Himizu (Sion Sono) (2011)

[HungFist]

"On Monday, it was announced that creator Minoru Furuya’s manga Himizu will be adapted to a live-action film written and directed by Shion Sono (Love Exposure, Cold Fish).

Published serially in Young Magazine from 2001-2003, “Himizu” took a serious tone and represented a departure from Furuya’s previous comedy work such as his popular gag manga “Ping-Pong Club”. It featured a gloomy story which highlighted the darkness and cruelty of the human mind by showing how the main character reacts to various stressful situations.

Sono has re-read the manga many times and is particularly enthusiastic about the project, telling Young Magazine, “It’s a great honor to be filming this. It’s a risky venture I think.”

“Himizu” will be released in Japan sometime next year. Cast information has not yet been revealed."

- http://www.nipponcinema.com/blog/shion- ... mizu-manga

[HungFist]

Nicholas Rucka said...

Sono has already finished shooting HIMIZU and is almost picture locked with the cut -- at least, this is what he and his manager told me last weekend.
June 20, 2011 12:56 PM

- http://jfilmpowwow.blogspot.com/2011/06 ... 5608641385

[HungFist]

"HIMIZU cast update: Sono faves Watanabe Tetsu, Fukikoshi Mitsuru, Denden, Mitsuishi Ken, Kagurazaka Megumi, Watanabe Makiko, Kurosawa Asuka."
- ryuganji / Don Brown, 22 Jul via web

[HungFist]

Venice ‘11 Review: Sono Sion’s ‘Himizu’ Is Close To Unwatchable, And Yet Vitally Important
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/ ... ew_himizu/#

[gasteropod]

Hmmmm. Hey Hung, do you know why his name is sometimes spelt Sion Sono and other times Shion Sono? Surely the latter is correct due to shi-o-n, but just confused where Sion came from.

[HungFist]

There's a few different romanisation systems... the Hepburn system is the most commonly used. The Kunrei system, which was originally introduced by the Japanese government, is a bit different. In the Kunrei system "shi" (し) become "si", "tsu" (つ) become "su", and so on.

If you look at the url of the Guilty of Romance website, it actually spells koi-tumi (rather than koi no tsumi)
http://www.koi-tumi.com/index.html

In case of Sono, it seems he prefers Sion as his "international name", even if Shion might be more "correct" in certain sense.

[HungFist]

From Venice 2011: Shion Sono’s Himizu
http://wildgrounds.com/2011/09/07/from- ... os-himizu/

[gasteropod]

There's a few different romanisation systems... the Hepburn system is the most commonly used. The Kunrei system, which was originally introduced by the Japanese government, is a bit different. In the Kunrei system "shi" (し) become "si", "tsu" (つ) become "su", and so on.

If you look at the url of the Guilty of Romance website, it actually spells koi-tumi (rather than koi no tsumi)
http://www.koi-tumi.com/index.html

In case of Sono, it seems he prefers Sion as his "international name", even if Shion might be more "correct" in certain sense.

Ahh right thanks, I can understand them simplifying 'tsu' to 'su' because the 't' is barely pronounced half the time anyway, but 'shi' and 'si' are quite different!

[HungFist]

Shinya Tsukamoto's "Kotoko" and Sion Sono's "Himizu" win at 68th Venice Film Festival
- http://jfilmpowwow.blogspot.com/2011/09 ... sonos.html

[HungFist]

Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1npnMM2-6p8

via Twitch and CinemaTribune

"A rare film that evokes our present-day atmosphere with surprising immediacy. The story of a boy and a girl who are confronted with a horrific personal reality against the backdrop of the devastation caused by this year's earthquake in Japan. An adaptation of Minoru Furuya's successful manga of the same name, Himizu is the latest film by Sion Sono, the Japanese master of extreme filmmaking."

[HungFist]

Sion Sono's HIMIZU & Yuya Ishii's MITSUKO DELIVERS Coming in 2012 From THIRD WINDOW FILMS!
- http://twitchfilm.com/news/2011/11/excl ... -films.php

[HungFist]

"Pretending that something didn't happen is a Japanese national trait."
- http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/feature/ ... -interview

[HungFist]

JP BD and DVD 2012/07/03
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=830101

[HungFist]

JP BD and DVD 2012/07/03
- http://www.allcinema.net/prog/show_dvd. ... sid=830101

[Markgway]

Thought this might interest Hungfist:

http://compactd.exblog.jp/15533802/

[HungFist]

Yeah, read that a few days ago. Sad indeed.

