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Film: Bleach: The Movie 2 - The Diamond Dust Rebellion
Release date: 6th September 2010
Certificate: 12
Running time: 89 mins
Director: Noriyuki Abe
Starring: Akira Ishida, Masakazu Morita, Fumihiko Tachiki, Fumiko Orikasa, Hiroki Yasumoto
Genre: Anime
Studio: Manga
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Noriyuki Abe's stylish and thrilling anime is a classic Japanese samurai tale of revenge, sabotage and the loyalty of friendship, which explores the strength and unity of one squad of warriors as their relationships are pushed to the limit.
The King's Seal is an artefact which holds immense power and magic, and is consequently protected unquestionably by a band of samurai known as the Soul Society.
Squad 10 of this society, captained by one Toshiro Hitsugaya, are given the task of transporting the Seal, but are ambushed by a mysterious Soul Reaper and two powerful female twins, known as the Arrancar.
Toshiro appears to recognise the masked Soul Reaper, and the two do battle, during which the squad captain is injured. Abandoning his post to pursue the assailants, he is consequently suspected of working in cahoots with the Soul Reaper and the Arrancar. This revelation induces the leaders of the Soul Society to act under the severity of the situation, and they order the suspension of all of Squad 10's activities - and the immediate capture of Toshiro.
This is only the beginning of the adventure for Toshiro, who later passes out with fatigue in front of Soul Reapers Ichigo Kurosaki and Uryu Ishida. Awakening in Ichigo's house, Toshiro is uninformative and vague, and refuses to explain to Ichigo exactly what is going on.
He eventually leaves the Kurosaki residence and is pursued by Ichigo, who becomes increasingly more impatient with the Captain's vagueness. During an ambush by the Arrancar, Ichigo is injured and Toshiro escapes.
The Soul Reaper thief's identity is then revealed with startling consequences. After the thief injures 8th Division captain Shunsui Kyōraku in an attack, the Soul Society increases the hunt for the King's Seal, and orders Toshiro's execution…
Stylish perfectly describes this now cult classic. Indeed, the Bleach series is renowned within the manga genre for its imaginative and complex system of characters and cultures.
The artwork, as could be expected, is at the forefront of the film's dazzling aesthetic of sword fights and flying samurai. One of the film's most inventive battle scenes takes place between the Arrancar, Uryu, Ichigo and the 13th Divison's Rukia Kuchiki. The Arrancar release a band of Hollows, souls of deceased humans who they control. These terrifying spirits are a fantastic example of both the imagination displayed in the film, and the effectiveness of the artwork in creating such ghastly enemies. The battle which follows displays not only the sheer power of the Soul Reaper's attacks, but also the individuality of their sorcery.
The relationships between the characters are anything but simple. When Toshiro discovers the identity of the Soul Reaper thief, he reawakens the history of his own life through a series of informative flashbacks. The 10th Divison are also ultimately divided between their loyalty to the Soul Society's orders and their leader, Toshiro. During the scene in which the squad track down Toshiro, they ultimately plead with him not to resist and to hand himself in. Director Noriyuki Abe therefore manages to create a subtext of the complexity of human relationships through which to contextualise the film's culminating battle scenes. Thus, the film offers its audience so much more than simply good versus evil.
Often characters are flamboyant, as seen in the 8th Division's captain, Shunsui Kyōraku. The seemingly indifferent, pink kimono wearing warrior dons a straw hat and often confuses the rest of the characters with his offhand attitude to locating the Soul Reaper thief. Ikkaku Madarame, on the other hand, appears to be a more typical samurai character. With his baldness, and enthusiasm and confidence in battle, it is easy to see how the Soul Reapers are not only often in juxtaposition with each other, but also compliment each other's diversity. Indeed, it is, at times, almost breathtaking to consider the enormity and complexity of the Bleach world and its inhabitants. The mystery surrounding the identity of the thief only serves to heighten this sense of uncertainty with regards to the film's characters. As they begin to discover the nature of their enemy, the intrigue which surrounds the protagonist's personalities is only heightened further.
