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Inugami More at IMDbPro »
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| Index | 11 reviews in total |
20 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
a surprisingly absorbing, moody tale, 17 January 2005
Author:
jroman52 from jersey city, nj USA
Many may find this slow going, but it is beautifully shot, and compellingly strange. This kind of folk myth is not often seen on the screen, and hardly ever in such a low-key, erotic style. And there is nothing so terrible about the soundtrack, except perhaps to opera snobs who can't bear to hear Verdi put to use in such an out-of-context way. Not a great film, but above-average for this genre. The Japanese countryside is gorgeous, the atmospherics are evocative, and the actors, particularly the women, are all first rate. Throw in some fascinating scenes of paper making, and on the other hand, some beautifully framed sex scenes, and this is certainly much more watchable than many of its American equivalents.
9 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
the Oedipus myth resurfaces in rural Japan, 9 October 2007
Author:
oowawa from California
Yes, this beautifully filmed fable would have delighted Sigmund Freud.
If you are really uncomfortable with the theme of incest, albeit
unwitting, do not watch this movie, because it is central to the plot.
As in Oedipus Rex, a grim fate hangs over and destroys the hapless
characters involved. It is fascinating to watch this archetypal drama
playing out in the context of a superstitious Shinto world view.
But this is not the only theme driving this complex drama. The
interplay of the traditional and the modern is consistently in the
forefront, and the film sees the good and the bad in both. The
irreplaceable art of Japanese paper-making, which is shown in some
detail, comes out of the same traditional culture that fosters
destructive superstitious beliefs. Similarly, the forces of "progress"
and modernity work for both good and bad purposes. A plan is afoot to
cut down the beloved forest to make way for a big modern country
resort, destroying what is good in the traditional culture (including
the paper-making art); and yet the modern spirit of reason seems to be
the only hope for freeing these villagers from the destructive
superstitious beliefs that enslave them. The traditional world of
Shinto is full of ghosts and deities, of beauty and horror, and it does
not easily coexist with modernity. Nothing is simple here.
These are some of the themes at play in this complex fable. The film
invites repeated viewings. There is much to see: it is very beautiful,
and the acting is excellent. It is full of surprises, and is highly
entertaining. When you watch, be careful to note the family connections
of the characters. The family tree is important. Director Masato Harada
has created something memorable and unique, and it cannot be easily
classified in one genre or another.
10 out of 14 people found the following review useful:
Fascinating drama of superstitions in the computer age, 23 April 2004
Author:
samyan from Huntington Woods, Michigan
This is a drama-fantasy about two Bonomiya families in the computer age,
shunned by villagers because of the legendary curse of the Inugami (wild
dog
deities), supposedly borne by the women. It focuses on gentle spinster
Miki Bonomiya (Yuki Amami). Her mother Tomiè (Shiho Fujimura)
quietly/firmly
rules the 'lower home'. She and surly/Internet-wise brother Takanao
(Kazuhiro Yamaji) are strong believers of the curse. Miki and her
younger
sister Rika (Myu Watase) refute the curse. Takanao's oft-battered wife
Sonoko (Shion Machida) and their children are innocent bystanders. Seiji
Doi (Eugene Harada), from the 'main home', firmly sides with Miki.
Dramatic changes occur after a new teacher Akira Nutahara (Atsuro Watabe)
meets Miki. He is entranced by her skill in fine paper-making (for
calligraphy) and her placid beauty. Miki becomes suddenly youthful and
sensuous as they begin a passionate affair. Villagers begin to gossip
about
their affair. Then, tension mounts as tragedies in the village are blamed
on the curse of Inugami and long-hidden secrets, involving Miki and
Takanao,
are slowly revealed. The culmination is the annual ancestral Shinto
rites
in which Takanao decides on Miki as the human sacrifice to appease the dog
deities.
Yuki Amami played the male roles in the decades-famous all-women
Takarazuka
Revue.
7 out of 10 people found the following review useful:
It's Buffy meets Eastenders, full of Eastend mystery, 8 March 2004
Author:
gokuminkey from Portsmouth Hampshire
This is not the sort of film to watch when your in a pop corn kind of a
mood. It's Beautifully shot strange slightly disturbing film. Not quite a
horror film not quite a thriller more like a dark family slightly
supernatural Saga. It's Buffy meets Eastenders
Set in a sleepy village one of the Japanese Islands Inugami is the story
of
the Boymaina Family headed by a feckless drunken womanizing hereditary
Shinto priest Takanao, Miki Takanao quiet Spinster from the start you can
see there is some dark dynamic between brother an sister. there the family
burdened by guilt and honor to there shine and long and dark history as
guardians of Inugami "Dog gods", it's slowly killing them. As in all
sleepy
villages the appearance of stranger the teacher Akira is the catalyst for
sinister deaths and unnatural occurrences like miki suddenly looks 20
years
younger. Miki & Akira are strongly attracted to each other things go bad.
