Gozu

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William L My second Miike after his excellent 1999 horror film Audition, Gozu is such a bizarre combination of elements that it is very difficult to describe; it's more a film that you have to see to have any chance of understanding. My best stab at it would be if you took Wait in Fright, transplanted it into 2000s Japan, and dolloped in a seemingly endless parade of Yakuza narratives, traditional ghost stories, sexuality, and surrealism. The film floats through genres like almost nothing that you've ever seen before (even getting into a bit of Cronenberg body horror), and the only unifying feature seems to be a relentless dedication to the bizarre and a fascinatingly distinct and bonkers exploration of male sexual identity, using stereotypically masculine archetypes (gangsters) and subjecting them to literally transformative experiences to touch on identity. Miike demonstrates an idiosyncratic style that certainly puts him as one of the most original cinematic artists of his generation, possibly to the detriment of his commercial success. But this side of Miike might be just too darn weird for me; Gozu is the kind of film that you have to be at the far end of a normal distribution curve to really geek over, and I'm in that middle majority. Entirely unique and unpredictable, but very strange indeed. (3/5) Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/26/22 Full Review justin t This is a very strange film. It makes little sense. It is also very long with not much happening. The story may seem simplistic until you look deeper and there are so many subtle detailed nuances that it can be a little compelling. Sadly the film drags along, like the men in drag in the restaurant, to the more awkward situations. I mean what the hell would you do if an old lady offered you breast milk to drink? Especially difficult to refuse her if she was very insistent that you sampled her home-grown milky goodness. The ending is utterly twisted but does not justify the whole film before it. It started David Lynch and ended David Cronenberg. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Surreal film from start to finish very David Lynch inspired but a masterpiece in its own right! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review R P To say Gozu is not for everybody would be a massive understatement. If this is your first time watching a Takashi Miike movie, stop and watch a different one first. This is a mind trip. (foreverfinalgirl.com/takashi-miike-gozu/) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/07/21 Full Review Audience Member It's trash, but that's not surprising given the fact that I've hated most of Miike's films. Auditon is still okay, though. Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member I wanted to see a horror movie based off an urban legend, Instead. I got a three hour pornographic fanfiction about Japanese gangsters and insane women, doing insane things. The only thing scary about this movie, is it's not the worst movie i've ever seen. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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