This is a film and a series which appears to have it all. As usual, the imaginative power on display in Japanese anime appears to know no bounds. Bleach 2, as a film standing on its own, offers merely a minute insight into the extensive world of this vast series, which also encompasses graphic novels and video games. The entire story is clearly of epic proportions, and the real treat of the series comes from catching that first glimpse of the Bleach world, and knowing that there is always more to discover.
An aesthetically beautiful, synoptically complex and morally diverse display of the true art of Japanese anime, and storytelling at its absolute finest. IT
Film: Invisible Target
Release date: 2nd August 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 128 mins
Director: Benny Chan
Starring: Nicholas Tse, Jaycee Chan, Shawn Yue, Jacky Wu, Lisa Lu
Genre: Crime/Action
Studio: Cine Asia
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Hong Kong/China
Director Benny Chang’s fast paced crime thriller follows three Hong Kong cops relentlessly pursuing a ruthless gang of highly skilled crooks and murderers.
Police officers Chan Chun, Wai King Ho and Fong Yik Wei are three Hong Kong police officers who find themselves working together, embroiled in a cat and mouse chase in an attempt to capture a gang of four mercenaries who are wanted for a string of crimes.
The three cops also eventually find that they each have personal vendettas against the gang, which adds to the film’s close connection and interaction with the audience. Chan Chun’s fiancée was inadvertently killed in the armed robbery which opens the film; Fong Yik Wei and his patrol unit are ambushed and attacked by the group; while Wai King Ho finds his brother was secretly working undercover with the gang and has since disappeared.
As the trio search deeper into the facts surrounding the case, and uncover the group’s seemingly unending pursuit of vengeance against a secret informer, they not only unearth the true wrath of the gangsters, but also discover that one of the key players within the syndicate could well turn out to be one of their own colleagues…
Invisible Target literally opens with a bang. The explosion caused by the armed robbery which kills Chan Chun’s girlfriend at the beginning of the film also signals the beginning of two hours of fast paced, high-end choreography and slick fight scenes. Apparently Benny Chang demands of his actors that they do not use stunt doubles, and so throughout the film all the skilled brawls and horrendous heights from which the characters plunge themselves are undertaken by the actors themselves. There never seems to be a dull moment during the film, and after around half an hour, we find ourselves expecting a death defying stunt or a supremely organised ambush to appear from nowhere.
As well as this, the film tends to linger on a sub text which explores the nature of social Darwinism and the blurred lines between good and evil. This is not to suggest that the film is in any way high brow or worthy of being the subject of anyone’s thesis, but there is enough philosophising and thought provoking dialogue to keep interested anyone used to the Western interpretation of the crime/thriller genre. Should one be prepared to kill in order to survive? Do police officers have any more right to kill than criminals? The questions asked by the film are by no means original, but the fact that it does ask questions (along with the absence of any emphasis or reliance on scantily clad women or the latest car we are all suppose to rush out and buy) means it does have a lot more to offer than the standard offerings in this genre.
There is certainly more to be taken from the film than your usual patronising and misogynist Jason Statham or Vin Diesel flick, but, at times, the heavy censorship placed on Chinese films (especially those concerning the honour of police officers) can get a little tiring. The characters rarely make morally ill judged moves, and Wai King Ho can appear too straight and narrow to convincingly stand up to a gang as horrifically ruthless as the film’s villains. The other two cops, while still always ethically in the right, at least have a bit of edge to make their perseverance throughout the film believable.
However, the most thrilling and absorbing aspect of the film has to be the fight and chase scenes. It seems like they almost tire the audience out more than the characters, as they often just keep going and going with all the prowess of a Duracell bunny with a robotic heart. These scenes also make up the majority of the film’s aesthetic, as well as very cleverly being used as a means of characterisation and plot development. Indeed, the manner in which the three cops fight and pursue their victims is often as revealing as it is thrilling. There is also a nice directorial touch which appears every now and then, whereby specific and interesting movements are repeated from various angles.
