Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) - Dir. Takashi Miike

[D_Davis]

Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) - Dir. Takashi Miike

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/django1.jpg

With Sukiyaki Western Django, Takashi Miike effectively steals a genre back for the Japanese. There has always existed an interesting connection between the Eastern and the Western. The spaghetti western was influenced greatly by the themes, archetypes, and atmosphere of the early Japanese Jidaigeki films. It is safe to say that the old Italian westerns had more in common with Japanese samurai films than they did with American westerns. What Miike does here is quite brilliant; he effectively turns the story of Django, a spaghetti western with massive cult appeal, into a Japanese legend. He resets the order of genre influence, and in a tongue-in-cheek way he ups the ante, practically saying to the Italians, “The ball's in your court now, let's see whatcha' got!”

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/django2.jpg

Through a narrative teeming with anachronisms, while also toying with conventions, Miike's film effortlessly morphs from parody to homage, before turning into something uniquely his own. From the opening sequence, which features Quentin Tarantino in a small, but important, role, Miike sets the stage for his western pastiche. Like Tears of the Black Tiger before it, the opening scene of Miike's film utilizes an ultra-stylized setting, complete with cardboard mountains, hand painted skies, and a cut-out sun hanging from a rope. Here the film is saying that we have entered the realm of legend and myth, before transitioning into more a more realistic, but none-the-less bizarre, version of Nevada. However, we only know that we are in Nevada because a sign says so. Perhaps this is Nevada, Japan.

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/django3.jpg

Although the film shares its name with an iconic Italian western, narratively speaking it has more in common with an even more iconic film: Sergio Leone's A Fist Full of Dollars. What's most fascinating about this, is that Leone's film borrowed heavily from Kurosawa's, Yojimbo. In this fashion, as mentioned above, Miike is taking the genre back as much as he is paying tribute. Those of you familiar with the original Django and Dollars know the drill, and those of you who are not should get on the ball! Miike uses the plot from Dollars mixed with the surprise weaponry from Django to tell a story that becomes a signature example of this chameleon directer; he melds the two into something uniquely his own and totally Japanese.

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/django4.jpg

The hero of the film has more in common with Zatoichi than he does Django or the man with no name. True, he is a total bad ass, and he is stoic, and he handles a gun like a master samurai might handle a sword, but the hero here is more concerned with the well being of the villagers than he is his own desires. And even though he does taste the goods, he comes off as being more passionate and more thoughtful. While the hero is important to the narrative, Sukiyaki Western is more of an ensemble piece. It spends as much time with the leaders of the gangs and a few of the villagers as it does with the hero. Miike does a wonderful job of showing how the village and its inhabitants are impacted by the situations that arise.

Perhaps most interesting of all is Miike's choice to shoot the entire film in English, very broken English. I don't think a single cast member, except for Tarantino, actually speaks English beyond their ability to memorize and mimic. At first, it is very off putting, and somewhat bizarre; Miike through and through! Many of the spaghetti westerns were also filmed in English by a variety of actors from different countries, and so I have to wonder if this is Miike's way of paying homage to this particular quality. It also makes sense in context to the Nevada-Japanese setting. The village itself is comprised of both Eastern and Western architecture, and the costumes are straight out of some wacky post-apocalyptic epic. So let's just say that, in context with everything the film is comprised of, the English language dialog works and conceptually even makes a little bit of sense.

http://www.genrebusters.com/images/django5.jpg

I really enjoyed Sukiyaki Western Django, really freaking enjoyed it. It is incredibly entertaining, well shot, and well made. I am also pleased that it wasn't a simple parody or homage, as I was afraid it might be. Of course, coming from Miike, I should have known better. He is, perhaps, the greatest chameleon director of all time; the dude can do any kind of film he tackles, and does them well. What's more, he doesn't simply emulate. He takes the established conventions of whatever genre he is working in, breaks them down, studies the pieces, drinks the essence, and then reassembles it all into something that possesses his trademark style and substance. Sukiyaki Western is dense and nuanced, and Miike definitely has something to say here. That he says it so well while simultaneously entertaining the heck out of his audience is a testament to his skills.

[ledfloyd]

Wow, I'm not much of a fan of Miike, but this project had caught my eye from the beginning and now I'm twice as excited for it. I didn't know it mirrored Django, I'm not the biggest fan of Django. However I love spaghetti westerns in general and Leone in particular, so the fistful similarities sound cool. Definitely should be fun if nothing else.

[Eleven]

I was thinking of d'ling this, and your enthusiasm gives me the final push.

[origami_mustache]

I didn't realize it's an English language film; Miike's first.

[Sycophant]

I didn't realize it's an English language film; Miike's first.Second if you count his Masters of Horror installment Imprint.

[D_Davis]

It's an incredible film.

As I said earlier this morning, I'll be surprised if I see a better film this year.

[megladon8]

A great review, D, and you said things I have thought and written about many times, regarding what I like to call the "ping pong game of the East and West". Samurai films influenced westerns, which then influenced samurai films again, which then influenced westerns again, and this back-and-forth has gone on for nearly three-quarters of a century.

This film looks fascinating - how did you get to see it? Do you know if it has an R1 DVD release on the horizon?

[EyesWideOpen]

Second if you count his Masters of Horror installment Imprint.

Lets not count it.

[D_Davis]

A great review, D, and you said things I have thought and written about many times, regarding what I like to call the "ping pong game of the East and West". Samurai films influenced westerns, which then influenced samurai films again, which then influenced westerns again, and this back-and-forth has gone on for nearly three-quarters of a century.

