem for him to descend into death and darkness. Kiyoshi Kurosawa does it in a very interesting manner, with short moments full of contained violence, silence and surrealism, the camera fixed on the characters. It is a very solid direction with a very clear and personal style. The acting is quite good too, Shô Aikawa doing a good job, and all those other famous Japanese actors keeping the level.

It is not especially original, as in the plot department it's just a typical yakuza movie, but that doesn't take from a very interesting depiction of a sick world. And it has some quite funny surreal moments, as Ren Ôsugi's Yoda conversation with Aikawa's Niijima in the middle of the street.

This is a grim, cleverly plotted revenge story from Kiyoshi Kurosawa - and aside from his brilliant Cure, perhaps his best film. On the surface, it's an uncompromising story of revenge. When a man loses his daughter in a brutal attack, the father connects with a man, a mathematician, clear-minded enough to help him have his revenge. But murder would be too easy; and that's where the cold, calculated tale takes unusual turns.

Kurosawa (no relation to Akira) sets his story in a drab, unflattering version of Japan where mercy is a rare commodity. In fact, the hallmarks of an Akira Kurosawa film - humanism, literacy, grand visuals - are mostly inverted. The antagonist is caught in the first few minutes, so the remainder of the film is a penetrating psychological study that's sometimes also cruel. At the same time, the director uses the template of a standard revenge story to explore something wider and deeper, and it's thrilling to watch the tale unfold. There's no musical soundtrack, no "feel-good" comic moments to escape into; it's as cold as it fascinating, all the more amazing for its unwillingness to compromise. It's not a typical revenger, and it's all the more exciting because of it. First rate.

This second half of a two part project directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa is maybe not as good as the first one but it does stand alone as a very good low budget movie. With less suspense but with little comedic inputs it is litterally imposible not to enjoy things like camera work and framing. Very reminiscent of Takeshi Kitano´s Yakuza movies, it is one of those unknown and yet to discover little jems even though the director became more known in subsequent years.

There is no need of seeing the first half called Serpents Path, because they just share the premise and production. To know more about how this very rare project came alive check the IMdb trivia page of this movie that i updated myself.

A strange story of a man who descends into a funk after he tracks down and slowly kills the man who raped and killed his young daughter. Operating in a daze, he then gets caught up in the underworld where his shattered sense of self leads to betrayal. Slow paced and confusing, this is not comfortable to sit through.