More entertaining and absorbing than you might expect, it’s not often that action films which are over two hours long can hold the audience’s attention for the duration, but in this case the film rarely retreats from the explosive opening scene. Perhaps it dwells for too long on the inherent good nature of the police officers, and there are no strong female characters worth noting. However, if it’s violence, explosions and a possibly interpretive subtext you’re after, this is a film you are more than likely going to enjoy.
Guns, martial arts, explosions, stunts and a pinch of philosophy: Invisible Target is a film almost as thought provoking as it is entertaining. IT
Series: Gunparade March Collection
Release date: 7th June 2010
Certificate: 12
Running time: 300 mins
Director: Katsushi Sakurabi
Starring: Akemi Okamura, Akira Ishida, Akio Suyama, Chiaki Maeda, Emi Shinohara
Genre: Anime
Studio: MVM
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
Original conceived as a video game, the success of Gunparade March, and its depiction of humanity’s fight for survival, led to a three volume manga and this twelve episode anime.
Writer Fumihiko Takayama’s story follows the ongoing struggle between humans and aliens on earth in the year 1999.
54 years on from the initial Genjyu invasion, teenagers as young as 16 are still being drafted into military units to learn how to kill the enemy. The soldiers fight within huge Humanoid Walking Tanks (HWTs), built to resist the Genjyu’s fierce attacks, and are continuously on the alert for the next call to arms.
The series concentrates specifically on Unit 5121, and the teenagers who are forced to live out their youth on military bases, continuously trying to balance romance, friendship and school life with being in part responsible for the survival of the human race…
The two main characters in the series are Atsushi Hayami and Mai Shibamura, whose character has just arrived at 5121. Shibamura is initially quiet, and has trouble mixing with the other girls in her dormitory, but quickly becomes the centre of attention after saving Hayami and fellow female colleague Mibuya during battle. Thus begins both her acceptance into the group as a strong and proficient pilot, as well as a subtle rivalry with Mibuya. A love interest between Shibamura and the quiet and insecure Hayami also develops as the story continues.
For a series which opens in the midst of a battle, and has such a dark storyline, one of the main things that you notice is how heavily the story concentrates upon the lives of the students. In fact, it is no exaggeration to point out that the Genjyu storyline often takes a back seat in favour of schoolboy crushes and schoolgirl gossip.
Not that this is to the detriment of the series, because the action scenes do come regularly enough, but many anime fans could be a little disappointed at how quickly Gunparade March almost evolves into a soap opera, in which the main problem to be resolved is the issue of unrequited love. When Hayami and Shibamura find themselves stranded alone in a building surrounded by Genjyu, for example, the threat of an alien attack on their lives acts merely as a subtle reminder of the immediacy of their situation, while the dialogue takes the front seat, and the two reveal each other’s thoughts.
The story does have plenty of mysteries, however, to keep even the most impatient action lover entertained. Shibamura’s past and family history is constantly in question, as she shares the same surname with the group which created the military technology used in the fight against the Genjyu. She is also mourning the loss of someone she knew who died in battle, exactly a year before when the series picks up the story line.
The artwork, as you would expect, is thoroughly stunning. At times, it can be quite jittery, however, while, at other times, the audience simply has to make do with still pictures onscreen. Nevertheless, that Japanese elegance which is prominent in anime films and series’ is regularly used to full effect. As winter approaches, the episodes are often filled with scenes exhibiting serene beauty. Streams of light burst from the clouds and emphasise the majesty of the HWTs, while action and the Ginjyu threat are perfectly juxtaposed with light snowfall and wondrous sunsets. In fact, one of the main qualities of Gunparade March is, in many cases, the visual aesthetic, so much more than the plot or dialogue. The artwork can also be at times humorous and quirky, as seen by the old, fat cat who strolls around the camp, overseeing the humans and their interactions.
At times, however, it is difficult to work out whether or not the series is intended solely for children or young teenagers. Although the threat of danger is imminent in every episode, and often the fight scenes can be bloody and gory, the emphasis is often on whether or not the rest of the girls can convince Shibamura to admit she likes Hayami, or whether Hayami can discover his own true feelings. It’s not that the series is boring because of the romance and drama, but these aspects are not enough to keep the story moving. It seems, at times, that the relationships between the characters could have been quite easily explored and depicted without the Genjyu storyline, which sadly receives the back seat. In fact, there’s little resolution to be had with respect to the alien invasion plot, as the humans more often than not seem to be in perfect control of the situation.
