Imprint (7 Apr. 2006)

In the 1800s, an American returns to Japan to find the prostitute he fell in love with, but instead learns of the psychical and existential horror that befell her after he left.

Director:

Takashi Miike

Writers:

Mick Garris (creator), Daisuke Tengan (teleplay),

Stars:

Billy Drago, Shihô Harumi, Michié

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Billy Drago	...	Christopher
Shihô Harumi	...	Laborer #1 (as Shihou Harumi)
Michié	...	Komomo (as Michie)
Magy	...	Laborer #2
Shin'ichi Tokuhara	...	Laborer #3 (as Shinichi Tokuhara)
Takao Handa	...	Yoshi, Laborer #4
Hiroshi Kuze	...	Boatman
Miyuki Konno	...	Dead Woman
Yutaka Matsuzaki	...	Gate Keeper #1
Hiroshi Fujita	...	Gate Keeper #2
Sachiko Matsuura	...	Shamisen Player
Noriko Eguchi	...	Whore #1
Megumu Takada	...	Whore #2
Yuno	...	Whore #3
Miho Harita	...	Whore #4

Storyline

In the Nineteenth Century, in Japan, the American journalist Christopher is traveling through the country searching Komomo, the missing love of his life that he had abandoned years ago promising to come back to her later. He arrives in a shadowy island inhabited by whores and caftans, where he has an encounter with a deformed prostitute that tells that his beloved Komomo had passed away. He drinks sake with her and later he asks the woman to tell the story of her life. The prostitute discloses a dark and cruel story about her life and the sad fate of Komomo.

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Plot Keywords:

prostitute | japan | island | journalist | suicide | 

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [jp]

Country:

USA Japan

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 April 2006 (UK)

Filming Locations:

Ashiocho, Tochigi, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

IDT Entertainment, Industry Entertainment, Kadokawa Herald Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

63 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Shimako Iwai, the author of the novel on which the film is based, appears as the sadistic torturer.

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Quotes

The Woman: This island isn't in the human world; demons and whores are the only ones living here.

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Connections

Featured in Hagan Reviews: The Screwfly Solution

User Reviews

very good though seems like a sumnation of miike's work!!!

IMPRINT is Takashi Miike's entry into the cable TV series MASTERS OF HORROR, and the one entry to be banned from transmission (in the US that is). Its certainly an impressive entry. The story follows an American man as he travels to Japan to find the prostitute who he fell in love with and whom he made a promise to, to take back to America and marry. He meets another prostitute who recounts the story of the women he is looking for and what happened to her fate. Told in flashback the story takes a rashomon-like approach as the womens story becomes steadily unreliable, until she reveals the true side to her tale. Cue scenes of torture, abortion and also hints of incest and child abuse and general weirdness, that those familiar to Miike will expect. Its a generally well made, and beautifully filmed tale, though at times it felt like a sumnation of the best bits of Miikes work, mainly the excessive extreme films, such as ICHI, DEAD OR ALIVE and AUDITION. Though Miike is always an interesting director to watch and his entry into this otherwise excellent series, stands out as one of the best. In some ways you can see why it was banned from television!