[HungFist]

Contrary to what most e-retailers state, the Japanese Himizu Blu-Ray DOES contain English subtitles. Just finished watching it.

[gasteropod]

Contrary to what most e-retailers state, the Japanese Himizu Blu-Ray DOES contain English subtitles. Just finished watching it.

It would have just because it's coming out in the UK haha, never the ones we actually need!!!

[HungFist]

Himizu (Japan, 2011)

Bad boy Sion Sono goes ever more schizophrenic with yet another foray into Japanese national madness. Set in the disaster ridden Miyagi prefecture, the devastation merely provides the background for Sono's raging social commentary on child beaters, random killings, and neo nazis. Incoherent and borderline ridiculous, the film nevertheless builds extremely strong scenes and comes out rather impressive. In a way, it's a great relief Sono has not fallen into sappy melodrama that could be expected from a Japanese film dealing with a real life tragedy. Cartoonish comic touches and the over-use of Cold Fish cast could've been done without, though.

btw, the Japanese Blu-Ray does come with English subtitles! Screencaps below (click for full size):

[Tenchu1998]

Movie looks fuckin' awesome! So Stocked on the Third Window Films release.

[Tenchu1998]

So, I finally watched Himizu. Overall, a tad dissapointing, in my opinion.
I like the build-up of the 30-35 minutes, but after that I thought the movie didn't go anywhere.
I really enjoyed the acting. That little girl, Keiko, is the cutest little girl ever.
I mean, I seriously enjoyed the first half. It's poetic, emotional and dark.
Movie does a good portraying Japan in a time of dystopia, but that love can still flourish despite that.
The interaction between the characters, the Haiku game and the poetry - powerful stuff.
Sion Sono is good at that gritty stuff and those beautiful moments of hope, adding the tough love and social commentary.
That is the stuff I really loved about Himizu.

However...

The thing is, the movie already sets out to be more stylished and tones down on realism.
But in Love Exposure, at least it's like a ride until the ending climax.
The absurdity of Love Exposure felt right, and it allowed the movie to spread in different directions.
But the 2nd half of Himizu just felt like a wheel spining in a ditch.
Nothing is of consequence. Little dude just walks around with a knife in a bag. Ending was kind of lame.
You know what I mean?
It's like the movie is struggling with whether it wants to be more realistic or just more absurd.
Sono should have made it more realistic, if you ask me. I think it would've added more depth to it, since Himizu is more character-based.

You know what I think would've been cooler? If Sumida actually went out on a vigilante quest.
If the 2nd half of the film was a bigger journey of his, then it would justify him making that tape he recorded.
He records the tape, but he keeps returning to the boat house, for whatever reason.
In the trailer, I always interpreted it that Sumida disappears in the 2nd half; like Keiko is searching for him, or something.
Like Sumida has lost sense of his way in life, and he's wandering around doing his vigilante thing, just to return at the end of the movie, finally caving in. All that screaming he does in in streets should had been pushed to the end, after some badass vigilante shit, you know. It would make more sense, and add to the loss of sanity.
Would've been more point to it, and made it more epic, I think.
It would also make Keiko's role more powerful, as she plays a big role in the outcome of Sumida's decision.

But still. I enjoyed the 30-35 minutes of the film. I treasure movies that way-- not always caring for finding it perfect all the way through. I think Himizu has heart, and that Shion Sono had good, honest intentions when he wrote and directed it. But I don't know, the critique I have is what didn't make Himizu the work of the year many others said it would be.

Still, I am curious to 'Land of Hope'.

[HungFist]

Interesting. I thought the film's first 50 minutes was quite bad with all the over-acting from the supporting cast, artistic poetry stuff etc. and I thought Sono's lost it, but then it started becoming more and and more interesting when Sono got to his usual darker track on depicting "Japanese madness", even of half of it bordered ridiculous.

I think the scene with Sumida, the knife man, and the street artist is amazing. That pretty boy street singer performing sappy songs with all those teenage girls and young women adoring him - that's the mad Japan feeding fantasy to its people who want to believe they are all sane and happy. And then we have these two genuine madmen, one who's lost it and another one who's not quite sure of what to do with his knife, clashing there with the mad Japan pretending to be normal - with horrific outcomes.

