Pisutoru opera

A lot of sloppiness seems to be passed off by many as "abstract" in this movie. However, even so, the amazing color work and over-all beauty of the movie makes me want to give it a 9. Unfortunately, 1 scene of the movie is making me drop the score to 7. During Hyaku-Me's monologue about her dream and flags, the boom mic bobs in and out of the scene multiple scenes. Barring this error, the movie has a 2 thumbs up soundtrack, rather good acting, and great scenery.

If ya like colors, this is the flick for you! So all you lame-o b&w Orson Welles fans who are looking for cinematic architecture and intellectual substance, go away!

Ok sarcasm aside, this is truly an enjoyable film... if you like colors. If you like to be bombarded with surreal images and bizarre plot leaps, such as characters being dead one minute, alive the next, and basically existing in an incomprehensible dream world which ends with the words "wtf" on everyone's lips, then this film will wow you.

Me personally, I liked it, but I liked it the same way I like an opera (literally an opera, get it?) where the point is to enjoy the artistry of the presentation rather than any type of storytelling.

Compare this to maybe some of Andy Worhol's experimental work, though not quite as self indulgent as an 8 hour still camera on the Empire State Building. Maybe closer to something by David Lynch, Peter Greenaway or Tarkovsky... BUT (and this is a "big butt" of Peewee Hermanian proportions), what makes it interesting is a dark comic, tongue-in-cheek sort of self mockery which keeps the film from seeming too pretentious.

So imagine all those "pretentious" filmmakers I just mentioned, but add a heavy splash of Quentin Tarantino ("Pulp Fiction"), mix vigorously and of course add lots of bloomin COLORS. Have you seen the infamous Monkees film "Head"? There ya go

I was eager to see "Pistol Opera" for a variety of reasons. I had recently seen "Branded to Kill" and the idea of a follow-up/sequel/remake by the same director intrigued me. Furthermore, I am a fan of the lead actress, Makiko Esumi, from her work on Japanese TV.

Sadly, this film goes nowhere...slowly. The plot seemed simple enough but within minutes I was lost. These "professional killers" spend nearly the entire film killing each other which begs the question who is employing these people and what purpose they serve. Lots of these scenes look wonderful and have some fun ideas, but nothing makes any sense. Characters deliver long, meandering soliloquies into the camera, flip-flopping from Japanese to English and back again. Neither language adds any clarity to the circumstances. The whole thing feels like some kind of experimental stage play, especially the final showdown where characters enter and exit bizarre scenery accompanied by strange, nearly naked dancers.

What the hell?

A series of pleasurable moments full of colors and cartoonish acting with awesome costumes and offbeat characters. Did you get the hint? The story's full of symbolism and artsyfartsy poop that won't sit well on a mainstream menu.

Not that Tetsuo the Iron-man and Pistol Opera director Seijun have the same class, but the titles Bullet Ballet and Pistol Opera just show that there must be a link between the minds of these two discontinuous narrators.

I like the lead actress, so I am biased, and I like kimonos so I am biased, and I like colorful movies, so I am biased, and I like symbolic films so I am biased, and I like discontinuous narratives, so I am biased, and I am Japanese, so I am biased: I liked the movie.

Since I saw Suzuki Seijun's 'Branded to Kill', I have been enchanted by his weird and absurdistic filmmaking style. His 'Pistol Opera' does not betray my expectation and I really enjoyed his gorgeous visual style and absurdism.

I feel like seeing a painter do an abstract painting. He ignores the typical storytelling and performance, and searches the dark and irrational aspect of human desire and emotion.

In this film, 'the stray cat', NO.3 in the professional killer guild was asked to kill No.1 'hundred eye'. If she succeeds, she will be No.1, but if fails, she will be killed by No.1. So her assassination of No.1 is driven both by her will to rise in social hierarchy and by her drive to survive. It is the same as 'Branded to Kill'.

He must enjoy filmmaking. Some one tries to complete his artistic goal, others to earn money. Sujuki Seijun shows me the third, and the most important, level of filmmaking.

Just enjoy filmmaking itself! He reminds me the mentality Carpe Diem - filmmaking as a play, or ludenic element of filmmaking.