Izo

The latest chapter in Takeshi Miike's continuing essay on humanity and brutality, IZO is a two-hour experimental mind-trip.

If this film were in any way concerned with making sense, the storyline might resemble something like this: A man is brutally murdered in ancient Japan, but, bearing his vengeance, he returns to the Earth and wanders uncontrollably through time and space, becoming the embodiment of mankind's self-destructive nature. Throughout his wanderings, he encounters all kinds of strange and metaphoric characters, and he proceeds to kill them all with his samurai sword.

This film is an elaborate thesis on mankind, but the exact nature of the message is a matter of debate, as is whether or not Takeshi Miike himself even has a clue. There will no doubt be differing opinions as to what the characters represent, but you better make up your mind during the first hour of film. After that, most of the scenes that obviously point out a social message - like black-and-white footage of war - disappear, and what the resolution is depends on your interpretation of the characters.

For those of you not familiar with the works of Takeshi Miike, suffice it to say that he is determined to mine the human subconscious in search of new and exciting ways to make people throw up sushi and tempura on the carpeted floors of Tokyo multiplexes. Among Japan's pantheon of ultra-violent directors, he is notable for being always ready to address the issue of his own sadism. Ever film he makes is like an expansion of Hitchcock's shower scene, forcibly accusing us of being sadists at the same time as he delivers great images of cinematic violence. More than the social commentary, which is confusing and likely uncertain, the most interesting philosophical study in IZO is Miike's self-examination of his own lust for violence, as well as the main character's and the audience's. Is Izo so brutal because he is inhuman, or because he is too human?

You may not get anything from straining at this befuddled movie, but it is still enjoyable and provoking, if not gut-wrenching, experimental cinema. Any violent philosophical essay that features long shots of a folk singer playing guitar and screaming ballads is worth a look. IZO has elements of Kafka, Lewis Carrol, Terry Gilliam, and Seijun Suzuki, but it is undeniably Takeshi Miike.

You can call Miike sadistic. You can call him demented or depraved. Just don't forget to call him an artist.

I've seen my share of Lynch, Cronenberg, Tsukamoto, and other Miike films in the past, and I must say for a fact that IZO beats everything else currently out there for extreme bizarreness.

After watching the film for 2 hours, there was still a lot of head scratching from the audience leaving the theater. What did it mean? What exactly happened? What was the purpose? But do you expect any less from Takashi Miike?

As what I gathered, an assassin named IZO is crucified as punishment, from what we don't know, probably a few hundred years ago. His punishment instead goes beyond multiple spearings through his body, but eternal damnation of life, where time, space, and dimension are not clear.

It seems IZO has the capability of traveling through random times and space, but randomly out of nowhere. He kills whoever may be in his path, as they are trying to kill him. The purpose of his eternal damnation is not truly clear and he seeks on a Reason. A Reason in a place where Reason doesn't exist.

Add to the package a Huge body count (not as bloody as you would expect actually), some sex, samurai and cartoonish violence, random old stock footage, zombies, a randomly appearing folk singer giving metaphoric songs on occasion, snakes, caterpillars, and birth itself, it is one unique picture.

Did I get it? Nope. Did I enjoy it? I think I did. A second viewing is what I must give it eventually. 8/10

Izo is a vector-movie: it has a point of origin (Izo is put to death in the opening sequence), direction and speed (arbitrary revenge as determined by the edge of Izo's sword), but no destination. It must be stressed that unlike "traditional" narratives, it consciously avoids the end-point/solution/destination. The movie lets the aesthetics of its form shape the meaning of the story. The aesthetics in question being: hyper-loaded symbolism as conjured in Noh theater; PS2 architecture of the action - labyrinthine violence for its own sake leading up to the next level, which is more of the same with a different CGI background; MTV approach to video editing - Izo's bounces between layers of reality with the approximate speed of a cable channel surfer are spliced with archival footage and several "unplugged" Kazuki Tomokawa performances where the ancient Greek chorus would provide emotional emphasis.

The experience is not exactly rewarding but definitely unparalleled.

Apart from some questionable world-conspiracy and misogyny moments, an overall entertaining, extreme, and cryptically new take on film storytelling. Miike in his radical element.

Sometime during the late Endo period, noted samurai Okada Izo is tortured and ritually slain upon a crucifix. His soul does not die, however, embarking on a period hopping journey through space and time. Fueled by bloodlust- and with occasional pauses for philosophical rumination- the vengeful spirit of Izo murders with impunity, slaying any and all who cross his path. Whether or not his appetite for revenge is satiated- and if his soul is cleansed by all the bloodshed- remains to be seen in the strange, stylish thrill-ride that is Takashi Miike's 'Izo.'

An action epic with a metaphysical foundation, 'Izo' is a bloody odd film from a director who specializes in them. Written by Shigenori Takechi, the film has a non-linear narrative structure that jumps through time periods like a springbok, and can be a little confounding and hard to follow. The journey the titular character goes on is intensely violent and frequently exciting, though uneven and imperfect. Throughout the film, thrilling battle sequences are interspersed with plodding, dialogue-heavy scenes that frankly don't work.

