Dr. Akagi / After Life

[moshi moshi]

> DR. AKAGI was a surprise from Imamura. It is as eccentric and ecelctic a
> film as I've seen in a long time. It's the most straightforwardly
> entertaining Imamura I've yet to see (I'd estimate I've seen 50% of his
> features), with very conventional rhythms at times, but some absolutely
> wild and unexpected moments, especially an episode involving a blue whale
> near the conclusion. Any thoughts on this one?

I agree with you on it being the most sheerly entertaining imamura movie
i've seen before... yet, it still retained his trademark bizarre crass
atmosphere...

I don't have any insights on the whale sequence but, even though i can't
claim to have seen as many imamura movies as you have, am i mistaken if i
think sea and water hold an important place in his movies? From the Ballad
of Narayama beginning with the dead child found in the rice-river (hmm,
sorry, i can't seem to remember how to say that in English. I mean the
'river' where rice is harvested... riziere in French) to the final
sequence of Endless Desire with obvious movies like Pigs and Battleships,
Black Rain and the Eel (i haven't seen the two latest ones but there is at
least a reference to water in the titles...), the burial of the father in
My Second Brother or the omnipresence of water in the Profound Desire of
the Gods in between.

But there probably have been some books written on the topic. Could anyone
point me in their direction?

Thanks,
Olivier

PS: Thanks for the review of After Life. I can only hope it makes its way
to Montreal like Maborosi did.