Retribution (2006) User Reviews

Lady in Red ... Is Messing With Me!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 14 April 2007]

Having seen "Cure" and "Kairo", I was prepared for another mildly confusing and oddly structured film from Kiyoshi Kurasawa, but the man really surpassed himself here! "Retribution" is downright freaking weird!! Not just the 'I don't get it' kind of weird, but inexplicably uncanny, haunting and perplexing. Kurasawa's style and stories already were a class above the rest of the Asian supernatural horror-industry, but "Retribution" might even be his absolute best effort to date. It's an engaging thriller with an extremely charismatic protagonist (director's favorite Kôji Yakusho), a continuously tense atmosphere and a handful of genuinely creepy moments that are guaranteed to send cold shivers down your spine. Summarizing the plot accurately is a nearly impossible task to accomplish, but I'll try anyway. In a relatively short span of time, inspector Yoshioka and his colleagues of the Tokyo police have to investigate three macabre murders where the victims were drowned in saltwater. The modus operandi is identical in all three cases, but there's no connection to be found between the victims and – moreover – the culprits aren't difficult to track down. Yoshioka arrests three different killers that immediately confess their crimes, but can't give a proper explanation for what it was that drove them to kill or why they specifically drowned their victims in saltwater. The more Yoshioka investigates the three murders, the more the evidence points out that he himself might be an important suspect. He's definitely guilty of something, as he's soon stalked by the creepy appearance of the first murder victim. The girl is dressed in a bright red dress and produces chilly screams that pierce you to the very marrow. "Retribution" is slow-paced and soberly filmed, but somehow Kurasawa manages to hold your attention simply with great dialogs and intriguing character drawings. There's no gore and not even that much action, but the tone of the film is constantly ominous and the Lady in Red is at least 10 times scarier than all the eerie kids of "Ringu", "Phone", "The Grudge" and all the other phony ghost-appearances in Asian thrillers combined! "Retribution" is an impeccably stylish and well-made film, containing enchanting photography and flawless editing as well as atmospheric music and great acting. The script is stuffed with ingenious little plot-details (like the constant wave of earthquakes and the significance of the saltwater) and the talented Yakusho is always a joy to behold. However, exactly like in "Cure", the exaggeratedly complexity towards the end of the film nearly ruins the whole viewing experience. I said it before and I'll say it again: just ONCE I'd like to see a Japanese occult-thriller that doesn't leave me scratching my head after the final denouement. The events in "Retribution" were fairly comprehensible for about three quarters of the movie, but then suddenly it seemed like everyone involved in the production lost interest and just came up with the most confusing finale imaginable.

A Japanese detective discovers there is more to a series of killings

[super_renske · 7/10 · 2 February 2007]

I saw this movie at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The movie was announced as being "horror for those who did not like horror". I was afraid it would be a typical Japanese horror, with creepy sounds, dark colors and mean ghosts. Now, there was a ghost and annoying sounds (the title in Japanese means "the scream"). But there was more.

The main character is a detective, who investigates murders in Tokyo. It seems like there is a serial killer out, because the murders have the same method of killing. But then he gets haunted by what seems to be the first victim.

The movie evolves from solving a crime and catching a murderer to a search for mysterious connections. It may not all seem to make sense, there is an explanation in the end. Maybe not satisfying enough for some, but I don't think the explanation is the whole point of the movie.

There remains a vibe of mystery. If you come in expecting a typical American horror, you surely will be disappointed. But if you like some dark, Japanese mystery, including some scares, you will certainly enjoy this one.

