Izo (Takashi Miike)

[BiscLimpkit]

Any ideas when this will receive a UK DVD release? Word round the campfire that Media Blasters are aiming for an October R1 release.

Thought the movie was awesome - very surreal, deep and utilises great action/swordsplay and music segments.

Mordib (or any Lynch fan) should love this I think.

[memetic]

I'd be interested to more about why you liked it and thought it was deep. To me it was one of the worst films I've seen in years and appeared to have no depth at all, but I'd like to hear your thoughts on it.

[tom2681]

I watched Izo a couple of months ago and I didn't understand any of it.

For the first time in my life I watched a movie that didn't make any sense to me.

[BiscLimpkit]

Guys,

I'll explain why I loved this movie. Please note that the following is just what I think happens. I'm sure Miike wanted us to come up with our own conclusions.


Firstly Izo doesn't have an explicit storyline in the traditional sense. Instead it is all about raising questions (not necessarily answering them) about Japan's history, society, religion, anger and many more fundamental issues that Miike wanted the audience to be aware of. Actually certain topics apply on a global scale and are not just restricted to Japan.

What we have here is a character Izo (who was a real historical figure - a barbarious Japanese assassin of some sort) who murdered without haste countless times while he was alive. Upon his execution, he died at the grip of such a powerful rage that he forever wishes to seek revenge on all exsistence in the afterlife, until 'devine retribution' is reached. This means destorying all the souls he encountered while he was alive. His anger and rage accumulates to such an extent that he loses control and posesses the soul of the devil himself. His is now stuck in a vicious loop of infinity - doomed to seek revenge for all eternity - until he challenges the masters of the universe - including God. However he fails to even lay a scratch on God as he has the ultimate power. I think that he is forced to rebirth (judging by the final scene).

However this is just the staple premise, I believe that Miike wanted us to focus on how Izo's rage has inflenced the history of Japan and the world. The film suggests that as Izo's soul battled all these years, his rage transformed into countless historical wars and deformations in society. Miike also questions the value/corruption of democracy - another result of Izo's ongoing rage. There is also the mother figure whom Izo fucks hard and subsequently slices in half - a reflection of the sheer brutality of man, doing the same thing with mother nature.


There is a wealth of information that I missed out simply because I too need to revisit the title and learn as much as possible. I understand that a lot of people will hate Izo for whatever reasons. However I love implicit movies that offer a subjectively distorted image of our past. I personally gained a high level of satisfaction and to me, Izo is one of the deepest films I've ever seen where nothing is made clear and everything is abstract. Miike's trademark violence is not exploited for shock sake and is again justified. Like I said earlier, the music, action and photography are all excellent - providing the visual flare in Miike's movies that his fans adore.

[BiscLimpkit]

Canne wait min.

Thought the film was superb, one of Miike's best. It's a very distorted look at today's world and the behaviour of mankind. I'd love to watch this again for a 2nd analysis.

Let's hope MB provide some nice subbed extras.

[tom2681]

I didn't understand any of it.
Izo is by far the weirdest film I have ever seen.

[BiscLimpkit]

You should watch La Moustache. Now that's weirder in my opinion.

So was Izo a negative experience for you?

[tom2681]

Can't say I loved it.
Can't say I hated it.

It just left me with a "WTF ?" expression on my face.

I've never been able to really enjoy Miike's films, except Bird People of China (1997).