This film looks fascinating - how did you get to see it? Do you know if it has an R1 DVD release on the horizon?

Thanks man. I think you will especially like this film.

It plays upon the things we both like so much, and it is also thoughtful and extremely well made.

I am not sure of an eventual R1 DVD. I got a bootleg of the Japanese disc from ebay.


This would make an awesome triple feature coupled with Samurai Fiction and Zipangu.

[megladon8]

Thanks man. I think you will especially like this film.

It plays upon the things we both like so much, and it is also thoughtful and extremely well made.

It's great to know someone who shares my appreciation of the western genre.

I believe it was John Wayne who said that "any story can be told in a western" - while I may not agree with that completely, I think it's telling of how these films were much more than throwaway "cowboys vs. indians" movies.



I am not sure of an eventual R1 DVD. I got a bootleg of the Japanese disc from ebay.

Since Miike has developed a pretty solid fanbase in America, I'm sure it will eventually make it here - but I think I'll go the eBay route, as well, because I really want to see this.



This would make an awesome triple feature coupled with Samurai Fiction and Zipangu.

I haven't seen either of those, sadly - but they're both on my radar.

How would you compare Sukiyaki Western Django to Tears of the Black Tiger? You made the comparison between their opening visuals, but I am just wondering if there's one you liked/appreciated more?

[D_Davis]

How would you compare Sukiyaki Western Django to Tears of the Black Tiger? You made the comparison between their opening visuals, but I am just wondering if there's one you liked/appreciated more?

I like this a lot more than the later, and I really like the later.

Miike's film is far more entertaining, daring, thought provoking, and action packed.

Tears is good pastiche where as Sukiyaki is simply an amazing film.

[Russ]

This film looks fascinating - how did you get to see it? Do you know if it has an R1 DVD release on the horizon?
Just about every Miike feature is getting an R1 release now. QT being in the cast almost guarantees it.

[megladon8]

Just about every Miike feature is getting an R1 release now. QT being in the cast almost guarantees it.


Yes, so it's just a matter of time.

But judging by how long it often takes for lesser-known foreign films to get R1 releases, it could be a matter of year(s).

[Rowland]

I thought Tears of the Black Tiger was really mediocre, so I'm glad to hear you think this is superior.

[megladon8]

OH! I also wanted to mention that I love the use of artificial sets.

It doesn't even need to have a "deeper" purpose or meaning, past looking cool.

A lot of the Hammer horror films used painted backdrops for scenes showing castles and mountains and whatnot.

Also a lot of the classic sci-fi films and TV series' (such as the original "Star Trek" series).

I just find those painted murals and sets to be really beautiful, and they add a lot of character to a scene.

[D_Davis]

I thought Tears of the Black Tiger was really mediocre, so I'm glad to hear you think this is superior.

I like Tears quite a bit, but mainly just for its western pastiche, and the set design. It is not a film I will turn to often to seek more out of.

Sukiyaki, on the other hand, is such a film. Like Miike's best films, this is one that I can see myself turning to multiple times, and finding new things to admire and appreciate each viewing.

[megladon8]

One of the problems I've had with most of Miike's work is that I find it has very little rewatchability.

Dead or Alive was a decent yakuza flick with one of the most mind-blowing endings ever committed to film...but subsequent viewings weren't as good, since I knew what was coming with that final sequence. It really relies on the viewer being fresh to the material.

Ichi the Killer was a sensory overload mind-fuck, but again, I didn't find it as powerful when I watched it again.

I'd probably say my favorite of the work I've seen by Miike is his short from Three...Extremes, titled "Box". Such a haunting, thought-provoking little story. Some luscious imagery, as well.

I have Audition on my "to watch" pile (literally...it's sitting in a pile in the next room). But I've put off watching it because I'm so afraid of it being another "meh" effort, and I really don't want to be turned off his work when there's so much left to explore.

The only other Miike film I've seen is Zebraman, which is great until the final act, and that dragged it down to a 5 rating from me. It really went to hell with those last 20-30 minutes.

[Sycophant]

Hey, meg, Audition is generally considered one of his best (and I agree!) and I find it gets better with repeat viewings.

But I might recommend trying something from a different corner of his oeuvre, like Happiness of the Katakuris or The Bird People in China (or even Dead or Alive 2: Birds).

[megladon8]

Hey, meg, Audition is generally considered one of his best (and I agree!) and I find it gets better with repeat viewings.

But I might recommend trying something from a different corner of his oeuvre, like Happiness of the Katakuris or The Bird People in China (or even Dead or Alive 2: Birds).


The Bird People of China is one I'm really interested in, but can't seem to track down a reasonably priced copy - I'm done with shelling out $20+ for a blind buy.

I've read good things about Goku and Visitor Q, and I've also read some reviews that say Full Metal Yakuza is wacky fun.

[D_Davis]

Visitor Q is one rough flick. It's like a punch to the gut and a kick to the face.

My top 5 Miike ranking looks like this:

1. Sukiyaki Western Django (as of right now, this could change)
2. Fodoh
3. Dead or Alive 2
4. The Bird People of China
5. City of Lost Souls


I think I am going to work my way through a bunch of the films of his I haven't seen yet.

[Sycophant]

Visitor Q is one rough flick. It's like a punch to the gut and a kick to the face.It's also kind of hilarious.

[D_Davis]

It's also kind of hilarious.

Oh man, I didn't laugh at all.

Maybe a nervous chuckle here and there to stop from puking.

One thing though, it's not a film that is shocking just to be shocking. Miike really offers up some scathing commentary on Japanese culture here.

[megladon8]

Cool, I will keep these in mind.