Intriguing and Complex

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 21 June 2009]

In Tokyo, when a young woman in a red dress is drowned in a hole with sea water by a stranger, Detective Noboru Yoshioka (Kôji Yakusho) is assigned to investigate the case; however he finds evidences that points out to him as the possible murderer. Then a doctor kills his son in the same way, and Noboru believes the man is a serial-killer. However, Noburo is haunted by a woman dressed in red that he believes is the first victim called F18 by the coroner and becomes obsessed to solve the case. Further he proposes his girlfriend Harue Nimura (Manami Konishi) to move with him to another city or country. Meanwhile a woman drowns her lover in a bathtub with sea water. When the body of the woman in red (F18) is identified, Noburo arrests the killer and believes the ghost will leave him. But when he meets Miyuki Yabe (Kaoru Okunuki), he finds that she was possessed by the emotions of the fiend when she murdered her lover and Noboru's psychiatric identifies that his problems are connected to events of fifteen years ago. Noboru asks Harue to travel alone and navigates in a boat to an abandoned asylum where he discovers the truth about the spirit.

"Sakebi" is an intriguing horror tale, supported by a complex plot that is open to interpretations. I saw this movie twice on DVD trying to understand the mystery, but it was not clear the connection among Noboru, Reiko (the first victim F18), the doctor Sakuma and Miyuki with the ghost in red. Something is missing to give full comprehension to the plot. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Vítima de uma Alucinação" ("Victim of an Hallucination")

Disappointing : Kaïro repeating !

[moimoichan6 · 6/10 · 18 September 2007]

Kyoshi Kurosawa is a talented but maybe too prolific director. Since the early 90's, he had almost directed 30 movies. No wonder that, when Takashige Ichise, the master producer of J-Horror ("Ring", "The Grudge") asks him to direct one of the Jap-Horror trilogy movie along with Hideo Nakata and Shimizu, you get a little feeling of "Déjà-vu" in front of his new movie : "Sakebi" (Retribution).

Of course, there's still lots of excellent ideas in the movie, and some parts are majestically directed : all the ghosts apparitions are really beautiful, and the movie take there and then an experimental approach in their representation. It almost looks like a modern art installation. Some shots are also really well thought, as the one of the interrogation of a suspect, filmed in continuation, with the help of a mirror in the back in order to create a double space. But the most original aspect of the movie is the depiction of the modern Tokyo, witch doesn't look modern at all. In the movie, the city looks like a post-war town, everything is rotten and lugubre, there's nobody in the dark streets. You don't often see such a representation of Japan, far from the clichés of the ultra-modern society it's supposed to be.

But the problem is that all this was ultimately in others Kurosawa's movies, as if he wanted to offer a sort of best-of his previous works here. His style haven't change, and the story isn't really surprising for any "Kaïro"'s spectator. This lack of surprise leads to a feeling of boringness, and I couldn't get out of my mind, after the movie, the idea that it was clearly unoriginal (for a Kurosawa's movie, of course) and a little bit too long (maybe cutting 20 minutes of the movie would have been a good thing).

But all in all, this movie is a good introduction to his tormented universe, and for those who already know it, well, a new Kyoshi Kurosawa's movie certainly comes out in 3 months.

Recapitulation

[JobsBronson · 6/10 · 19 October 2020]

"Retribution" could just as well have been entitled "Recapitulation," since it returns to all of Kurosawa's themes, not only reiterating but enriching them. This time, however, the narrative is a little clearer, the cinematography richer in palette and more conventionally noir, and somehow these changes make the film slightly less disturbing than "The Cure"." As an introduction to his work, however, this may be the best place to start.

Disappointing

[zettaichan · 5/10 · 29 August 2010]

This is a rather forgettable horror film, which is a letdown coming from Kiyoshi Kurosawa. I see people on the messageboard for this film claiming that disliking it shows a lack of sophistication, or a failure to appreciate Japanese cinema. I'm a fan of the Asian horror wave of the past decade or so. I had no trouble following movies like Suicide Club, The Eye, and A Tale of Two Sisters. And I love several of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's other works: Cure, Charisma, Korei (Seance) and Kairo (Pulse.) I didn't like Retribution. It has long tension-building takes and quirky observed moments like Kurosawa's better works; he's an assured director who excels at atmosphere. But the plot of this film may actually be TOO clear. Cure, Charisma and Pulse are evocative films that leave central questions unanswered, haunting viewers.

