David Lynch claimed that all films are dreams. Rampo Noir makes no exception. The visionary work of four directors come together to breathe life into Edogawa Rampo’s (Or Ranpo if you don’t want to Romanize his name) brilliant words of the macabre. A key driver in the development in Japanese mystery and fiction, Rampo (for the sake of this article, we will just go with the Romanized version of his last name) experimented with a combination of moral philosophy called “ero guro nansensu,” or “eroticism, grotesquerie, and nonsensical.” What came from the Shōwa Era, this social and political cultural transgression inspired Japanese film and propaganda to develop new styles and imaginary works, including Rampo’s “Boy Detectives Club.”
Pulling inspiration from Western writers like Edgar Allan Poe to Japanese Postwar Cinematic culture, Rampo’s work of macabre is a fantastical blend of the weird and mysterious punctuated by erotic undertones.
Rampo Noir’s 2005 film anthology is a respectable nod to Rampo’s work, dismissive of the possibility that working with different directors is a recipe for disjointed flow. The way transitions are built into the film is dreamlike and follows Rampo’s perception that “What you dream at night is real.” We can thank the team behind “Ichi the Killer” and “Uzumaki.”
What is reality in visual artist Suguru Takeuchi’s “Mars’s Canal.” In this desolate landscape, a lone man encounters the other side of his psyche. Confusing and disorienting, the silence speaks volumes. Like voyeurs, we witness the underside of his psyche, fueled by violence and reflection of the dangers of the mind. The shock parallels himself looking into the void.
One of my favorite segments in the film is created by Japanese New Wave auteur and longtime director of the Ultraman series, Akio Jissoji. “Mirror Hell” is a Sherlock Holmes-esque murder mystery fueled by angular theories and angular film direction. Jissoji’s work is very artful and intriguing with style that creates a new kind of noir approach to a supernatural mystery that finds women dying after they look into a mirror. In the midst of perspective is a mad mirror maker who incorporates Saraziumite into the craftsmanship. The fictional chemical elements emit intense microwave radiation to those who peer at their reflection. “Life what is reflected in a mirror is neither real or unreal.” Murder is just added into the philosophical approach.
The most sadistic of the four stories comes from Hisayasu Sato (“The Bedroom” and “Naked Blood”). “Caterpillar” tells the story of a wounded war veteran as little more than a torso. Deaf and destroyed by society as a human, he only has his eyesight. His wife becomes disengaged and slowly tortures him through perverted grotesque foreplay. This comes as close to the ero guro nansensu as it gets. Through gritty filmmaking, there are elements inspired by the Hammer Horror films in aura and design.
“Crawling Bugs” is the segment that is the most important to this film. It sheds light on the directorial debut of manga artist Atsushi Kaneco. Kaneco brings out his best David Lynch with neo-noir elements, vivid color styles and mystery in its context. Here, a famous actor is subjected to an obsession by her limo driver. Style becomes just as important as movement as everything breaks down in artful tinges in the heart of alternative cinema.
Utilizing casting from “Ichi the Killer,” you get the same neo-noir approach. Tadanobu Asano stands out as he transforms from segment to segment and takes different shapes and identities throughout the film.
Fans of Rampo’s work, Japanese folk horror, or those who love interesting art film statements, Arrow Video’s edition of Rampo Noir will delight the film fan. Presenting material at the Criterion Collection level, this needs to be in your collection.
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