But, again, it seems a lot of these are not available to me without paying ridiculous prices.

I'll keep a list on hand for the next time I'm in NYC.

[origami_mustache]

Visitor Q is my favorite Miike film. I'm tempted to post a paper I wrote on it. :lol:

[Sycophant]

Visitor Q is my favorite Miike film. I'm tempted to post a paper I wrote on it. :lol:
In turn, I would be tempted to read it.

[megladon8]

Another I was interested in at one time was his "Black Society Trilogy", but then I read it was basically Dead or Alive, but without the amazing ending...so that kind of turned me off it.

[D_Davis]

Another I was interested in at one time was his "Black Society Trilogy", but then I read it was basically Dead or Alive, but without the amazing ending...so that kind of turned me off it.

I have not seen too many of Miike's straight up yakuza films. They've never really interested me. I've always been more attracted to playful, unhinged Miike.

[D_Davis]

While watching this film, I kept thinking how awesome it would be to have Miike direct a live action Vampire Hunter D film or to have him direct the Dark Tower books.

Miike may be the only director alive with whom I would trust Roland's quest.

[megladon8]

Is the entire film, from start to finish, filmed with that striking imagery?

Or are those just choice scenes?

[origami_mustache]

In turn, I would be tempted to read it.

It's long enough that it needs to be divided into 3 posts...and I'm not a great writer...but here it is:


Applying Spectatorship Theory and Psychoanalysis to
Bizita Q (Takashi Miike, 2001, Japan) aka Visitor Q

Takashi Miike is well known for his ultra violent Yakuza gangster films, especially his Dead or Alive series, and also for his love of shocking the audience. In the bizarre and often disturbing, yet thought provoking Bizita Q (2001, Japan) a.k.a. Visitor Q (2001, English International Title) Miike arguably shocks the spectator more than he ever has before, by challenging many taboos overtly, and graphically. The film consists of several indecent and immoral acts including drug use, sadomasochism, prostitution, rape, murder, incest, and even necrophilia. Ironically it has a sweet and somewhat touching message promoting family values. I intend to argue that Miike is not just bombarding the viewer with every taboo he can think of to create controversy and shock, but rather he’s using these elements to create a unique cinematic experience that provokes emotions and thought. My major point of focus in the paper will be looking at the film and analyzing it using mostly Freudian psychoanalysis and spectator theories of Laura Mulvey and Metz. I’ve chosen to examine the film from this context because I feel it allows for a better understanding of the images we are presented with I think psychoanalysis is an interesting approach for analyzing a film, because it allows us to understand where the director is coming from, what the characters are feeling, and also contemplate our own feelings. Although it may not be scientifically correct, psychoanalysis has been the basis for contemporary film theory as well as art movements such as surrealism and other avant garde art and is also closely related to spectatorship theory.

The story revolves around the most incredibly dysfunctional family that could possibly be conceived almost to the point of absurdity. In fact this family makes reality television appear trite in comparison. Initially there’s no love or even unity between the family. We are introduced to them as separate individuals with their own unrelated problems to begin with before learning that they are actually a family unit living in the same household. The Father is a failed television reporter who is also sexually frustrated because of a premature ejaculation issue, the son is bullied at school which in turn leads him to violently beat his own mother who is a heroin addict herself and prostitutes herself in order to afford her habit. The son even has a closet in his bedroom containing various tools for beating her. As for the older daughter, she no longer lives with the family and is a prostitute as well. After meeting the family we are introduced to a mysterious visitor who becomes a house guest after hitting the father on the head with a rock (twice). His purpose is somewhat unclear but he has an aura about him that somehow brings the family closer together.

Despite the shocking images and absurd chain of events that transpire in this film there is a lot of significant social commentary at work here. We can see themes of the family importance, the role of the father as protector of the house, and the need for motherly love. I think Miike was also making a commentary on the dangers of reality television and the evil mentality of sacrificing moral values and integrity to make a quick buck. Not only does the digital aesthetic of the film remind us of the reality television style, but we also see examples of the evil nature of this reality television trend in the behavior of the father. A good example of this occurs when the father is viewing old footage from a report he did on teenagers in Japan. In the video he attempts to interview a group of teenage boys, who respond to his questions by beating him and then proceed to sodomize him with his own microphone. Later in the film he degrades himself and his family when he follows his son around to collect footage of the bullies from school humiliating him just for a news story. Following this incident, the father becomes almost obsessed with coming up with a breakthrough story and captures several other atrocious events on tape. In another scene the bullies are shooting fireworks into their home. Rather than doing anything to stop it from happening and protecting his family, the father begins recording the events and excitedly commentating on it. Later he gets the visitor to tape him while he rapes and kills his coworker. So how does spectatorship theory play a role in our interpretation of this film? First I’ll provide a background on the different positions of spectatorship theory.

Susan Hayward’s Key Concepts in Cinema Studies discusses the three stages “spectatorship theory” has gone through. “In stage one Baudy, Bellour, and Metz described cinema as an apparatus and imaginary signifier to explain what happened to the spectator as he gazed at the screen in the darkened theatre (Hayward, 331). Stage two took on the form of post 1975 feminist theory, the ‘natural’ assumption that the masculine was the place from which the spectator looks and the ‘natural’ acceptance that each viewing was an unproblematic re-enactment of the Oedipal trajectory were strongly contested by Laura Mulvey. “She addresses the issue of female spectatorship within the cinematic apparatus and psychoanalytic framework. Mulvey argues that the camera (and spectator after it) fetishizes the female beauty by drawing attention to its beauty. By doing this the camera draws attention render the female body phallus-like and disavows the possibility of castration. She concludes that the female spectator must relate either to the passive fetishized position of the female character ( a position of unpleasure) or in order to derive pleasure a male person (masculine third person)” (Hayward, 334). Mulvey’s ideas influenced further feminist inquiry and they expanded and reworked her propositions. Feminists considered the possibility of a bisexual spectator positioning where he or she would alternate between the two sexes rather than being restricted to one sexual identity (Hayward, 335). The spectator ultimately holds a position of power, making sense of the sounds and images on the screen. More recently studies have shown differences in audiences readings depending on race, class, sex, etc. This is the concept of spectatorship.