I like the bus scene and the ending a lot, too.

[Tenchu1998]

Pardon my shitty grammar and horrible spelling; I'm suffering from some mild form of dyslexia. I wrote that short "review" in like 10 minutes, and it usually takes me like 50 to write stuff like that, in order for it to come out correct. Just as a note.

Interesting. I thought the film's first 50 minutes was quite bad with all the over-acting from the supporting cast, artistic poetry stuff etc.

Yeah, it's true that there's some over-acting. It's pretty pert, but what I liked about it was the innocence of the 14 year old girl with a crush. I mean, you've probably met people like that; even adult females can be pert in a more mature kind of a way. You know how being in love can - especially when you're 14 - make butterflies pop out and circle inside your stomach. I just think Sono wanted to express that in stark contrast, but still in a pert, kind of innocent way. It's the caricature of the obsessively in love girl.

I just liked how Keiko tries everything to get Sumida to be interested in her; she craves attention so badly, and I felt for her because she really gives it all. It's sad, because given Sumida's condition, he gets annoyed and tired of her up-beat persona, and so her hard efforts kind of fail throughout the movie. It's hard on a 14 year old kid when reaching puberty and dealing with adolescence. Also, it shows how Sumida takes his frustration out on her when he slaps her-- that's just mean, since she only tries to be nice to him and all. But that's how fucked up a kid gets when living with such a father and mother under such circumstances.

EDIT: Actually, I once tried reciting poetry to a girl. I acted all over the place, frenetic like a little girl thinking the world will end tomorrow. So, I think that's why related to that particular sequence. And in a sense, Keiko did have a fucked up domestic live, as well. Maybe she felt the end of the world was coming.

And you know how the Japanse also use elements of theater in movies. That sequence with Keiko at the boat house, I think it could fit well into a play (simple stage set-up; boat house, couches). There's a lot of theater in Love Exposure, as well. You know, it's more expressive, which usually fits more in Japanese melodramatic plays, or something. I lack words, at this moment, to truly describe why I liked that part. I relate to it, somehow.

I guess it's subjective. I liked it; you didn't.

and I thought Sono's lost it, but then it started becoming more and and more interesting when Sono got to his usual darker track on depicting "Japanese madness", even of half of it bordered ridiculous.

I think the scene with Sumida, the knife man, and the street artist is amazing. That pretty boy street singer performing sappy songs with all those teenage girls and young women adoring him - that's the mad Japan feeding fantasy to its people who want to believe they are all sane and happy. And then we have these two genuine madmen, one who's lost it and another one who's not quite sure of what to do with his knife, clashing there with the mad Japan pretending to be normal - with horrific outcomes.

Yeah, I know that aspect of Japan, as well. I guess that was a bit of the point of the movie. I think Sono wanted it be more "out there" for people to see. I totally understand that part of the movie. The social commentary stuff, it's powerful. That scene where the prostitute (?) is taking out the garbage, I found pretty disturbing.

I was just bored with all the characters within Sumida's sphere being there for the sake of being there. The Yakuza boss being there just to give Sumida the gun; the pickpocket guy just being there so that old fart could tag along to that Nazi guy's apartment and steal the money to pay the debt. I thought that was lazy writing. It feels so stale to me.

You see, the love-story has a beginning, middle and an end. there's depth to it. However, I think the dynamics suffered because of how the rest of the characters acted more tools than actually characters with a sense of purpose.

Like, the Yakuza boss tells Sumida he might be "his Angel, or his Satan" or whatever. But then, it doesn't go anywhere-- that line means nothing, although it seems emphasis is put on it so that the audience would think there's something profound happening between the 2 characters. Right?

Maybe if The Yakuza became profoundly fascinated by Sumida's nature; perhaps helped him in his quest for finding the "scum of society", or something. Maybe tried to mentor him, more than being a tool in Sumida's world.

I like the bus scene and the ending a lot, too.

Yeah, I dug the bus scene, as well. You know, you see stuff like that in Japanese movies, how the youth is doing all this crazy shit. Like 'Violent Cop', 'Memories of Matsuko', 'Confessions', and 'Battle Royale' was kind of a exaggerated version of that. And there's that film about the 'Electric City' shooting, I can't remember the name. It's crazy.