In Retribution, everything is revealed, and the supernatural comes to seem ordinary, a little boring and even a little silly. Techniques and images repeat from Kurosawa's better films. Retribution has its moments, but there's nothing here that Kurosawa hasn't already done better elsewhere.

Another excellent example of Japanese horror to be misunderstood and rejected by the masses

[UberNoodle · 8/10 · 5 May 2008]

I am a huge fan of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's work and I also greatly admire Koji Yakusho as well. Ironically it was his performance in Warai no Daigaku cemented my admiration. None the less, seeing both of these talented people partner up for a film filled me with anticipation. Before seeing Sakebi I knew that it would not be along the lines of other genre mates like Juon or Chakushinari. I also knew that the film would be carried over to the West on the wings of Hollywood remake hype and be marketed as the "scariest thing ever".

Well those advertising execs have to learn that the definition of "scary" in the West, particularly nowadays, is a heck of a lot more literal and straight to the point: the ghost appears, augmented by all manner of cgi effects, just in case we didn't realise her nature, and then cue loud audio cue, "boo!". Was it as scary for you as it was for me? It also seems that knowing everything that there possibly is to know about a ghost apparently makes the whole situation more frightening.

It exasperates me that today's spoon-fed audience chalk up anything inexplicable or mysterious about a film as bad writing and direction. As far as these viewers are concerned, mysteries are OK as long as they are smart enough to work them out, crying out "I didn't pay to be confused" as they eject the DVD in perplexed disgust.

Which leads me to the film in question. The tag-line "There is no escape from the ultimate retribution" should have been saved for the next regurgitation of Friday The 13th. A film such as Sakebi deserves promotion targeting a much more sophisticated audience. Where are the people that enjoyed Don't Look Now, one of most effective and haunting supernatural thrillers ever made? They aren't going to see a film with a tag-line that could have been made from some university student's Internet horror tag-line generator.

But it seems that I have typed so much and barely touched on the film itself. I won't go into the story more than just to say that it revolves around the investigation into a series of similar murders occurring largely in and around the coastal landfill and reclamation areas of Tokyo. This setting lends the film a strong sense of isolation, and the characters reflect that. Thematically, Sakebi deals with loneliness and abandonment, which while not new for the horror genre, Kurosawa gives them a breath of life.

There is much about this film that strays from genre trappings, and there is perhaps equally as much that stays within them. However, ultimately this is a Kiyoshi Kurosawa film and it isn't going to appeal to everyone. Its stillness and reflection will turn off many viewers, as will its unwillingness to lift the curtain and expose the workings of story. Terrible acts shown in long shots give us a feeling of helpless voyeurism, with no fast editing or closeups to remind us that we are watching a film. The film's score is so unobtrusive that I can't really recall even hearing it, and most of the film is on a background of ambient sound.

But perhaps it is Kurosawa's trademark of staying with the characters and rejecting the God's Eye View of the story that will perplex and affront viewers the most. There is an expectation that at least we should be let in on the secret and know more than the characters do. We are smarter than they are, aren't we? But why should we know? Life is full of mysteries, irrationality and actions with unknown motives. We can't even explain why a man kills his whole family and them himself, so how can we hope to know the motivations of a restless spirit.

I think that this touches on something important: people WANT to know why people do terrible things and the confessions of a ghost are the ultimate revelation. Horror, like science fiction are so often reflections of the fears and insecurities of our time. We can't explain the tragedies around us, but maybe through the genre of horror we can try to come to terms with them.

On the other hand, for some reason, more than likely cultural, Japanese horror does away with the naivety that we could somehow fathom the ultimate mysteries of death. Instead it shows us something bleak and inevitable, far beyond our knowledge and understanding. Something that has transcended our existence, yet profoundly affects us. Japanese horror reminds us that we don't have as tight a grip on the universe as we like to believe, and that bothers some people.