The spectator’s interpretation of a film plays in an important role in the overall effect of the film. Visitor Q is an interesting example because rather than having a clear cut map of good and evil and characters the audience can relate to we are instead introduced to unfathomable situations, although within the realms of reality, no one would consciously imagine themselves in. The film mostly takes of an objective third person look into the lives of this strange and troubled family through the eyes of the guest. Sometimes we watch events unfold through the father’s camera lens which he himself is sometimes running, and other times the visitor is the cameraman. We see the visitor holding the son and the mother in his arms in two separate scenes in the film, lending an ambiguous sense of his sexuality. So if we are meant to relate to his character, this concept of bisexual spectatorship correlates with the ideas formulated in the third phase. I think the visitor is the most identifiable character for the audience to want to relate to seeing as the other characters in the film are not conventional hero types and are often involved in disgusting acts. The visitor seems to act as a third person observer throughout the film as he meets with each of the family members individually. Through his interactions with the family we as viewers are brought into their lives and observe the family with him. We are like voyeurs in to their private world. His meetings with the characters are usually short, and not marred by many words, but he seems to have a profound effect on their lives, enabling them to find an identity and acceptance of their family.

[D_Davis]

Is the entire film, from start to finish, filmed with that striking imagery?

Or are those just choice scenes?

Much of the film is, yes. It has a very stark, grainy look to it.

I would LOVE to see this film in HD.

It is a beautiful film, for sure.

[origami_mustache]

Visitor Q continued...

The film also contains several scenes that fetishize the female body as Mulvey would argue. The opening scene for instance involves the father and a young girl talking to each other. As the scene progresses she seduces him and then offers sex for money. They proceed to take off each others clothes and engage in intercourse, while the shots alternate between a third person camera position, after the father places the camera on a nearby night stand enabling the spectator to act as a voyeur, and the first person shots of the girl coming from the camera the father is holding. The first person perspective invokes more arousal and helps connect the audience to the scene, but Miike is careful not to let us get too involved and pulls us away by constantly cutting back to the observer point of view. There are three other scenes with three different female characters in the film that involve female nudity, while interestingly enough the male genitalia is blurred out. There are laws restricting nudity on film in Japan. These laws first came to exist during the Meiji era when materials deems injurious to public morals” were banned. Following World War II the allied forces changed many laws allowing for freedom of speech and expression, however these laws were never changed. Both male and female genitalia are censored in Japan, even in pornography. I find it interesting that as viewers we are still allowed to view the female’s breasts and as of more recent, pubic hair has been allowed as well. Perhaps this is a reflection of the dominant patriarchal ideology of not only Japanese culture, but of most of the world as well. It is also ironic that Miike is showing us all of these taboos and sexually depraved acts, but there are still limitations restricting us from seeing something as petty as part of the human anatomy. It’s possible that this irony was also intentional on Miike’s part and maybe this was a way of critiquing the ridiculousness of the censorship laws.

As I have digressed a little from the scene I was previously discussing, I’d like to return to it. This scene is the first sequence of the film, so we haven’t been properly introduced to the characters as of yet. The opening title card reads “Have you ever done it with your dad?” As I said before we see a man and a prostitute having intercourse. We see the entire scene from the perspective of the man’s digital video camera as we learn that he is a laughing stock news reporter who is trying to capture footage portraying the deviance of Japanese teenagers. The man premature ejaculates and is mocked by the girl and she actually charges him extra because of this. Later it is revealed that the man is the girl’s father. This scene is significant for several reasons. To begin with it sets up the absurd dysfunctionality of the family as well as a precedent for the events to follow. The scene also satirizes the media and reality television by showing us how the father is willing to go to any length, including sleeping with his own daughter, to capture a breakthrough news story. From the context of psychoanalysis it is a literal act of Elektra complex, or the female Oedipus complex. This is the idea that the child has erotic desire towards their parent of the opposite sex. Consciously the girl sees this as an opportunity for financial gain, but subconsciously Freud would suggest she has an inner longing for her father’s penis. When the girl mocks her father, she metaphorically castrates him or invokes the fear of castration. The father represses his anger and insecurity until he unleashes it later in the film when he remembers being called an “early bird” and he proceeds to and rape and murder a female coworker. This scene also toys with the spectator’s emotions by using these reversals of expectations as it came as a shock to discover we just witnessed an incestuous relationship.

According to the Hayward book, "the key concepts in psychoanalysis on film theory are the construction of subjectivity and most importantly the notion of the divided self; the three orders of subjectivity, the Imaginary, the Symbolic, and the Real; and finally the concept of repression and desire" (Hayward, 285). Metz and other film theorists have connected the spectator and psychoanalytical relationships in that the cinema constructs the spectator as subject. Going to the cinema implies the desire to repeat pleasure in viewing (Hayward, 289). Within the film, Visitor Q itself, the filmmakers explore several psychoanalytical concepts besides the idea of male castration that I mentioned above.

