AUDITION

Before I begin, I would like to give a word of warning; if you haven't seen this film yet and have avoided reading too much about it, then don't read any further. This film is at its most effective without any previous knowledge of it, as I found last autumn on viewing it for the first time without knowing anything about it. I would go further and advise you not even to read the blurb on the back of the DVD case. Just watch the film first. However, if you do want to read on, I've tried to avoid giving away any of the film's defining elements...

AUDITION is Takashi Miike's only entry into the horror genre to date. Miike is the current darling of Japanese cinema and was to be found at most of the major film festivals last year in place of 'Beat' Takeshi Kitano, who usually assumes this position. His career is fascinating. Up until FUDOH: THE NEW GENERATIONS in 1996, Miike was an unknown, even in Japan. This film is often mistakenly referred to as Miike's debut - it wasn't. He had made a couple of low budget yakuza flicks in the first half of the decade and had worked extensively within the Japanese film industry in roles other than director. By the time he
made FUDOH he was 36 - quite a late start for a Japanese director. As if to make up for this delayed success, he has been steadily increasing his output over the last few years, to the stage where he made an incredible seven films in the last two years (what's even more amazing is the fact that they're all so good!). AUDITION is one of those seven films. Most of Miike's work falls into the 'violent yakuza' genre, popularised by Kitano. However, the similarities end there. Where Kitano makes beautifully crafted films meditating on the nature of life and death filmed in a refined, stately manner, Miike couldn't care less
about anything! His films are invested with a pop culture mentality more suited to a twenty year old director, they move at a frenetic pace and he employs every cinematic technique in the book to create wild, ultra-violent punk yakuza films that leave the viewer literally stunned. Don't think that that's all Miike does though - his BIRD PEOPLE OF CHINA (1997), LEY LINES (2000), BLUES HARP (1999) and GUYS FROM PARADISE (2000) offer a wider picture of Miike's talents, making award-winning mystical adventure films, black comedies and dramas. However, Miike's talents are undoubtedly best suited to the violent yakuza films that have made his name, and are most fully illustrated by his incredible DEAD OR ALIVE (1999).

AUDITION has widely been acclaimed as a masterpiece and was one of the most hotly debated films of last year, appearing at several festivals and reportedly leading to audience walk-outs 'en masse', much to the delight of Miike. Miike has denied that any cultural or social commentary exists in his films and says that he tries simply to do his best with the material that is given to him. He famously takes the scripts he's given and pushes them to the extreme, best illustrated in the crazed ending to DOA in which he took very literally the idea of a climactic apocalyptic battle between the two leads. AUDITION's source material was a best selling novel by Ryu Murakami (a well-known author in Japan, and also director of the 1991 film TOKYO DECADENCE). However, Miike's film (and Daisuke Tengan's screenplay) takes elements of the novel to whole new levels and produces a hypnotic, hallucinogenic viewing experience guaranteed to keep the audience on edge. 

The story concerns a simple, genial middle-aged man named Shigeharu (played by Ryo Ishibashi who is best known for his role in ANOTHER LONELY HITMAN (1995) but has also appeared in Kitano's KIDS RETURN (1996) and BROTHER (2000), amongst other things) whose wife dies at the start of the picture, leaving him and his young son. Cut to several years later. Shigeharu has remained single and is lonely, though he does at least have his (now teenage) son Shigehiko (played by newcomer Tetsu Sawaki). He discusses life with his best friend, producer Yoshikawa (Jun Kunimura), who convinces Shigeharu to attend a bogus audition that he will arrange in order for Shigeharu to meet and assess lots of young women. The last interviewee is Asami (stunning newcomer Eihi Shiina, a former model), a beautiful, perfectly spoken young lady. Shigeharu is fascinated by her and they meet for lunch. Afterwards, Yoshikawa advises Shigeharu not to phone Asami but he finds it impossible not to....

