Sion Sono’s live-action adaptation of a dark manga.
Himizu follows the quest for normal life of a junior high schooler named Sumida, who’s running the family business since his parents abandoned him. Even though he’s not interested, a girl from his class, deeply in love with him, comes from time to time to see him. But one night, Sumida’s drunken father shows up, the boy just kills him, being unable to contain his anger anymore. The story is set right after Japan’s March 11 Earthquake (film is 129min).
The original manga is really about this boy questioning life, fate and his place in the modern japanese society. At first, it feels like some kind of teenage crisis/cynicism with the boy saying out loud how much he wants something he hates. But then, there’s some really grim/dark moments, with a small touch of black comedy. This involves rape, pedophilia, murder… In fact, a pretty depressing story on some hopeless japanese kids.
On paper, this sounds quite Sion Sono-esque already. With characters trying to figure what they are, but are ultimately pushed into darkness/craziness. It’s loud, it’s provocative, throwing lots of interesting ideas.
As for the differences between the manga and the film, right now we know the director took into consideration the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake. It seems Sono refocused the story around Sumida, his lover & his parents, leaving aside Sumida’s weird friends – the pickpocket boy, the wannabe-mangaka. With the director trying to convey a message of hope, according to early reviews – It was awarded for best young actor/actress at Venice fest in September 2011.
Himizu has been released in Japan on January 14, 2012, and it’s Sono’s biggest commercial success in Japan! Hopefully, the film will come out in UK cinemas on June 1st, 2012 – on DVD in October, thanks Third Window Films!
That moment when everything is about to change...
Sources: Official website, TIFF, Venizia, Manga, AMW, Yahoo, @ThirdWindow
{ 0 comments… add one now }
{ 1 trackback }