Pistol Opera

[Peter Larson]

Esumi Makiko was wonderful in Moborosi. Everything since then has kind of
failed for some reason. Maybe it was just a fluke.

I can't wait to see Pistol Opera over here, although my expectations of it
are very low. I have to ask why directors who produce such phenomenal work
in their youth can falter so much in their later years. Wakamatsu Koji is no
stranger to this, his more recent films are abhorrent.

I saw some of Suzuki's video (I assume made-for-TV?) work. Fairly
interesting to see but lacking although I respect him for carrying on under
duress so to speak. Reminds me of Germany's Herbert Achternbusch after the
Minister of Culture pulled all his funds for "sacrilage". Achterbusch went
on to make films from his own pocket with super 8 and later video. At least
the spirit is there...

Pete


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
[mailto:owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu]On Behalf Of Aaron
Gerow
Sent: Monday, September 24, 2001 11:47 PM
To: KineJapan
Subject: Re: Pistol Opera


Reactions to Seijun's new film seem generally positive, but I can't say I
can agree with them. Having seen dozens of his films and written on him,
I eagerly awaited the film. But to me, while certainly a visual feast, it
is a pale imitation of his previous work. The comparison with Koroshi no
rakuin is inevitable, because the film constantly quotes it, but despite
an article in the press notes desperately trying to argue that Seijun is
being original here, I found it derivative and uninspiring.  I sorely
missed the presence of Yamatoya Atsushi, who gave substance to Koroshi's
script.  Without him, Pistol Opera's thematics revolve around repressed
sexuality, violence, and the death wish, but in unexciting ways.  The
post Zigeunerweisen Seijun has increasingly delved into the Taisho era,
an era I study a lot, but in Pistol, this perverse nostalgia descends
into a Japonisme which I could not help but find disturbing (Mt. Fuji
abounds in this film).  While looking to the past, the film paradoxically
pronounces a new generation (of killers) which seems to align with its
vision of images without substance. Maybe that's post-modern, but, while
I don't want to sound like Hori Kyusaku here (the Nikkatsu president who
fired Seijun), I wonder what relevance these images have to anything
going on today.

Still, it is a provocative film.  Maybe I just need to see it again and
think about it some more....

(By the way, I also found Esumi Makiko beautiful but as inept as usual.)

Aaron Gerow
Associate Professor
International Student Center
Yokohama National University
79-1 Tokiwadai
Hodogaya-ku, Yokohama 240-8501
JAPAN
E-mail: gerow at ynu.ac.jp
Phone: 81-45-339-3170
Fax: 81-45-339-3171