Family secrets are revealed dark and unpleasant as is the nasty
superstitions of the villages. each revelation adding to the plot and
twisting it. It also ask's questions about morality, honor, tradition good
&
evil all are twisted. There confusing too like what do the dreams mean?
what
does the ending mean. It does give you enough clues to work out your own
explanations. Personally I love oblique endings give you a chance to
exercise your imagination.
There are some great characters Tomie Bonomia miki's mother watch her
closely say no more, Takanao torn by his desires & Honor you can see he
loose the will to live little by little as he becomes more and more
detached. And Fusa the delivery girl who looks just like Sandy from
Monkey.
15 out of 26 people found the following review useful:
Slow Movie + Terrible Soundtrack = This Review, 5 January 2002
Author:
Manji from Canada
INUGAMI is an interesting yet drawn out film. Though there are many
wonderful aspects to the film (location, cinematography, directing) they
just don't save the film from many bouts of tedium. The most overdone
aspect
being the Tomie character. However, for those who do give this film a
chance
they will surely be treated to an above par thriller set in a quiet
village
virtually disconnected from the rest of the world. Here, not only does
everyone know each other's name but they know their secrets as well. This
concept alone is easily fun to play with and we are treated to it quite
nicely as we (the viewer) learn the secrets of the village along with
Akira
(a school teacher, and outsider) who has just arrived in the
town.
Personally, I felt the film should have omitted a few of the middle scenes
of the movie involving Takanao. He had a certain mystique about him near
the
beginning, but with each additional scene involving him I felt a lack of
interest growing. Also, I couldn't help but feel bored around every group
meeting which took place in the film (of which, there are many). For some
reason, it just didn't feel like they were getting anything accomplished
asides from re-stating the basic purpose of the Bonomiya. These scenes
were
just so disinteresting, especially nearing the end.
Also, from a western point of view, the whole idea of loyalty to a certain
job, no matter what the cost, seems trying at times. This is basically a
problem most westerners have with many Asian films. The sense of honour
and
commitment seems to also be a foreign thing to North American audiences. I
have watched other Asian films, less engaging than this one. While
watching
the other films, I found myself very interested and downright intrigued by
the "honour" aspect. But here, in INUGAMI, honour is certainly not
essential. Even morality is utterly useless as the depraved truth is
revealed.
I really wanted to love this film, as I mentioned before there were good
things going for it. However, I'm to conflicted by so many other things
about the movie. This film is definitely not for everyone especially those
who are attracted to the film due to it's underlying "horror" theme.
You don't see any ugly demons strolling the streets, you only see the
ugliness of human beings who have steeped themselves in tradition and the
past. The two things which have been responsible for the downfall of so
many
organizations, societies, and people.
Oh, and the music was rank!
4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
A clash between ancient myth and rapacious modernity in rural Japan., 22 May 2008
Author:
Roger Burke from Brisbane, Australia
This is a remarkable film and narrative, for a number of reasons.
First, the photography of the Japanese forests and mountains is
exquisite. Some of the forest scenes, for example, are amazing in the
way director Harada uses the camera, as though flying or drifting
through upper branches, circling, swooping down and then around to
focus on a young couple walking. Or, tracking along a pathway, coming
up to large boulders, zooming up the face and then above and to look
down directly upon a young man sitting on the top. Or, again, drifting
through the mists of the forest, rising and falling as though traveling
with the breeze. It was, for me, entrancing to watch and admire the
skill of the shooting.
Then there is the soundtrack – a delightful combination of Western and
Eastern pieces that suited every mood that the story attempts to
convey. I didn't take note of the closing credits but there were many
excerpts that were quite familiar, including some from Verdi.
And, having an interest in Japanese culture (I have taught Shotokan
karate for nearly thirty years), it was also a delight to witness a lot
of the process of making rice paper. I know that won't appeal to others
as much as to me, but the practice is an integral part of the story
also, acting as a counterpoint to the encroaching evil of modernity in
the form of a planned harvesting of much of the forest to make way for
the development of a golf course...
Add in now the actors, none of whom I'd seen before. Not that it
mattered: they all performed their roles flawlessly, even though others
might think some of the actors may have been overacting, particularly
Kazurhiro Yamaji who played the belligerent husband and incestuous
womanizer, Takanao. Yuki Amami who played Miki Bonomiya is just sublime
as the main protagonist of this drama - one that surrounds the myth of
the Dog Spirit that is a curse upon the Bonomiya family of the village
of Omine. All of the village's troubles surface when the new teacher,
Akira Nutahara (played by Atsuro Watabe) arrives to take up a new job
at the school. He's much more than what he seems to be and unhappily
for all, he falls in love with Miki, with startling and surprising
results. And, in the background, lurks a local hunter who has killed
999 wild animals - and he's waiting for the right moment to bag number
1000...
It's a complex story that mixes ancient myth and ceremony, incestuous
family ties, jealous and unrequited lovers, and a gradual descent into
murderous horror. For those who enjoy the idea of ghosts or spirits,
there is also the Dog Spirit, a loose translation of the title.