As I mentioned the film eludes to Oepidis complex as well as Elektra complex where the child desires their parent opposite of sex. This is of course evident in the scene where the father and daughter actually act upon this desire, but a little more subtle with the son and his mother. According to Freud the little girl has “penis -envy” and clings to the possibility of getting something like it. “This wish for a penis persists unconsciously even when it is abandoned consciously. The female child loves the phallic mother, or the mother that the children suppose has a penis, but when it is discovered she is also “castrated”, the child abandons her love for such an inferior object and turns to the father” (Mullahy, 49). Because of this the female child holds her mother responsible for this lack. “Freud suggests that the child attempts to suppress the desire in order to obtain a social identity” (Mullahy, 25). In the film it could be assumed that the son beats his mother not only as a coping mechanism to deal with his humiliation from being bullied, but also as a means of denying his feelings towards her or is passing the stage if Oedipus Complex. Freud explains that “when the boy sees the female genitals, he becomes finally convinced that the threat of castration is real, and that the possession of the mother would involve his losing the penis.” (Mullahy, 26). “The girl doesn’t abandon this complex till late in life because there is no fear of castration as opposed to the boy who abandons it earlier” (Mullahy, 49).

[origami_mustache]

Visitor Q part 3:

In Visitor Q, the strange guest somehow enables the mother to lactate from her breasts. This newly acquired ability encourages her to take control over her life, as she says "I realize that I'm not a pathetic woman now", at which point she covers the kitchen floor in a pool of her own milk. In an upcoming scene the mother acts as protector as her and the father actually murder the bullies who are picking on her son. After witnessing this and then discovering the pool of milk in the kitchen, the son lays in it face down and sways his arms in embrace. He confesses to the visitor that he will change his ways and become a good student as if to imply that he now accepts his love for his mother.

Throughout the film the father is portrayed as a weak man who never stands up for himself, until the end when he kills the bullies. Towards the end of the film, his character drastically changes. We first see this transformation when he kills his coworker after she tells him she despises him. From here his confidence escalates. He proceeds to have sex with the woman’s dead body and says “ I won’t be an “early bird” this time. As he records himself on camera he confesses that he “couldn’t understand how he felt as a father when he saw the kids bullying his son before, but now I do.” He goes on to say “I didn’t feel anger or sadness, but I felt I wanted to have sex.” A few scenes later Keiko, the mother and her husband murder the three bullies who are bothering their son again. They really seem to be enjoying themselves as well as the company of each other as they work together for the first time in the film while they enthusiastically prepare to dismember the dead bodies. Miike, like Freud might be indicating that sex is empowering and ultimately the problem and solution to most things.

In the final scene of the film we see the husband literally suckling the teat of his wife as she nurses him and smiles. The daughter meets the visitor, and then returns home and is nursed by her mother as well and she thus becomes the phallic-mother with the power to feed and nurture. This is an interesting way to end the film as each of the characters have reverted to earlier childlike stages in their lives before developing bitter feelings towards their family. The father has overcome his insecurities, past humiliations and fear of castration. The mother and daughter are no longer Oedipal rivals, the son embraces his mother’s love as well and is no longer bothered by the threat of castration. The visitor literally beats them over the head to get them to understand each other and unite as a family unit.

I feel that the film Visitor Q is best understood using the concepts of "spectator" and "psychoanalysis" because without a basic understanding of them I could easily see how someone might misread the film and discredit any of it's relevance. It is however not the only way to draw meaning from the film as I believe everything is open to limitless reading and conclusions. I'm sure there has been critics of the film who have been appalled, dismissing Visitor Q as lowbrow trash or pornography, only meant to shock the audience. “His knack for crossing accepted boundaries of excess and good taste in his work has become part of Takashi Miike’s legend. Films like this one, Dead or Alive, and Ichi the Killer with their offensive scenes and subject matter have provoked fierce discussions about the merits of his work.” (Mes, 180). In my opinion though, Miike, challenges the audience to think critically and explore the psyche of not only the characters involved, but the audience themselves and all of society. The film may seem a bit over the top and extreme at times, but it is meant to be a satirical critique of the family unit, Japanese youth, reality television, and society in general. “The aim of Visitor Q is not to mock the family unit, but rather to use it's inherent workings as the basis for a virtuoso exercise in extreme exaggeration as a storytelling device” (Mes,par 2). Tom Mes goes on to argue that “the relationships between the characters are in fact little more than an allegory for their actual roles within the family unit. The behavior of the characters, and the dynamics and relationships between them are skillfully observed and though their habits seem at first excessive, at their core each of them is surprisingly true to their traditional family roles. They may be exaggerations, but none of them are truly that exceptional” (Mes, par 2). This film is extremely daring and depicts illegal and immoral acts that are passionate and intimately linked to who we are. Seeing this on screen allows us a glimpse into this forbidden world. It is as though we are actually committing these atrocities vicariously, and if not, are at least silent witnesses much like the guest himself. But we can consciously or unconsciously relate to it because, like it or not, it is part of us, somewhere deep inside, understands these fellow humans.

Works Cited
Hayward, Susan. Key Concepts in Cinema Studies. London and New York: Routledge 1996.
Mes, Tom and Jasper Sharp. The Midnight Eye Guide To New Japanese Film. Berkely: Stonebridge Press, 2005.
Mes, Tom. “Visitor Q.” Midnight Eye. May, 1, 2001. Midnight Eye. March 26, 2007. <http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/visitorq.shtml>
Mullahy, Patrick. Oedipus: Myth and Complex. New York: Grove Press, 1955.

