Inugami

Many may find this slow going, but it is beautifully shot, and compellingly strange. This kind of folk myth is not often seen on the screen, and hardly ever in such a low-key, erotic style. And there is nothing so terrible about the soundtrack, except perhaps to opera snobs who can't bear to hear Verdi put to use in such an out-of-context way. Not a great film, but above-average for this genre. The Japanese countryside is gorgeous, the atmospherics are evocative, and the actors, particularly the women, are all first rate. Throw in some fascinating scenes of paper making, and on the other hand, some beautifully framed sex scenes, and this is certainly much more watchable than many of its American equivalents.

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.

I can't really make a fair comment on this film as I wasn't giving it my full attention, and I gave up on it halfway through.

I liked the way it looked, the mystery, and the exploration of Japanese traditions, history and equivalent of karma. These are all rolled in quite nicely with the horror, in this movie.

Though it seemed like it had a lot of threads, I followed the main ones very easily. There were some threads which I couldn't follow at all, and that's probably why I gave up on it.

Again, I wasn't giving it my full attention, and I'm not a particular fan of horror, so it may not be the film's fault.

This is not the sort of film to watch when your in a pop corn kind of a mood. It's Beautifully shot strange slightly disturbing film. Not quite a horror film not quite a thriller more like a dark family slightly supernatural Saga. It's Buffy meets Eastenders

Set in a sleepy village one of the Japanese Islands Inugami is the story of the Boymaina Family headed by a feckless drunken womanizing hereditary Shinto priest Takanao, Miki Takanao quiet Spinster from the start you can see there is some dark dynamic between brother an sister. there the family burdened by guilt and honor to there shine and long and dark history as guardians of Inugami "Dog gods", it's slowly killing them. As in all sleepy villages the appearance of stranger the teacher Akira is the catalyst for sinister deaths and unnatural occurrences like miki suddenly looks 20 years younger. Miki & Akira are strongly attracted to each other things go bad.

Family secrets are revealed dark and unpleasant as is the nasty superstitions of the villages. each revelation adding to the plot and twisting it. It also ask's questions about morality, honor, tradition good & evil all are twisted. There confusing too like what do the dreams mean? what does the ending mean. It does give you enough clues to work out your own explanations. Personally I love oblique endings give you a chance to exercise your imagination.

There are some great characters Tomie Bonomia miki's mother watch her closely say no more, Takanao torn by his desires & Honor you can see he loose the will to live little by little as he becomes more and more detached. And Fusa the delivery girl who looks just like Sandy from Monkey.

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.