Gunparade March is an incredibly well constructed and thought out storyline, and is executed with a brilliance typical of Japanese anime. However, from the synopsis, and even the DVD’s front cover, many viewers might be expecting a little more than they get, and could finish the series wondering why the action never really got into full flow. Perhaps further series will concentrate more on the Genjyu after having established the characters in this first series, in which case this great series will be viewed in an entirely different context.
At times perhaps a little too focussed on relationships, Gunparade March is nevertheless an elegant and absorbing military, romance, action drama rolled into one. IT
Film: The Grudge
Release date: 22nd October 2007
Certificate: 15
Running time: 92 mins
Director: Takashi Shimizu
Starring: Megumi Okina, Misaki Ito, Misa Uehara, Yui Ichikawa
Genre: Horror
Studio: E1
Format: DVD
Country: Japan
The feature-length debut of Ju-On - a vengeful and cursed spirit – which would go on to spawn remakes, sequels, and a proposed video game, whilst its premise would form the inspiration for a countless number of insipid horror rehashes.
As volunteer social worker Rika Nishina arrives at work one morning she receives, with ominous haste and little explanation, an assignment from her superior regarding a house she is required to go and investigate. Upon entering the house, she discovers it full of rubbish and completely abandoned but for an old woman, who merely lies silent on an old mattress. When Rika explores the house further she stumbles upon a ghostly pale young boy, Toshio, and is confronted by a series of unsettling sounds and shadows.
As the film progresses, we begin to discover more about the house and its dark past. The viewer learns of the previous owner’s brutal murder of his wife and child, and the consequent events which have plagued its inhabitants thereafter.
After having learned of the nature of the Ju-On spirit in the film’s short epilogue, we begin to piece together in our minds what lies behind the mystery surrounding the house, its past, and the little boy who confronts and plagues those who enter it…
One of the most prominent aspects about the way the film is shot is the startling realism which defines its character. Far from any kind of overtly supernatural or mystical quality to the film’s depiction, which we might well expect from a haunted house film of this kind, the shots are often unsettling in their asymmetry and skewed, shadow like form. This is not an aesthetically pleasing film with regard to the composition of its shots, and is consequently often difficult to watch.
The film’s narrative, however, in many ways contrasts this realism, with its elegance and non linear pattern. Characters enter and exit with unusual rapidity, and by the time the film is reaching its conclusion, we find we are following and empathising with a set of characters completely different from those with which the film began. This is not directly obvious to the viewer, however, as The Grudge moves with fluidity and effortless coherence. The result is a dissonance between the film’s narrative and the actual filmic depiction of its characters and events, which serves only to create a completely disturbing and often squeamish sense of reality.
The ghosts which haunt both the characters and the viewer throughout are those of the creepy and emotionless kind, which are now synonymous in Europe with J-Horror. The sub genre seems to be saturated with these terrifying characters, and The Grudge is no exception. Pale white, bony creatures contort and stretch their bodies and limbs, clamber down wooden stairways, and appear without warning at the climax of pivotal scenes.
What Takashi Shimizu manages to do in this film, however, is evoke an acute sense of sympathy towards its ghosts as it draws to a conclusion. As the film progresses, police detective Nakagawa starts to unravel the complexity surrounding Rika’s testimony about the day she first entered the house, and the little boy she discovered. The audience begin to contextualise these characters within both their history and the things that were done to them, rather than the things they are now doing. At the climax of one of the film’s final scenes, a ghostly, outstretched hand manages to evoke sympathy alongside terror.
Thus, the film’s narrative, no matter how much it jumps to and from various characters and temporal spaces, has a cyclical nature to it, managing to leave the audience at once unsettled and melancholic. The house itself becomes a symbol for wasted opportunities and wasted lives, both for the victims of the present apparitions and the apparitions themselves. This isn’t a film which leaves you merely with the memory of a few cheap scares, but makes you consider the shockwaves which result when human beings do terrible things to each other, and the negative consequences for those left behind.
