Spinnaker S
Please be aware of slight spoilers.
1. What is the purpose of this movie?
This movie's theme is [A long time ago, a lady had been too drunk, leading to conflicts with an acquaintance.] The conflicts escalated into a civil case that lasted more than eight years. I watched this movie with this context in mind.
In this review, I'd like to clarify that I will refer to the defendant as [the man] who was charged with compensation for non-consensual sexual activities. [The lady] is the plaintiff of this case but also ended up being charged with defamation in this case. Additionally, [the lady] is the director of this movie, so I will refer to her as [the director] in the context of the movie production.
This is not referred to as a criminal case. I'd rather call this a 'conflict' than even an incident. I am going to review this monologue movie. This movie begins by being presented plainly and simply from the subjective view of the lady and the director.
I felt that they had been filming from the early stages of the incident. This leads me to consider three possible reasons:
a. The film was made to raise awareness about the conflict that had occurred.
b. The film was made in anticipation that a conflict might arise if the situations were not to my hope.
c. The conflict was created specifically for the film.
The filming was well-prepared, and there were some shots that I don't think the director would have been able to take on her own, so I believe she must have had some help with the filming. The lady was both the plaintiff and the director so #c is technically possible.
2. Many notables are in the movie.
According to IMDB.com, its cast includes only the director, though there are many notable people we can recognize in the movie. Those people don't have cast descriptions or named roles. One of them was carried by a stretcher due to a fatal assassination, which seemed quite inappropriate. How does this relate to the movie?
3. Many real places are in the movie.
There are recognizable places, including street views and the interiors of buildings. We can see these premises on news or video-sharing platforms. Are these scenes created specifically for the movie, or are they real live conferences with real people? There is a scene showing a conference in the Diet.
The story is based on the director's court experience, which I have read about and am somewhat familiar with. At the very least, we can recognize the people's occupations who the lawyers, police officers, taxi drivers, and others are in terms of their roles and occupations in each scene.
The movie repeatedly shows the director's emotions when she struggles, feels disappointed, experiences joy, and gets upset. Additionally, it portrays her childhood with her family, which evokes sympathy. However, the movie does not explain what happened, what went wrong, or how events unfolded. I am left unsure of how to interpret it. It didn't change my view of the conflict. Go, director, please make a persuasive movie!
4. If the audience is not familiar with the story
I wonder where the positive reviews come from. In fact, IMDB.com rates this movie 8 out of 10. Not all audiences can quickly grasp the story using only their imaginations. Additionally, the director's sayings are often not clear enough. Most of the time, she doesn't finish her sentences in the script, regardless of whether it's in English or Japanese. It's as if she's saying, "Please imagine what I want to convey through my acting."
5. Here comes the climax like an acrobatics show.
This climax is like an acrobatic giant slalom in the circus. Dull audiences who are unable to make insinuations or guesses will only sense the director's melancholy and are unlikely to express any sharp criticism. They must have lost their focus, feeling drowsy, checking the clock to see how much time is left, and considering stopping watching. Now the sensational scenes begin.
6. What do the last 3 scenes consist of?
a. All of a sudden, the screen shows that a person who has been shot is being carried by a stretcher.
b. There is an SNS post with pictures of three people: the person who was alive before being carried by the stretcher, the man, and the deputy prime minister, along with a message of loss from the man's account. The screen then goes dark with white letters saying, "The civil court victory on the same day."
c. The lady in the back seat of a car on the highway is exaggeratedly giggling with her face up and her mouth wide open, celebrating the civil court victory.
Do these three scenes have a meaningful connection? The sequence of death, the message of loss, and giggling in a row feels excessively cruel for the audience. I am trying to interpret it positively:
1. The lady felt sorry for the loss.
2. The lady felt heartbroken by the message.
3. The lady can't help hiding her joy of victory.
Does it really need to show the death of the former Prime Minister of Japan, even though the events occurred on the same day? What is the reason for including this scene right before she is wide-mouthed and giggling? It makes it seem as though she is glad about the Prime Minister's death. Additionally, is it merely a coincidence that both events happened on the same day?
7. In summary
The director says in the script, "I have to have a job or I have to work," but it is not clarified whether she already has a job or not. Her life in the movie doesn't show any money for bills or time for maintaining her life. She has been with her lawyer for more than 8 years, and she has never shown her concerns about time or money. She spotlights gender rights before basic human necessities, which feels detached from real life.
She is not the only one living in a global circumstance and having heavy responsibilities. We all live with human relations and family matters as usual. When we encounter unexpected challenges like she did, I expected to see how she managed to solve them wisely.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
02/22/25
Full Review
alan g
The "documentary" violates every journalistic principal. It is biased, and violates the rights of others by making accusations that were found to be false. Yes she was raped and fought hard for vindication which she received but she went too far over the line in making this film. Almost like a vengeful woman in a Greek tragedy.
Rated 1/5 Stars •
Rated 1 out of 5 stars
02/20/25
Full Review
Evan C
Shiori Itō is both subject & documentarian in #BlackBoxDiaries, allowing us to be a fly-on-the-wall during her tense & infuriating journey to justice in an incredibly unjust society. What results is something so raw, vulnerable & effective - you just can't & shouldn't look away.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/07/25
Full Review
MooVie C
Gut wrenching. Such profound bravery.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/23/25
Full Review
Sammy S
Incredibly moving and powerful. Must see!
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/23/25
Full Review
Justin G
Remarkable insight into the almost impossible journey of a female journalist fighting a a system built to protect the perpetrators of horrific crimes. Humbling and shocking in equal measure.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
01/10/25
Full Review
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