quite simply the most violent film that i have ever seen with a collection of torture scenes in which i really did have to avert my eyes from the screens because they really were that excruciating.
but that does not make it a good film though. anybody that has read all of the comments on this film will have noticed that everyone (and this obviously includes me) talks almost completely about the violence and nothing else. and this may well be because there is not an awful lot else to talk about. the story (derived from a manga) is wafer thin as is the characterisation but then, lets be fair, this is just a splatter film.
the CGI assisted violence is well done but, to me, the violence at times went well past the black humor threshold and was just plain unpleasant. i do happen to think that Miike is a talented guy (go see Audition which uses violence effectively) as a couple of sequences show. the start is incredibly visual and kinetic and the sequence where we learn all about how the cop ended up in the yakuza is really well done. but any soft touches are lost under a welter of blood and guts. he also handled very well the often uncomfortable link between sex and violence although at times it did really feel like a boys movie gone mad with the depiction of women.
so if you are not easily offended and like your films violent then sure, go and see it. on the other hand if you actually like your films to have a message, meaning or story then just dont. nice use of fish hooks though...
but that does not make it a good film though. anybody that has read all of the comments on this film will have noticed that everyone (and this obviously includes me) talks almost completely about the violence and nothing else. and this may well be because there is not an awful lot else to talk about. the story (derived from a manga) is wafer thin as is the characterisation but then, lets be fair, this is just a splatter film.
the CGI assisted violence is well done but, to me, the violence at times went well past the black humor threshold and was just plain unpleasant. i do happen to think that Miike is a talented guy (go see Audition which uses violence effectively) as a couple of sequences show. the start is incredibly visual and kinetic and the sequence where we learn all about how the cop ended up in the yakuza is really well done. but any soft touches are lost under a welter of blood and guts. he also handled very well the often uncomfortable link between sex and violence although at times it did really feel like a boys movie gone mad with the depiction of women.
so if you are not easily offended and like your films violent then sure, go and see it. on the other hand if you actually like your films to have a message, meaning or story then just dont. nice use of fish hooks though...