I don't want to say more about the story, but suffice to say that things take a turn for the decidedly nasty... The impact of the film is helped by the weird editing (very reminiscent of the style used to such brilliant effect in Kiyoshi Kurosawa's CURE (1997)) and multi-layered levels of 'reality', which are blurred to the point where one doubts even Miike is quite sure what's going on. What exactly Miike's purpose with this film is supposed to be remains obscure - is it a cautionary tale, a feminist statement, or just a horror film? Regardless, it is a film that is certain to stay with you long after viewing, and demand repeat appraisals. Both Ishibashi and Shiina's performances are excellent, Ishibashi's charismatic, laid back style provoking real empathy (and sympathy) with the audience and Shiina icy cool as the girl of nightmares. The special effects work in the film is also very good, but Miike doesn't rely on his effects alone, and one scene in the last reel of the film involving a simple trick in which something is tossed with a 'thud' against a glass screen that the viewer hadn't realised was there really makes one jump! I read a comment somewhere on the internet last year in which a horror film fan cited this film and Pupi Avati's L'ARCANO INCANTATORE (1996) as the two finest horror films of the 1990's - I for one would be hard-pressed to disagree with that sentiment.

DVD Specification
Original year of release - 1999
Approximate running time - approx.115min.
Aspect ratio - Widescreen ~1.85:1
System - NTSC (colour)
Rating - Cat III
Sound - Dolby Digital (2.0)
DVD release - Universe Laser & Video Co Ltd
Region Coding - Region 3

DVD Extras
Original theatrical trailer

DVD Ratings (out of 5)
Picture - 4
Surprisingly good for a Hong-Kong disc. It seems that HK DVD's are starting to catch up with the rest of the world in terms of picture quality (I've even heard of anamorphically enhanced HK DVD's recently, though this one isn't) and it's very much appreciated for this film which relies heavily on its cool, cold visual sense. The film is presented at its correct aspect ratio (~1.85:1 as usual for modern Japanese films) and the subtitles are fairly clear and easy to read. Of course, this being a HK release the English subtitles are not exactly brilliant in their clarity of translation, but they're nowhere near the worst I've seen (BIO-ZOMBIE anyone?). Also, there is the choice of playing the film unsubtitled, or with English subtitles, or with Chinese subtitles. It's nice not to have both English and Chinese subtitles at once with no option of turning them off, as in the past. Colours seem fairly well-defined and deep, and there's no graininess or damage in the image. All-in-all, not a bad effort.
Sound - 3
Dolby Digital Stereo. Not bad, and quite effective in places. Nothing to go wild about, but it's as much as we can expect until a US/UK release.
Extras - 2
All we get is a Japanese language trailer, loaded with spoilers for the film. However, in the past you were lucky even to get as much as this on a HK disc, and it's nice for Miike enthusiasts like me to see the original trailer. It's not in brilliant shape, but
it's still appreciated.
Overall Rating - 4
A well above average release (by HK standards) of an undisputable modern Japanese masterpiece. This is the only way that it's currently possible to see the film with English subtitles, outside of the cinema and the bootleg market (and the only bootleg available is a fairly rough time-coded screener, though it did have superior subtitles), so we should all be very grateful for it. Even better is the fact that the DVD comes very cheap - by the time you've imported it from HK, you're still only looking at less than �10 in all. A bargain by anyone's standards. One thing worth noting is that the disc is region coded (Region 3) which will
upset those without region-free players, and also our American friends (those without Apex's at any rate!) This seems to be a trend with HK discs, and the forthcoming BATTLE ROYALE DVD is also set to be Region 3. Miike's films are not at all easy to see in the West, none of them having been released in the UK or the US, with the exception of FUDOH, available on VHS only from Tokyo Shock in America. This is the only other Miike film currently available on the international market with subtitles. Rumour has it that Tartan will be releasing this on DVD here in the UK later this year, along with some other Miike films.
However, no word on whether they would be uncut and it's hard to say what the BBFC would do with this film, despite their passing it uncut for cinema release (DOA would almost certainly be cut, as would FUDOH).

This is the sort of film that will still be discussed many years from now, and no self-respecting fan on international horror films will want to miss it. Recommended... and if you like this, be sure to check out Miike's other work, all of which is of a very high standard.

AKA
'Odishon' (Original Japanese Title)

Alternative versions
This is the only subtitled release of the film to date. It's also available on region 2 Japanese DVD from 'Art Port', but this isn't subtitled.

Awards
Won - International Fantasy Film Award - Special Mention (Takashi Miike)
Won - FIPRESCI Award (Takashi Miike) - "for its narrative freedom, technical mastery of genre and the inventivitry (sic) of an important new and prolific director".
Won - KNF Award (Takashi Miike)

 

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