The film was remade in America (with the same director), of course, casting Sarah Michelle Gellar in the lead role. The introduction of an American girl working in Japan as the protagonist merely cheapened and limited the levels on which the film was able to work. In a sense, it merely served to mould the Japanese people and culture as some kind of post modern Other - an unknown country surrounding a familiar face. Often this created a one dimensional subtext, which missed out on the original’s ingenuity and intelligence. Takashi Shimizu’s original film creates a completely neutral space within which he can explore various themes to terrify and startle the viewer. Culture plays no part in it, as the story affects us only as human beings.
This is one of the best J Horror films to have reached the United Kingdom, and is quite rightly regarded as one of the most terrifying films of this century. IT
Film: The Apple
Release date: 7th June 2010
Certificate: PG
Running time: 84 mins
Director: Samira Makhmalbaf
Starring: Massoumeh Naderi, Zahra Naderi, Ghorbanali Naderi
Genre: Drama
Studio: Artificial Eye
Format: DVD
Country: Iran/France
Filmed by director Samira Makhmalbaf when she was just 17 years old, The Apple went on to become one of the most important films in the burgeoning Iranian New Wave, enjoying critical acclaim and award recognition.
Massoumeh and Zahra are two girls who are freed from imprisonment after the surrounding community decides to take a stand against their father, Ghorban, and his wife. The film opens with the writing of a letter, signed by various neighbours, informing social services that a husband and wife have forbidden their two daughters from leaving their house for eleven years.
A female social worker confronts the father of the two girls, and indirectly informs the audience that the girls have neither been to school nor bathed in years. Ghorban, although clearly upset about the whole affair, pleads to be excused, as his wife is blind and he believes he had no choice but to lock the girls up for their own safety. The social worker agrees to let the children return home, provided they are properly cared for, and are allowed to go to school and play with other children.
After some hesitance and stubbornness on the part of the two parents, the girls are finally allowed to leave the confines of the house and explore the city and its inhabitants for themselves. As the girls undertake this journey of discovery, the father and mother are left to self contemplation, and must come to terms with the dishonour placed upon their family by both themselves and what they see as exaggerated reports in the media…
One of the main aspects of this film is the documentary style in which it is shot. The Apple opens with the freeing of the two girls and the arguments that take place between social worker and family regarding the girls’ right to a childhood. The raw, camcorder like section of this scene is purported to be actual footage of their release, but whether or not this is true, it nevertheless opens the film dramatically and concisely, placing us right in the middle of the chaos.
This realism stays with the viewer for the rest of the film, even when it reverts back to movie quality. Often scenes between the father and the social worker are like unedited interviews, and the way in which their father attempts to lift the blame from himself and onto his wife is, at times, heartbreaking, whilst at others simply pathetic.
It is the sense of community, however, which relieves The Apple from becoming a scathing or harrowing film depicting the treatment of women in an oppressive regime. What in fact comes through, with a well placed sense of subtlety, is the universal sense of community which the girls, and indeed the family have been missing. At one stage, the social worker turns to the girls’ blind mother and comments that she too should be connecting with neighbours and friends and enjoying life. Indeed, the film manages to get a cross the sense that by imprisoning their daughters, they are also imprisoning themselves.
The journey the two girls go on is, at times, difficult. Despite the kindness from the surrounding community, they must learn how to deal with teasing but good hearted young boys, and how to play, share and interact with other girls their age. What really shines through, however, is the girls’ total innocence and introversion. Still barely able to communicate, they often shy away from telling people their name, and it is apparent that without the effort and generosity on the part of their fellow citizens, the freedom which social services gives them simply would not be enough. By being allowed to wander off on their own, they are embraced by a community and a culture which looks out for its fellow human beings.
Their father and mother, however, are left alone to contemplate what they have done. When the social worker locks Ghorban behind the same bars behind which the girls were locked, his only option is to saw through them or break the lock, both freeing himself and dismantling the system behind which he imprisoned his daughters. This stern but well meaning punishment dealt out by the strong and decisive female social worker demonstrates how she becomes a symbol for authority and justice within the community.