[D_Davis]

It's long enough that it needs to be divided into 2 posts...and I'm not a great writer...but here it is:

...
I intend to argue that Miike is not just bombarding the viewer with every taboo he can think of to create controversy and shock, but rather he’s using these elements to create a unique cinematic experience that provokes emotions and thought....




I totally agree. I don't think Miike ever shocks just to shock. He is one of the most thoughtful and calculating directors working today. I believe that almost everything in his films contains some kind of meaning, no matter how absurd and outlandish. Even when his films go totally nuts, there is still something behind everything he does.


Hey man, could you edit your posts to include paragraph breaks? It would make it easier to read.

[origami_mustache]

Hey man, could you edit your posts to include paragraph breaks? It would make it easier to read.

done and done

[monolith94]

Pray tell, Daniel D, which samurai films influenced the western films of the 1910s and the 1920s? I would revise your review to say that since the birth of the Italian spaghetti westerns, there has existed an interesting connection... because I highly doubt that the western filmmakers in hollywood's earlier years had oriental culture on their minds.

[D_Davis]

Pray tell, Daniel D, which samurai films influenced the western films of the 1910s and the 1920s? I would revise your review to say that since the birth of the Italian spaghetti westerns, there has existed an interesting connection... because I highly doubt that the western filmmakers in hollywood's earlier years had oriental culture on their minds.

The early samurai films were more than likely influenced by the even earlier westerns. I believe there has always been a back and forth going on here, but one that cinematically probably had its beginnings in America. I am not 100% for certain here, but one can look at the dates of the films. I think the Eastern and the Western both draw upon similar and common themes and archetypes, that is, the connection of the deeper themes and archetypes extends well before the invention of film.

The ball has passed from America, to Japan, to Italy, and now, I believe, back to Italy.

Next time, try to be a little more combative and snide in your remarks, I like it! ;)

[monolith94]

I guess you could say that Japanese samurai films were influenced by American westerns, and I wouldn't object to that (although I haven't read much that suggests that) but I guess I'm just annoyed by the use of the word always in your essay because it implies, well... always. Granted, the only western I've seen from the 1910s is Hell's Hinges, but it would really be stretching it to compare it to Eastern culture. This is nitpicking, I guess. I nitpick because I care.

[D_Davis]

I'm just annoyed by the use of the word always in your essay because it implies, well... always. Granted, the only western I've seen from the 1910s is Hell's Hinges, but it would really be stretching it to compare it to Eastern culture. This is nitpicking, I guess. I nitpick because I care.

There is a commonality found in the cowboy of the West and the samurai of the East, and in the legends and myths that surround these archetypes, that has existed even before the invention of film.

I am not just talking about film here.

The cowboy and the samurai are cut from the same mold.

I guess in my second sentence, I could have said cowboy and samurai instead of Western and Eastern. Maybe I'll make the change.

[megladon8]

D, did you ever get to see that flick Meatball Machine??

I remember you being excited to see it.

[D_Davis]

D, did you ever get to see that flick Meatball Machine??

I remember you being excited to see it.

Yeah - it was okay.

I had some pretty cool moments, but over all it was a tad dull.

It was like GWAR meets Makoto Shinkai.

If this mixture piques your interest, you will probably enjoy it.

[megladon8]

Yeah - it was okay.

I had some pretty cool moments, but over all it was a tad dull.

It was like GWAR meets Makoto Shinkai.

If this mixture piques your interest, you will probably enjoy it.


Huh...I'm not sure whether that sounds amazing or terrible.

*is a moderate fan of GWAR*

[trotchky]

I think Miike is one of the most fascinating directors working today. This looks great.

[Russ]

D, I thought Miike's Big Bang Love, Juvenile A(2006) was fantastic, you should check it out if you get a chance. Miike seems to reinvent himself with every new film he does nowadays.

[D_Davis]

D, I thought Miike's Big Bang Love, Juvenile A(2006) was fantastic, you should check it out if you get a chance. Miike seems to reinvent himself with every new film he does nowadays.

Yeah, I totally need to. For some reason, I just skipped right over this film.

It just wasn't on my radar.

I'll probably rent it tonight.

[Qrazy]

Since neither of you seem to know what you're talking about I'll fill you both in. John Ford influenced Kurosawa, who influenced Sturges and Leone, who influenced Suzuki and Miike. Other directors making films in the genre around these three heavy weighters were of course influenced as well. So yes, it started with the western and went to samurai.

[megladon8]

Actually, D is very much right in saying that the cowboy and the samurai are cut from the same cloth.

Regardless of their cinematic back-and-forth between America and Japan, the two archetypal characters are very much the same. In literature and folklore dating back over a century, they were similar characters in similar stories.

[Melville]

Hey, meg, Audition is generally considered one of his best (and I agree!) and I find it gets better with repeat viewings.
I'll second that recommendation. Audition is both freaky as hell and an affecting romance.

I'll also agree that Visitor Q was pretty funny. Not laugh-out-loud funny, but smiling-on-the-inside funny.

[D_Davis]

Since neither of you seem to know what you're talking about I'll fill you both in. John Ford influenced Kurosawa, who influenced Sturges and Leone, who influenced Suzuki and Miike. Other directors making films in the genre around these three heavy weighters were of course influenced as well. So yes, it started with the western and went to samurai.

In film yes, but I am also talking about the myths and legends of these archetypes that predates cinema.

Like meg said, the legends and archetypes surrounding the fictional cowboy and samurai are similar.

Whether or not the original western directors knew they were drawing from the same mythological pool as the samurai is not the point.

Also, historically speaking, we know the samurai predates the cowboy, by as much as 1000 years if I am not mistaken (not a hardcore history buff). I wonder if their influence didn't somehow infiltrate the west?