Although the Disturbing Atmosphere of Retribution is Undeniable, so too is the Lack of Depth, Characterization and Substance

[totalovrdose · 5/10 · 18 June 2015]

Koji Yakusho's portrayal of Detective Noboru Yoshioka, develops a character who is unimaginably stoic. This is clearly represented whenever his girlfriend Harue (Manami Konishi) leaves for work, his reply being less than satisfactory, and more of a grunt, conveying a sense of lacking appreciation. This is one such theme maintained over the course of the feature, as is paranoia, selfishness and lack of control, Noboru equally showing his character to be easily frustrated and quick to anger, which is especially heightened due to the situation he is immediately thrust into. An unidentifiable woman in a red dress is murdered during the film's opening - drowned in a pool of sea water, several pieces of evidence located around the scene implicating Noboru himself as the culprit. Fellow detective Toru (Tsuyoshi Ihara) additionally suspects Noboru, though his rush to judgement appears illogical for a skilled officer of the law, who, rather than ruling out other possible scenarios, is quick to blame a man who he has served beside for an unprecedented number of years, this aspect of the plot appearing to have been inserted in an attempt to intensify the atmosphere, however, the reckless handling of his suspicion ultimately collapses.

Not long after the murder, Noboru begins to be haunted by a woman matching the description of the unidentified victim. Riona Hazuki as the ghost is disturbingly efficient, her vapory voice, stone faced expression and stiff, almost zombie-like movements immersing viewers during the moments of her appearance. The red dress she wears is incredibly eye-catching, and the use of bland environments accentuates the audience taking notice. Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa heightens this suspense with his style, the camera often capturing Ms. Hazuki's face in either a partial shot, to increase mystery and intent, or a close-up, her accusatory expression burning a hole through the screen. If she were to creep any closer, she would probably jump right out of the television - thankfully the film isn't in 3D, else I personally may have wet my pants.

The effectiveness of the ghost's portrayal is however slighted by the director's vision. Although unique, the fact she is corporeal, rather than transparent, and because of this, often employs the function of a door, rather than simply gliding through objects, seems almost strange, this peculiarity being heightened by the addendum that she has a habit of taking off like Super-Man. It is, furthermore, difficult to ascertain whether she is deserving of our sympathy, or if she is presumably an antagonist, the director affording the audience choice in this regard.

As more bodies begin to appear, killed in a similar fashion to the initial victim, the threat of a serial killer plagues largely on the minds of the police, and for some, only heightens the suspicion around Noboru's character. Despite his continued insistence that he is not complicit in the crimes after been accused by the ghost herself, Noboru begins to investigate his past, the film richly developing the notion of forgetfulness through use of the environment, especially urban redevelopment projects, and the idea that the buried past is lost to the present day, an idea further suggested by Harue's character. Japan itself is positioned during the film as a continuously evolving entity, the frequent tumultuous earthquakes, matching the unsettling inexplicable nature of the murders, not to mention the narrative's climate.

Many instances in the film are provided limited explanation: how Noboru is able locate other potential suspects, alongside random pieces of evidence after driving around for a few minutes is simply astounding, as is another sub-plot, in which the smell of a decomposing corpse is not enough to notify the inhabitant of the residence that they are sharing a house with the deceased. What is perhaps most frustrating of all is the lacking information provided in regards to characters. Noboru and the woman in red are provided just enough of a back-story to ensure the plot progresses, however, the lacking substance forbids a deeper understanding or emotional connection. Even the accusatory remarks about her death, despite been interesting, are seldom provided adequate reinforcement. The same argument could be potentially made about the modus operandi of the murders, which seems very convenient after having been provided a bland explanation. Despite this, the film accurately shows how people interpret the world, and what was a miniscule moment for one person, can be life changing for someone else.

The conclusion, which is obviously meant to shock viewers with a sudden revelation, due to the aforementioned lack of detail, is neither surprising nor impacting, and despite subtle hints being employed during the feature that mutually come together at the end, more depth is needed to position audiences to be legitimately grounded in the story of Retribution. Moreover, the interpretative and contradictory end, rather than suspending viewers in excitement, or terror, simply suspends them in a sea of questions - a testament to the film's inability to adequately provide answers. Despite exhibiting some similarity with the movie Cure, Retribution remains interestingly mysterious. However, all mysteries, to be effective, need to be adequately solved - this is largely not the case here.

