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Funeral Parade

Play trailer Funeral Parade 1969 1h 47m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 22 Reviews 85% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
In a Japanese version of "Oedipus Rex," a gay son murders his mother and sleeps with his father.

Critics Reviews

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Peter Bradshaw Guardian Funeral Parade of Roses is a jagged shard of a film, an underground dream of longing and despair... Rated: 5/5 May 13, 2020 Full Review Jonathan Romney Film Comment Magazine It imparts the thrill of witnessing the hedonism and lawlessness-both sexual and artistic-of a bygone culture. You also feel an almost tragic surge of melancholia watching it: where and when, you wonder, will cinema ever get quite this wild again? Jul 11, 2017 Full Review Gary Goldstein Los Angeles Times Matsumoto mashes a barrage of audio-visual styles, tones and gimmicks into a brash kaleidoscope of filmic possibility. Jun 15, 2017 Full Review Pieter-Jan Van Haecke Psychocinematography Matsumoto makes great use of jump-cuts, fast montages, and intertitles. Mar 2, 2023 Full Review Bebe Scarpie Drag In no way is this a funny picture, or a light one. Definitely not for everyone. But for those who do sit through... Funeral Parade of Roses is a very strong trip. May 12, 2022 Full Review Laurie Ann Ladylike If you can get beyond the time shifts and "artistic" parts, I think you'll enjoy this unique film. May 10, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jonathan G A landmark in queer cinema, and a hell of a landmark it is. It’s remarkable in its visuals, and its conception was a historical moment for film, especially during the time period it was made in. It’s gorgeously disturbing, hits the heart, and more than anything is authentic. A timeless gem, the writing is just perfect, and the way it’s shot is just magical. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/26/24 Full Review Audience Member Really weird movie. I didn't enjoy the sex but the rest of it was interesting. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review damian l it was soso.it just explored the gay culture thats about it and the main characters ways of how he lived his life about it Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member having in mind that this is film almost 50 years ago, this is a really brave authentic film. There is an element of arthouse approach, but handled perfectly and makes the whole thing interesting. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review s r Gutsy, but not really enjoyable. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member On my first day in Los Angeles I ended up at a small independent cinema called The Cinefamily, and by sheer luck I managed to get in. It just so happened to be the opening night of the 4K restoration of Toshio Matsumoto's highly transgressive and influential "Funeral Parade of Roses". It was a fantastic experience, not the least because of this community's fervor for such a lost gem of arthouse/experimental film. Set in the Tokyo underground, the film concerns several transvestite prostitutes, primary among them one named Eddie. We follow their love lives and drug lives with occasional pauses for cinema verite styled interviews centered around their perspectives on sexuality and culture. Jarring editing, strobe cuts, provocative and disturbing imagery, and frequent fourth wall breaking keep you on your toes all throughout the viewing. In terms of influence, the plot is very loosely adapted from Oedipus Rex, and it paved the way for movies like Park Chan-Wook's "Oldboy" and Gaspar Noe's "I Stand Alone". Stanley Kubrick was directly inspired by the fast-motion action sequences and utilized the same technique in "A Clockwork Orange", complete with whimsical organ music. In fact there's even a few phantom ride shots that just had to be an inspiration for many iconic sequences in Kubrick's 70s output. The meticulous level of restoration by Cinelicious is readily apparent, and it is wonderful to see this level of passion put into preserving such a critical piece of cinematic history. "Funeral Parade of Roses" is disturbing as it is hilarious, and now it is essential viewing for cinephiles due to its impending Blu-Ray release. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Funeral Parade

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Movie Info

Synopsis In a Japanese version of "Oedipus Rex," a gay son murders his mother and sleeps with his father.
Director
Toshio Matsumoto
Producer
Mitsuru Kudo, Keiko Machida
Screenwriter
Toshio Matsumoto
Production Co
Art Theatre Guild
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Japanese
Runtime
1h 47m