Inugami, however, has a literal translation of 'god dog', which is a
palindrome in English: looks and spells the same, either way. And that,
I think, is curiously appropriate, considering the true nature of Miki
and her mother, Tomie (played by Shiho Fuimura). So, for those who
delve or dabble in Freudian psychology, this story is a treat; for
others less inclined, it tends to be confusing especially if you pay
little heed to the family connections. The subtitles, however, are up
to scratch – but I did skip back a few times, just to make sure I was
following the story okay.
Overall, however, the whole experience appears to move quite slowly, so
some viewers will chomp at the bit, wondering why nothing much seems to
be happening at various times. All I can say is: patience is a virtue.
My only real criticism is that the story ends ambiguously, appearing to
remain rooted in fantasy, instead of psychology.
And finally, I was interested to note Harada had directed Kamikazi Taxi
(1995), a thriller I saw ten years ago, now. I quite enjoyed that, as I
have Inugami. The difference between the two in genre, pacing,
narrative and mise-en-scene, however, is so great it amplifies the
skill Harada shows as a director. I think Harada is, therefore, a
director to watch (no pun intended) and monitor.
Not recommended for children of any age: the graphic sex scenes and
violence are just too much for immature minds.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
A nice little Japanese folk horror gem, 8 May 2010
Author:
Akira-36 from New Zealand
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
After watching many J-horrors that capitalized more on gore-shock and
FX-laden terror, it's a really nice treat to find a little Japanese
folk horror gem like Inugami.
The pacing is slow, but it's typical for many Japanese drama. In fact,
it's truly befitting for the movie to be patient in its storytelling.
The camera works and cinematography, along with the pacing, help to
reign you in to the world of the Omine village. A village and people
seemed to be locked in world between the traditional and the modern.
Time seems to work at a different tangent there, where a feudal
family's life is tainted by an ancient curse; its members torn between
traditional duty and self liberation.
The acting is top notch, the setting is near perfect and the music
blends in with the luscious mountain forest in a mystical way. The
horror element is so subtle and sparse, that this could have been a
purely drama film without the supernatural element. In fact, the most
horrific things are the cruelty and twisted bondage of tradition and
paranoia that envelop the Bonomiya family and the Omine townsfolk.
Shikoku, considered a spiritual haven by many Japanese, plays the
silent witness and a sort of mystical catalyst to the spiraling tragedy
that unfolds through the movie. Its natural presence seems to
reverberate with a disturbing presence and foreboding doom in the
director's hand.
The editing is choppy at times, and it seems Masato Harada didn't
really want to make a horror movie, or could have done a better job
with a bigger budget.
Overall, I really enjoyed Inugami and it's a nice treat if you love
Japanese countryside and folktales. It is not your typical J-horror
film, and there is a disturbing taboo that plays as a central part of
the narration. Beware!
0 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Attempted Hilarious Black Humor That Comes Off as Boring and Absurd Twaddle, 24 September 2009
Author:
cloudsponge from Japan
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
The natural images of forests, mountains, and lotus ponds were
breathtaking, as were the interior shots of the traditional Japanese
houses and workshops.
To call the story childish, however, would be an insult to children. To
call the story eye-rolling, and bone-headed, stupid would be more
accurate.
They should not rent or show this movie without asking for IDs to make
sure no adults view it for fear that they may come down with regressive
brain damage.
Think about it for half a second: "I don't care if she is a thousand
years old and my mother, I love her and want to marry her." Black
humor? Nah, it's not even remotely funny. None of the movie is. With
such an inane and brain-dead story line what else could it have
possibly been aiming for but humor? It utterly fails even in that.
3 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
...Not-Old Old Maid..., 26 October 2002
Author:
frankgaipa from Oakland, California
A mini-festival spared me the bother of buying this, and gave the
opportunity of seeing it on a large screen. "Inugami" opens with an aerial
shot of a two-lane following the low winding juncture of two lushly forested
mountains. It's the kind of landscape that inspires Hayao Miyazaki. At the
end of the line, find a small, insular, modern-day village, on whose
outskirts a not-old old-maid follows generations-old traditions making very
fine paper.
Our out-of-town protagonist falls in love with the paper-maker. Small town
tensions, based both in the present and in the past, simmer, boil,
explode.
Not great, but worth seeing for the scenery and paper-making alone. Put's me
in mind of Mitsuo Yanagimachi's 1985 "Himatsuri."
0 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Lots of threads, 19 May 2008
Author:
Alice Wakefield from Australia
I can't really make a fair comment on this film as I wasn't giving it
my full attention, and I gave up on it halfway through.
I liked the way it looked, the mystery, and the exploration of Japanese
traditions, history and equivalent of karma. These are all rolled in
quite nicely with the horror, in this movie.
Though it seemed like it had a lot of threads, I followed the main ones
very easily. There were some threads which I couldn't follow at all,
and that's probably why I gave up on it.
Again, I wasn't giving it my full attention, and I'm not a particular
fan of horror, so it may not be the film's fault.
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