Another unusual and original Kiyoshi Kurosawa horror film.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 8/10 · 12 April 2011]

You know you're getting something special and unusual when watching a Kiyoshi Kurosawa movie. Reason why I often like his movies so much is because they always start of as something formulaic and you're sure the movie will be heading in a certain direction but then suddenly it will completely turn around and the movie and its story start taking an unexpected approach.

The movie pretty much starts off as a thriller, in which the police is hunting down a supposed serial killer. But it soon starts to become apparent that there actually is far more going on and the movie takes a more horror-like turn.

But please don't watch this movie expecting a typical Japanese horror flick, with scare moments and such. This movie is anything but typical and it's just not really a straight-forward horror flick. It's more subtle and clever with its story and build-up. Some people might find it too slow but those were probably expecting this movie to be a more typical Japanese horror flick.

It's really a movie that is heavy on its build-up. It can definitely get hard to follow and understand at times but this is basically always the case with a Kiyoshi Kurosawa movie. They allow you to think and interpret certain scenes and moments in your own way. Lots is always being left up to your own interpretation, so also don't expect the movie to just hand you all of the questions or to give a clear explanation of everything at the end.

It's really a very well directed movie, that also focuses heavily on its visuals. It's a real fine looking movie, with nice cinematography and some great settings got picked, for the movie its story. Kiyoshi Kurosawa is also an horror director who often uses special effects for his movies. It's always very well incorporated into his films and all serves a purpose within the style and story of the movies, as is also the case with this movie.

Really a movie you have to experience for yourself.

8/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Disappointing Kurosawa loser

[Indyrod · 4/10 · 24 September 2008]

This Kiyoshi Kurosawa ghost movie is pretty wild, and it did have at least one jump scare that caught me off guard. But all in all, the movie is incredibly stupid, with a detective trying to track down a suspected serial killer, only to find out he may have committed one of the crimes. Then he finds himself haunted by a gorgeous Asian lady ghost, and has no idea why (and neither does the viewer). As other murders are committed, he becomes even more confused as the killers are easily found, and this ghost still haunts him for some reason. Not only is the plot completely stupid, the lady ghost is more funny than anything, especially when she suddenly flies across the city, like Wonder Woman. And the ending makes little sense, in fact, the whole movie makes little sense, and I can't recommend it at all. If it didn't take itself so serious, I would think it was supposed to be a black comedy. Outside of "Bright Future" this is the worst movie directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa I have seen yet.

A Nutshell Review: Retribution

[DICK STEEL · 5/10 · 28 April 2007]

Retribution, punishment that is considered to be morally right and fully deserved. And for those who, like myself, have not gotten warned enough from writer-director Kyoshi Kurosawa's earlier duds like Loft, watching Retribution is retribution enough for not heeding that warning with its red light flashing from a distance. I enjoyed Kairo, but somehow the subsequent works of his which I've watched, failed to captivate just as much.

Simply put, Retribution contains all the classical elements of things that go bump in the night, the Kurosawa way. Don't expect sudden boos - you'll get long takes, the quiet, and something I've always admired, how spirits appear in the background so gradually, it's actually frightening. But too much of a good thing becomes cliché, and spicing it up by making them fly like Keanu Reeves in the Matrix sequels, just reeks. This movie too suffered from too many of the same type ghouls, and having one of them, the sticky Woman in Red (Riona Hazuki, whom I swear looks very much like local TV actress Jacelyn Tay) letting out cries that can challenge any siren, inevitably makes you want to cover your eyes each time she appears.

As the story goes, Koji Yakusho, a Kurosawa movie regular, plays a veteran detective Yoshioka assigned to investigate the homicide of the woman in a scarlet red dress, who was drowned in salty water accumulated in a puddle at a construction site. Curiously enough, the evidence all point to him - his whereabouts unknown, and a button at the scene which could have come from his own jacket. The problem is, he has no recollection what the heck had happened, and neither does he know the girl. Along the way, he seemed to be guided by this invisible force which he calls his hunch, to nab other suspects in other cases of similar modus operandi - that of drowning in shallow salt waters.