According to wiki, "William Adams (1564–1620) seems to have been the first foreigner to receive the dignity of samurai." Seeing as how the "old west" began in the early 1800s, I wonder if the stories of the Japanese samurai didn't impact the west in any way, if even on a subconscious level?

I really don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were true. It would be an interesting thing to study, though.

[Qrazy]

In film yes, but I am also talking about the myths and legends of these archetypes that predates cinema.

Like meg said, the legends and archetypes surrounding the fictional cowboy and samurai are similar.

Whether or not the original western directors knew they were drawing from the same mythological pool as the samurai is not the point.

Also, historically speaking, we know the samurai predates the cowboy, by as much as 1000 years if I am not mistaken (not a hardcore history buff). I wonder if their influence didn't somehow infiltrate the west?

According to wiki, "William Adams (1564–1620) seems to have been the first foreigner to receive the dignity of samurai." Seeing as how the "old west" began in the early 1800s, I wonder if the stories of the Japanese samurai didn't impact the west in any way, if even on a subconscious level?

I really don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were true. It would be an interesting thing to study, though.

Yeah fair, but I figure when talking about Sukiyaki we're predominantly discussing film history. But my 'you guys don't know what you're talking about' was wantonly insensitive... it's a sickness! I can't stop! ARGgarhahrg.

[D_Davis]

Yeah fair, but I figure when talking about Sukiyaki we're predominantly discussing film history. But my 'you guys don't know what you're talking about' was wantonly insensitive... it's a sickness! I can't stop! ARGgarhahrg.

Nah, that's cool man.

This just stemmed from a generalization I made in the opening of my review, and since the review was not a detailed comparison of the Eastern and Western, or the samurai and cowboy, I decided to leave it as such.

[Grouchy]

meg, go watch Audition. Seriously, man, you'll probably suffer it a lot, but you gotta experience a movie like that at least the once.

[Qrazy]

Watched it last night. I thought it was fairly stupid. It had a few moments of inspired lunacy but all in all, an interesting postmodern premise which unfortunately neglects character for stylistic excess and never delves meaningfully into the historicity of it's central conceit.

[Qrazy]

I totally agree. I don't think Miike ever shocks just to shock. He is one of the most thoughtful and calculating directors working today. I believe that almost everything in his films contains some kind of meaning, no matter how absurd and outlandish. Even when his films go totally nuts, there is still something behind everything he does.


Hey man, could you edit your posts to include paragraph breaks? It would make it easier to read.

What exactly was behind the enema kiddie pool in dead or alive or the canine bestiality porn being filmed?

[D_Davis]

What exactly was behind the enema kiddie pool in dead or alive or the canine bestiality porn being filmed?

I don't know, but I'm sure there is something.

The bestiality probably has something to say about the strange fetishes that permeate the various Japanese sub-cultures. Perhaps a statement on rape-porn, or tentacle-porn, or moe culture, or something.

And as for the kiddie pool filled with watery crap...I don't know. Perhaps this is saying something about loli-culture, about how anime and manga has made pedophilia hip in some circles, turning childhood memories into shit or something.

Who knows?

But I never get the sense that this stuff is there just to be there, just to shock. Even if I don't understand it, or know why, I get the feeling that Miike always has a purpose.

[Qrazy]

Who knows?

But I never get the sense that this stuff is there just to be there, just to shock. Even if I don't understand it, or know why, I get the feeling that Miike always has a purpose.

Personally I'm tempted to presume he's a sick bastard and enjoys having really fucked up shit in his films.

[Qrazy]

Didn't the broken english detract from the film for you though D? I had to turn the volume all the way up at the beginning to catch what they were saying and all the parroting made a lot of the line delivery fall completely flat. At least in the spaghetti westerns all the actors were able to speak their original tongue and dubbed over. Here it's obvious almost no one knows what they're saying. Both the acting and the dramatic inertia would have been greatly improved by allowing the actors to speak their native tongue in my opinion. What Miike gains with that stylistic flourish he loses with the film at large.

I liked the digital freeze frame, catch up horse trick though. That was pretty awesome.

And Tarantino's old man in wheelchair terrible acting was hilarious... double B for short.

[D_Davis]

Didn't the broken english detract from the film for you though D?

At first, but then I really grew to like it.

I like how Miike creates a Nevada, Japan, and I think the Engrish is a good touch to this. Coupled with how he turns Django into a Japanese myth, I think the Engrish adds an interesting element to the back and forth play of the genre. Where did the conventions begin? With the samurai? With the cowboy? With the Western? With the Eastern? With the spaghetti western? I think it is interesting that he chose to film this in Engrish, as if he is making a statement on the great melting pot of the genre.


And you're right - that freeze frame sequence was awesome. And I loved the myth of double b.

[Sycophant]

Watched this last night and it was a blast and surprisingly intelligible (only missed a couple of lines, even though the copy we watched was without subtitles). I could've done without nearly everything involving the sheriff character (if I ever see another character with split personalities who talks to himself, it'll be too soon). But it's full of Miike's fantastic visual flair, dark absurdist comedy, and a fascinating pastiche of everything that felt right. The layering of English aphorisms and cliché idioms felt perfectly suited for the piece.

[KK2.0]

I'm a fan of Visitor Q, which i also found to be equally disturbing, funny, smart and unforgettable. But then, i tend to love some truly fucked up flicks, like Cronenberg's Crash or Solondz' Happiness so, be warned.

c'mon, the visitor following dad home and banging his head with a hammer was hilarious =)

Haven't watched any Miike in a long time, this one sounds fantastic.

the english spoken at 'Imprint' was hard to swallow at first, but that episode was so fascinating that i ended up getting used to it.