A film like this could have perhaps shown that two girls cannot remain safe outdoors, and could have ended by showing that the parents were right to keep them safe from the outside world. But The Apple leaves the audience with a sense of pride at the good nature of many human beings, and the importance of the community in which we live.
At times upsetting, but mostly filled with happiness and innocence, The Apple is a stunning film which reminds us that it is more often than not the person imprisoning, and not the person imprisoned, who has done the most harm. IT
Film: Suspiria
Release date: 18th January 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 98 mins
Director: Dario Argento
Starring: Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Alida Valli, Joan Bennett, Miguel Bose
Genre: Horror/Mystery
Studio: Nouveaux
Format: DVD
Country: Italy
In European cinema, the name Dario Argento means as much to movie lovers as the name Alfred Hitchcock does to British moviegoers. In many respects, Suspiria is regarded by fans and critics alike as a renowned and heavily influential artist at the top of his game.
Suzy Bannion is an American ballet student who finds a placement at the famous Madame Blanc's respected ballet school in Freiburg, Germany. She arrives late at night in the midst of a storm and witnesses one of the students leaving the school in a state of hysteria. The girl’s screams are inaudible in the noise of the storm, and Suzy watches as she disappears into the neighbouring woods. The heroine is refused entrance to the building by an unidentified voice after ringing the doorbell, and returns the following morning to be greeted by hospitable and welcoming staff that show no hint of anything untoward.
As her first few days at the school pass, she and fellow student Sara become disturbed by a series of disappearances and unexplainable phenomenon. Maggots fall from the ceiling, footsteps are heard late at night, and the staff begin to represent a more ominous presence within the film’s narrative. The two girls attempt to explore and to discover what is really at the centre of the school and, furthermore, who it was that Suzy saw the night she arrived.
As the protagonist learns more and more about the history behind the school from a friend of Sara’s, they become embroiled in a tangle of questions regarding witches, magic and the occult…
One of the ways in which the film is most highly regarded is in terms of its aesthetic. The world Argento creates is of vibrant blues, reds, and greens, juxtaposed with skewed shadows and contrasting light. Long, empty corridors and fast paced shots confront the viewer and create an atmosphere which is both exhilarating and unnerving.
It is appropriate that the story is set in Germany, as Suspiria is heavily influenced by fairytale imagery and, in particular, the story of Snow White And The Seven Dwarves. The vision the film creates is often Baroque in style, yet it borrows heavily from the aesthetic of early German Expressionist films and folklore symbols, such as wicked witches and frightening ogres.
The gore, as you would expect, is at times incredibly graphic, and both blood and red wine are used in the film frequently, often displacing a startling white background. The first fifteen minutes of the film are particularly terrifying, as one of Argento’s most infamous murder sequences opens Suspiria with a stern indication of things to come. Often shots are epic in their symmetry and grandeur. The ballet school is presented as an almost labyrinthine structure of doorways and secret rooms, and shots are masterfully framed.
The soundtrack is provided by Goblin, who performed the music for George A. Romero’s Dawn Of The Dead. Argento has worked with Goblin for years, and their disturbing score is a crescendo of moans and chanting which works superbly well with the on screen suspense.
The acting appears at times slightly off, but this more often has to do with the dubbing of the audio soundtrack than the competence of the actors. Certainly the dialogue is engaging and continues to provide the film with a fast pace during slower scenes. Occasionally, however, the language and social colloquialisms can appear slightly dated, but the somewhat unusual nature of the characters and the way they are portrayed makes it stand out from the majority of the films in the genre. It also adds to the overwhelming feeling of unease, as the characters often appear disturbingly unfamiliar. The nature of the film is elegant and dreamlike, while at the same time increasingly unsettling.
Japanese horror films are increasingly point towards Argento’s influence. It is a testament to the director that filmmakers turn time and time again to his films for inspiration - Suspiria his most often parodied work.
A nightmarish and unsettling vision, the dream like quality of which is compounded with an expressionistic display of startling colours and sharp imagery. IT