It's pretty much a character study piece of Yoshioka, with many flashbacks and numerous attempts tying up its convoluted loose ends. His nasty demeanour of unorthodox tactics (I just love that chase up the rooftop and its resolution of that scene) make him unpopular, and when alone, his relationship with his beautiful girlfriend Harue (Manami Konishi) makes you wonder why the bad boys get all the nice girls. Anyway that aside, it's precisely these relationship issues that put the entire story on a spin, and which I thought for a man like him, saving his whisky bottle during an earthquake speaks loads.

As mentioned earlier, the production is almost minimal, especially with Yoshioka alone in his apartment. The movie's not for everyone, and restless teenagers are better off leaving the theatre rather than to vent their displeasure at the other folks who want to endure this. There are a few surprises in store for those patient enough to wait till they emerge, but therein arose more questions to be answered. You wont get satisfaction watching this movie, all you get is retribution for wasting time watching something quite hokey and clunky.

If there's only one thing I like about the movie, it's that one special effects shot involving a water pan towards the end. Blink and you'll miss it.

Retribution

[Scarecrow-88 · 8/10 · 27 April 2008]

A beleaguered detective, working a homicide case whose crime scene was disturbed by a flood which derived from an earthquake, is haunted by a mysterious lady in red, who might just be a victim he possibly murdered..he can not remember ever doing such a thing, which makes her creepy visits to him even more bewildering.

The film opens with a man drowning a young woman, dressed in red, in a salt-water pot hole leaving her as he drives away. This case evokes distress in Detective Noboru Yoshioka(Kôji Yakusho, with quite an interesting face..it seems like his years of working these cases, among other things the film will eventually reveal, show in not only the face but his demeanor)who the film paints as the possible killer. A button and electrical wire, pointed out by the film in subtle sequences, allow us, at first, to believe he just might've been the one responsible, having selective amnesia in not remembering his involvement. I like how director Kiyoshi Kurosawa toys with me..like a puppet at his command, I was led to and fro. Then, Kurosawa startles me by showing other murders carried out by a killer towards one they possibly care for. The murders start out one way(..a father sticks his troublesome, wayward son with a hypodermic of poison, an adulteress bashes her employer with a hammer)then result with drowning in salt-water. I, at first, felt that the lady in red might've been a manifestation of guilt, but it seems later she might actually motivate others to kill! That's another aspect of this tale that startles me. Along the way, the film always returns to Yoshioka, the catlayst who explores the identity of the lady in red which never fails to return to him, often frightening him with accusations of his murdering her. Who is this woman, really? At first, Yoshioka believes she is the dead woman seen drowned at the opening of the film, but once her murderer is discovered, it still doesn't end. Through some digging, he finds out about a sanitarium which used corporal punishment towards unruly inmates involving heads being soaked in pans of salt-water.

I found it amusing how the film will seem to let Yoshioki off the hook, regarding his possible involvement in a homicide only to bring the lady in red back to torment him. He has done something and this film cleverly shows us what. I will say that one must always keep Yoshioka's love interest Harue(Manami Konishi)in their minds throughout. If you can see, their relationship is missing something. It's distant, cold, empty..something just isn't quite right with this picture. And, another little toy at Kurosawa's disposal is Yoshioka's partner Toru Miyaji(Tsuyoshi Ihari)who suspects him of misconduct. The lady in red is quite a creation of Kurosawa's..she's not far removed from the others we often are accustomed to, but she resembles a corpse, just recently uninhabited rather than some spooky white with black eyeballs lunging from the darkness. Actually, she often appears in corners like those who perish to ash in Kurosawa's "Kairo". Mirrors, flight, a crack in the wall..the lady in red makes her presence known. I like how Kurosawa create's this depressing atmosphere, not unlike "Kairo", where the skies in Tokyo are mostly grey and sad. Kurosawa said in a Q&A session on the DVD I watched that he shot this film in Winter, and the film works, I think, because of that. While I did find it baffling at times, this film sure held me at it's grip and I found it quite challenging. The fate of Miyaji, and Yoshioki's reaction and response to his sins, only add to this film's strange aura.

