Incoherent first half, amazing arthouse second half. Glad I watched this with friends because understanding what the heck was going on with all the characters in the retirement home took some teamwork. There were some elements of guilt and inevitable dread from the story No Longer Human that had potential. Maybe if the storyline was more concise, these elements would have been more impactful.
Everything set in hell though is absolute fire. I love the effects and the visual metaphors, these are reminiscent of The Inferno but build something far beyond that influence.
Jigoku (AKA "Hell" or "The Sinners of Hell") is a surreal, visual experience from the director now considered the father of Japanese horror cinema, Nobuo Nakagawa. The story, such as it is, presents us with a group of sinners, all due to die around the same time, and then spends the third act in Hell itself as their souls are tested and punished. The grotesque exercise is a but screamy, but undeniably unnerving, a master class in the use of absolute darkness and strict pools of light. That's why the definite lull in the middle of the film is so disappointing. An extended sequence (or string of sequences) at a debauched party, with a lot of singing and drinking, and shot flatly, had me struggling to stay interested. Not easy to follow in the first place, that's no help. But I do enjoy the look of the film otherwise.
Add your comment
Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Prof. Lumpcicle
Cool art direction.mcmakattack
Hooptober XCountries: Japan
Incoherent first half, amazing arthouse second half. Glad I watched this with friends because understanding what the heck was going on with all the characters in the retirement home took some teamwork. There were some elements of guilt and inevitable dread from the story No Longer Human that had potential. Maybe if the storyline was more concise, these elements would have been more impactful.
Everything set in hell though is absolute fire. I love the effects and the visual metaphors, these are reminiscent of The Inferno but build something far beyond that influence.
Siskoid
Jigoku (AKA "Hell" or "The Sinners of Hell") is a surreal, visual experience from the director now considered the father of Japanese horror cinema, Nobuo Nakagawa. The story, such as it is, presents us with a group of sinners, all due to die around the same time, and then spends the third act in Hell itself as their souls are tested and punished. The grotesque exercise is a but screamy, but undeniably unnerving, a master class in the use of absolute darkness and strict pools of light. That's why the definite lull in the middle of the film is so disappointing. An extended sequence (or string of sequences) at a debauched party, with a lot of singing and drinking, and shot flatly, had me struggling to stay interested. Not easy to follow in the first place, that's no help. But I do enjoy the look of the film otherwise.panagos
incoherent, flawed as hell, one of the worst movies i have watched.