Hiroshi Shimizu's Ikinai

[Michael Kerpan]

I had wanted to see _Ikinai_, but had no luck -- until I discovered that CD 
Japan had an unsubtitled DVD. (Which I ordered, because we _had_ to get the 
new _Totoro_ DVD, and I didn't want to pay all that postage for just one 
item).

There is not much on _Ikinai_on the web, but what little I could find seemed 
to (generally) dismiss this as a rather pointless black comedy.  My 
impression was quite different.  It struck me as the most blatantly 
"theological" film I've seen.  It very much seemed to be a syncretistic 
"passion play" -- lots of apparent Christian references, but also quite a few 
that seemed Buddhist in origin (I can't claim much expertise in the latter, 
though).  Was there any discussion of the religious themes of this film when 
it was released in Japan? 

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?


Best wishes

Michael Kerpan