Meh

[mister_bateman · 5/10 · 6 September 2020]

The movie has a cool mysterious, dark detective thriller vibe to it, but ultimately the story remains a bit too vague and becomes boring due to a lack of development and suspense.

A rich and beautiful tale of otherworldly expression

[CipherCode · 8/10 · 20 January 2007]

This really is another masterpiece in a gathering of work that puts so many American mainstream horror directors to shame.

A rich tale of longing and unrequited desire, summed in an intensely satisfying, and beautiful prose. Delicate, yet overwhelming at times. Smart and distracting, like the written lines of Haruki Murakami, filled with lynchesque overtones. It reminded me of Miike doing Izo, in its expertise in skipping genre and time planes to find its core story. I loved this movie. I know it is clique, but I laughed, I cried. I jumped out of the seat of my pants!!!

For a lover of Kurosawa, this is a must!

A terrible mess of a movie that doesn't make a lick of sense.

[gzamikes · 1/10 · 19 October 2006]

I've seen about four other Japanese horror films and they weren't too impressive. However, I could sense that there was a sensible script guiding the way.

Not here, no way. This is about a detective who is trying to tie together similar murders that have been happening. When he finds a suspect to question, the suspect freaks out because they keep seeing a ghost. Then, the ghost starts to follow the detective around FOR A REASON THAT IS NEVER EXPLAINED AND TAKES UP MORE THAN HALF OF THE MOVIE.

Bad enough? Oh no. The film keeps switching perspectives to different characters who don't have much to do with the story. I've seen this before in other movies where it shows a different perspective. Not the case here.

Also, whatever is happening on screen that is actually tolerable quickly ends. For example, there a few scenes with a slight instrumental score that builds up and...then it just cuts to another scene. I'm aware that this can be a dramatic effect. That's definitely not the intention here. It's just bad editing.

Finally, there's the "ghost" who just screams in a way that's not scary or unintentionally funny. It's annoying and it happens a lot throughout the movie.

All of the scares have been done before in better ways so you can see them all coming. Then after one of them, the movie is over. At that point, a wave of confusion swept over the audience as I could sense we all felt that we had wasted our time. Someone did a mock clap and laughter ensued. It was better than the whole film. Simply put, AVOID.

Could have been so much more...

[redwoodtree · 2/10 · 9 June 2007]

The Japenese sense of pacing, editing and musical score must be different than American tastes, but surely this movie could have been so much more with a little more post production work.

Someone in Hollywood needs to re-make this movie and I think it would be a big hit. The story is interesting and creepy. There's something about the edges of the city, gritty policemen, earthquakes, sanitariums and mysterious saltwater killings that is enough to be captivating. However, this story has to make just a little bit of sense and maybe be about 40 minutes shorter.

I do have to say that the "sixth-sense" effect was in full force in this movie, and that was evident from the very beginning.

As it stands, only the die-hard Japanese film lovers should bother seeing this oh-so-boring movie.

Audiences Are Getting More and More Stupid By the Day

[ebossert · 8/10 · 25 August 2007]

A detective (Koji Yakusho) investigates a series of murders by drowning, while at the same time questioning his own possible involvement. Kiyoshi Kurosawa focuses mostly on the concept of abandonment here. This time, however, the consequences that lie behind the motive for the killings reach far beyond the primary characters. The horror sequences themselves are nicely done and incorporate a variety of techniques. The pacing is glacial but there's more than enough here to satisfy.

Reading some of the negative reviews here only confirms that audiences are getting more and more stupid by the day. No doubt this is due to the endless flooding of Hollywood movies (if you really want to call them "movies") that are made for brainless halfwits who have completely abandoned their cerebral skills in favor of special effects and potty humor. That said, one can only shrug their shoulders at the mass of confusion expressed by some of the reviewers here who claim that this film "doesn't make a lick of sense." Allow me to explain.