[Grouchy]

I could've done without nearly everything involving the sheriff character (if I ever see another character with split personalities who talks to himself, it'll be too soon).
Wait, why? I loved that guy, and the ridiculous way he develops the split personalities.

[Ezee E]

New Trailer (http://www.g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/moviesandtv/64770/Sukiaki-Western-Django-Trailer.html)

Looks like it may get a limited August release. !!!!!!!

[megladon8]

New Trailer (http://www.g4tv.com/attackoftheshow/moviesandtv/64770/Sukiaki-Western-Django-Trailer.html)

Looks like it may get a limited August release. !!!!!!!


It's also getting an official DVD release in November! Yay!

I really want to see it. Like, badly.

[EyesWideOpen]

It's also getting an official DVD release in November! Yay!

I really want to see it. Like, badly.

I really don't see you liking it at all.

[megladon8]

I really don't see you liking it at all.


Why?

I love westerns, I love crazy, over-the-top action. I think it looks great.

[D_Davis]

Yeah, I think this film is right up your alley, meg.

[megladon8]

Yeah, I think this film is right up your alley, meg.


I think so, too, it looks freaking fantastic.

Just have to wait 'til November...

*grumble grumble*

[kidc85]

Been wanting to see this for absolutely ages, looks fantastic. Only ever seen one Django movie, the ridiculously monikered Django, Kill... If You Live, Shoot (how is that grammar?) but it's probably my favourite western of all time (Alex Cox digs it as well). Are there any other Django movies I should check out?

[Grouchy]

Been wanting to see this for absolutely ages, looks fantastic. Only ever seen one Django movie, the ridiculously monikered Django, Kill... If You Live, Shoot (how is that grammar?) but it's probably my favourite western of all time (Alex Cox digs it as well). Are there any other Django movies I should check out?
Well, how about the original? Great film with deadpan performance by Franco Nero.

Now that we're talking spaguetti, there's a little seen Franco Nero western called Keoma. I think that one's even better than Django.

[Qrazy]

Speaking of underseen Spaghettis, I quite like My Name is Nobody.

[megladon8]

I thought Keoma was good, except for its obnoxious theme song. Ugh, I still have that song burned into my head.

I've yt to see Django, but I want to. Badly.

Franco Nero was the man.

[D_Davis]

Speaking of underseen Spaghettis, I quite like My Name is Nobody.

It's pretty good.

I like the original Django, but I thought that If You Live, Shoot was terrible. Couldn't even get 1/2 through it.

Shanghai Joe is pretty fun - a cool Eastern/Western.

Keoma is cool.

What always strikes me about the Italian westerns is how much better Leone's films were, in each and every way possible. It's as if he was working on a completely different level than every other director in the genre.

[Qrazy]

It's pretty good.


Yeah it loses it's way by the end but before that it's a funny, enjoyable romp through spaghettiland.

[D_Davis]

Yeah it loses it's way by the end but before that it's a funny, enjoyable romp through spaghettiland.

Aren't there a few My Name is... films? Like My Name is Trinity or something?

[Qrazy]

Aren't there a few My Name is... films? Like My Name is Trinity or something?

I think so, haven't seen 'em.

[Grouchy]

Aren't there a few My Name is... films? Like My Name is Trinity or something?
The Trinity films are unrelated to My Name is Nobody, although I guess they share the comedy tone - haven't seen the Nobody film.

My Name is Trinity, My Name is Still Trinity and The Troublemakers are the listed IMDb Trinity films with Terrence Hill and Bud Spencer. I've only seen the first two, which are pretty much the same movie. Hill and Spencer play brothers Trinity and Bambino, who hate each other's guts but make an excellent outlaw duo.

As for the quality of most spaguetti westerns when compared to the Leone ones, I think it has to do with the fact that Leone created the genre with Fistful of Dollars, so everyone else tried to copy the way that film was made. Although there were westerns made in Spain and Italy prior to that movie, I've read they lacked the personality and unique pacing they were later known for. I've heard great stuff about The Great Silence, has anyone seen that?

[D_Davis]

I've heard great stuff about The Great Silence, has anyone seen that?

It is pretty good. One of the better non-Leone ones that I've seen. It has some good atmosphere.

[Qrazy]

The Trinity films are unrelated to My Name is Nobody, although I guess they share the comedy tone - haven't seen the Nobody film.

I think it's right up your alley.

I downloaded Django so I'll probably get to that later this week.

[megladon8]

Saw a few select scenes from this in a little online feature.

Are the actors speaking English phonetically, or did they learn limited English for the film?

[Grouchy]

Saw a few select scenes from this in a little online feature.

Are the actors speaking English phonetically, or did they learn limited English for the film?
I think some are speaking phonetically, and some can talk a little bit of English.

[Ezee E]

Hmm... two Asian "Westerns" this year.

I doubt this will top The Good, The Bad, and The Weird

[Dukefrukem]

Samuel L Jackson signed on

[number8]

To what?

[Raiders]

He's thinking this is the thread for Tarantino's film; where it was just confirmed that Jackson and Gerald McRaney are now attached.

[Ezee E]

Figured Jackson was already on.

[number8]

He's thinking this is the thread for Tarantino's film; where it was just confirmed that Jackson and Gerald McRaney are now attached.

Ah. For a second I thought someone's decided to cast Jackson in a remake of this movie.

geez, duke.

[Morris Schæffer]

Haha "To what?"

Sorry Duke. :)