Well. Okay, perhaps I was a bit out of line, calling it lame. I think more in the context of what happened in the middle-section of the movie, the ending was a bit too much for me, personally. I don't know, I just don't think it really reaches its potential climax. But maybe I didn't like it because I was already bored.

Still, I'll probably watch it a few more times in the future. Maybe change my mind about some of the things I disliked.

[HungFist]

Pardon my shitty grammar and horrible spelling

No worries. Half of the folks here are non-natives, and some of the rest can't spell English anyway

That little girl, Keiko, is the cutest little girl ever.

You're not the first person I hear saying that, though personally I did not have such experience, and I find that even a bit amusing because some people would probably argue I'm an expert on the topic

(wow, that sounded creepier than intended )

EDIT: Actually, I once tried reciting poetry to a girl. I acted all over the place, frenetic like a little girl thinking the world will end tomorrow.

So did that story have a happy ending?

Admittedly I've always avoided poetry like plague, so there you go...

I was just bored with all the characters within Sumida's sphere being there for the sake of being there. The Yakuza boss being there just to give Sumida the gun; the pickpocket guy just being there so that old fart could tag along to that Nazi guy's apartment and steal the money to pay the debt. I thought that was lazy writing. It feels so stale to me.

You see, the love-story has a beginning, middle and an end. there's depth to it. However, I think the dynamics suffered because of how the rest of the characters acted more tools than actually characters with a sense of purpose.

Like, the Yakuza boss tells Sumida he might be "his Angel, or his Satan" or whatever. But then, it doesn't go anywhere-- that line means nothing, although it seems emphasis is put on it so that the audience would think there's something profound happening between the 2 characters. Right?

I didn't see it that way, but I may have a different approach to this topic in general. I think one of the problems in a lot of movies is that all their characters and events serve too much a purpose. In real life there's tons of things that just happen and have no real meaning. I like that in movies, too. Sono, who is a sort of machine gun rebel, has often depicted Japan as mad country, but he doesn't usually specify any exact reasons because reality is like a web - everything affects everything, even when there's no direct connection, and you can't always see the full image. Suicide Club, which I'd consider Sono's second best film, has this structure. There's a lot of seemingly random events which however make sense within the bigger picture / theme / the world Sono is depicting. To be honest, I was initially quite lost with that film and it wasn't until I had lived in Japan for a good time and rewatched the film before I started understanding it.

These comments do not directly concern Himizu, though, as I never came to thought about this until you brough it up, and with my memory I don't even try to start making any more detailed arguments concerning Himizu. And I guess you mainly meant that in Himizu Sono teases you with stuff that doesn't lead to anything. Like Hitchcock said, no point in showing a gun if you're not gonna have it used later, though I'd like to add that Hitch was only correct because in this case the audience would specifically expect that gun to be used later and hence look forward to it.

Yeah, I dug the bus scene, as well. You know, you see stuff like that in Japanese movies, how the youth is doing all this crazy shit. Like 'Violent Cop', 'Memories of Matsuko', 'Confessions', and 'Battle Royale' was kind of a exaggerated version of that. And there's that film about the 'Electric City' shooting, I can't remember the name. It's crazy.

It might be because obedience, harmony and respect for elders is the traditional Japanese virtue (something that much of this society is built on) that it's the grown ups' nightmare that the youth will stop playing by the rules. And there's a lot of frustration among the youth. It's both contradictory and a perfectly logical outcome that Japan, a country that hates people who differ from the norm, has maybe the widest selection of subcultures anywhere...

Well. Okay, perhaps I was a bit out of line, calling it lame. I think more in the context of what happened in the middle-section of the movie, the ending was a bit too much for me, personally. I don't know, I just don't think it really reaches its potential climax. But maybe I didn't like it because I was already bored.

But yes, if you ask me Himizu is nowhere near Sono's best films. It's too incoherent (most of Sono's earlier films, despite the wild genre mixes, are strangely harmonic) and lacks originality and fresh air. It's more in the Strange Circus category than Love Exposure / Noriko / Hazard / Suicide Club category of truly great Sono works.

[gasteropod]

Excellent: Cold Fish, Love Exposure
Very good: Strange Circus, Suicide Club, Guilty of Romance, Exte
Good: Himizu
OK: Noriko's Dinner Table