While one can appreciate the fact that Takechi and Miike are attempting to add another dimension to the tale, amid the madness of time-shifting, gore-splattered fight scenes, philosophical ponderings are jarring and out of place. The narrative becomes imbalanced, and the film's pacing suffers as well. Which is not even to mention the fact that the philosophy at the heart of 'Izo' is rather shallow and simplistic, and could easily be expressed in a more eloquent, understated manner. Fans of Miike will probably be left a little underwhelmed by the proceedings; some may even be bored.

Though, to repeat oneself, the action in 'Izo' really is pulse-pounding stuff. Expertly choreographed, the battles are fast and frenetic; and will surely have you on the edge of your seat. Federico Benvenuti and Ravindra Pratap Singh Ricky of the stunt team do marvelous work and the displays of swordplay in the film are breath-taking. In fact, the brilliance of the action unfortunately underscores again the deficiencies of the story and dialogue. It's a real shame Miike didn't have a screenplay to work with as strong as the action in his film.

What he does have is an emotive, off-beat soundtrack from Kazuki Tomakawa that is unforgettable and unique. Tomakawa periodically turns up in the film to serenade Izo and the audience, like the minstrels in 'Cat Ballou,' or Jonathan Richman in 'There's Something About Mary.' Tomakawa sounds a little bit like a Japanese Tom Waits, and the intensity and weirdness of his songs and his performance suit the crazed events of 'Izo' perfectly.

The film also boasts stylish cinematography from Nobuyuki Fukazawa, who has for many years worked on the show 'The Woman of S. R. I.' His muted efforts give the film an assured, stark visual style that is arresting and admirable. The set and costume design is also striking, with the titular character's main outfit being especially notable. Additionally, while Yasushi Shimamura's editing is a little loose during the dialogue scenes, he cuts the battles together masterfully; and his work deserves praise.

Also praiseworthy is Kazuya Nakayama, starring as Izo. Nakayama has a strong presence that dominates the screen, and his performance is steady and impressive. He handles himself well in the fight scenes and manages difficult dialogue with a remarkable ease. The character and his motivations may be somewhat recherche, but Nakayama is consistently commendable. His supporting cast are all terrific, but get very little to do in comparison. Kaori Momoi and Takeshi Kitano are particularly good and, though on screen for a short time, leave an indelible impression on the viewer.

At the end of the day, Takashi Miike's 'Izo' is a bit of a mixed bag. Though containing thrilling action sequences that will have you glued to the screen, the dialogue is mediocre and overly wordy. Additionally, the film's philosophical cogitations come across as a little half-baked, and the non-linear narrative structure can be confusing. The film does feature a great Kazuki Tomakawa soundtrack and a strong central performance from Kazuya Nakayama, as well as fine cinematography from Nobuyuki Fukazawa. To cut a long story short, 'Izo' is a film both muddled and memorable; another unique offering from one of the strangest directors in cinematic history.

In the distant past, a great samurai warrior named Izo was put to death in a most heinous manner. But his spirit does not rest, and he now wanders the earth, traveling through time, killing (almost) every living thing he comes across. While most of this film is just pure slaughter (which many fans will enjoy), watch for the deeper messages and symbolism.

The acting all around was wonderful. As usual, unless you're a big fan of Japanese cinema, you'll probably only recognize Takeshi Kitano. This makes it far easier for me to comment on the acting, not having to make running jokes on an actor's past career. Takeshi is pretty much flawless in his film choices, so you should already know this will be good when you see his name (not to mention it's a Takeshi Miike film, which is great).

My expectations for this film were mixed. As stated, Miike and Kitano are a great pair, but I was told this was something of an action film and less of a horror film. And I suppose that's true, although horror fans are going to get more than their share of blood and questionable perversity (incest, anyone?). I came out liking this film a lot more than I had thought I would, thinking there's no way it could out-do "Visitor Q" or even "Audition". But I think it very well may have.

The blood is what's going to attract most people. Izo kills school children, an old warrior with a voice box, businessmen and everyone else. It sprays a lot, and the swordplay is enjoyable. The variety of things killed makes up for the fact that the plot doesn't really have much to offer (besides countless stabbings, slashings and beheadings).

What hooked me was the philosophy and symbolism. We have Izo, who is consumed with rage, slowly turning into a demon as he kills (what appears to be a Japanese oni, though my grasp of Japanese mythology is limited). We have a troubadour who follows him around singing songs (some of them up to seven minutes in length). Is he the narrator, or Izo's soul crying out? We have the snake creature, the mother of all humanity and a board of directors for some big corporation. And, most interestingly, a teacher teaching students about "democracy" and what a "nation" is in the most abstract of terms. Like what John Searle or Richard Rorty would say. And if Izo is killing everyone, we are left to wonder why there remain a few -- very few -- people he leaves alive.

Come for the blood and stay for the symbols. You'll need to watch this one two or three times to really begin to understand and appreciate it. In all fairness, it may be boring for some people (how many times can you stab someone) but I think it's art in the purest, most animalistic of forms. You like "Audition" or "Ichi the Killer"? Give this one a shot.