Director – Sion Sono – 2008 – Japan – Cert. 18 – 237m
*****
Originally published in Third Way to coincide with the UK DVD release date 11/01/2010.
Currently streaming on BFI Player as part of the Cult Japan section together with a much wider selection of Japanese movies.
Blu-ray on sale for a bargain £10 in Arrow Video’s sale.
There are very good reasons why this has an 18 certificate in the UK; younger readers should probably stop reading this review NOW!
A four hour marathon which races past the viewer at breakneck speed covering father-son relationships, Catholicism, sin, teen gangs, martial arts stunts, upskirt photography, violence, swordplay, castration, porno movie production, religious cults and more will sound to many like a film to avoid at all costs. Viewing, however, reveals a must see religious movie. (And many other things too – compelling comedy action drama, for instance.)
A Tokyo family of devout Catholics is emotionally ripped apart when the young mother dies, leaving teenage son Yu (Takahiro Nijishima) with instructions that the Girl Of His Dreams will appear to him as the Virgin Mary. Husband/father Tetsu (Atsuro Watabe) compensates for his loss by entering the priesthood and forcing the boy to attend confession regularly.… Read the rest