START OF SPOILERS

The woman in red is behind every killing that occurs. The murders that the detective is investigating were committed by people, but the woman in red influenced them to kill because they experienced the same rejection that she experienced – they are not an integral part of the future of their loved ones. The detective is the only one who is forgiven, but the rest of the world must die, because she was abandoned by all. Therefore, her influence over the human murderers was simply a foreshadowing of the apocalyptic doom that would later befall the entirety of humanity.

END OF SPOILERS

There are more specifics to the story, of course, but the synopsis above is rather simplistic and shouldn't be all that difficult to understand. Then again, if someone feeds their brain with dim-witted tripe like "Friday the 13th" and "Hostel" all the time, it's possible that their movie IQ has degraded to such an extent that even the slightest bit of indirect communication by a filmmaker will go unnoticed. For those of us who don't need (or simply don't want) everything spelled out in BIG RED LETTERS, "Retribution" offers a bit of interest.

The rest of you Hollywood fanboys may as well not even bother with stuff like this. Just go and watch "Freddy vs. Jason" or "Alien vs. Predator" a few hundred more times until your brain turns into a quivering mound of jello.

I don't know that woman.

[lastliberal · 8/10 · 28 December 2008]

This is not your typical j-horror. There are no bloody murders, no nudity, and you really have to contemplate everything to figure it out. It requires and investment that most horror aficionados would be loathe to do.

Kôji Yakusho (Babel, and the original and much better Shall We Dance?) is Yoshioka, a detective that is investigating a murder, and he finds clues that point to him as the killer. He is visited by a ghost of the victim (Riona Hazuki) and he is going crazy because he can't figure what he did wrong. Even after they find her killer, she still haunts him.

Repetitive occurrences and talk indicate that they may be clues to the mystery - frequent earthquakes, all the victims were drowned in salt water (including one in a tub), the preoccupation with the ferry from 15 years ago, and the constant talk of tearing down and rebuilding along the coast.

These things keep occurring, but they don't bring you any closer to the truth.

Manami Konishi, as Yoshioka's girlfriend was a pleasurable presence, as well as an excellent actress.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa certainly knows how to tell a ghost story.

Kiyoshi Kurosawa's best work.

[Prof_Neil · 9/10 · 12 March 2007]

I was fortunate enough to see this film at the Chicago International Film Festival last august. I am really fond of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's work (My favs are probably Doppelganger, Bright Future and Charisma). I did not know much about this film prior to seeing it other than it being the newest K. Kurosawa. I am not going to describe the film in that I wish not to ruin an aspect of it. What I will say is that I found it to be the best piece of work that K. Kurosawa has done to date. The film encompasses every area of cinema that K. Kurosawa has explored; from crime drama to j-horror. If you are fond of K. Kurosawa, you will absolutely enjoy this film and probably feel similar. Hope this was helpful, take care.

Another subtle masterpiece from Kiyoshi Kurosawa

[jordondave-28085 · 8/10 · 26 July 2023]

(2006) Retribution (In Japanese with English subtitles) PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR/ SOCIAL COMMENTARY

Another subtle masterpiece from Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Cure, Pulse) and definitely not for the simple minded which is the alternate and the Japanese equivalent of "The Sixth Sense" showcasing at the beginning of an unknown person drowning a girl to death in a puddle of salted water. Then the next scene shows a police detective Kôji Yakusho as the unshaven Noboru coming out of a hangover and conversing with his girlfriend whose assigned to the case of the drowned girl and begins to find materialistic things linking him to the murder itself. At the same time a ghostly image of the drowned girl consistently appears haunting him like he was the one that did it. To say anymore would ruin it's subtle social commentary message about 'owning up a crime and then act like it never happened at all'! There is hardly any blood but a lot of unexplainable things which would be answered toward the end. I might've enjoyed this film had it been a lot longer than it's current running time of 103 minutes.