missraze
Just want to say as different as this film is Sono is human and could've made a mistake and didn't explain some things, using "interpretation" to justify some potential holes, or to provide a disclaimer to the film being a negative influence. The only two reasons I can't give the two extra stars and give this an 8/10.Anyway for non-Japanese, apparently there are scenes with chicks running around is symbolism for death, and the color yellow is symbolism for bravery.Well, some simple people accused the film of being stupid because, "why would they just kill themselves?!" Firstly, Japan has a killer (excuse the pun) suicide rate/seppuku is seen as honourable while still also taboo. After all many samurai for example committed seppuku when the chips had fallen. So people doing this in modern time is seen as understandable but a horrible choice, also very sad.Well in this film there are how many suicides we actually witness? OK (this won't be going in exact order, it's from my memory): 1. the group of girls in the beginning with the beautiful score playing in the background, before they jump off the tracks 2. Then the boyfriend of the girl in the film poster 3. Then the group of school children off the building roof 4. Then the mother chops herself to pieces with a smile 5. Comedians slash their necks in front of the audience 6. Spoken word poets I assume they were hang themselves 7. A chef swallows pills 8. A lady suffocates herself or something 9. A detective's children and wife I assume 10. A nurse 11. A woman holding a sign calling people to kill themselves 12. A sociopath says he took to the internet to get people who joined to kill themselves, and so Bat calls and tells the police about them, so then people might switch and say, "OK it's not paranormal. It's a cult. Like the title implies." 13. Anyone else I missed out doesn't matter but is included in this interpretation: OK so these suicides make people think they're all killing themselves because they're all linked in this cult to do so, and there's some mysterious, probably paranormal force summoning or a charismatic leader brainwashing them to do so, right? If that were the case every suicide would probably iconically be the same, I'd think, as were those tattoos. That's the only thing I don't get based on my interpretation. What is the chain of human skin with all the tattoos? Who were the tattooed people? It's probably more symbolism. But the girl at the end got the tattoo and is still alive, she just gave skin. So the skin is irrelevant to the suicides. And the tats aren't symbols of a cult like when gangs get matching tattoos lol Well my interpretation of the other suicides is that these suicides have nothing to do with a club; that was just Sono being tricky. The beginning with the security guard screaming as the power goes out was to falsely foreshadow a demonic presence. This isn't Pulse, another Japanese horror, where there is a supernatural force convincing people to kill themselves! The weird glam rock dude at the end kidnapped people and killed them; they are irrelevant to the suicides and the tats.The two different groups of schoolgirls and children: they killed themselves because of peer pressure and mindless obsession with trendsThe boyfriend was not connected to himselfThese following suicides all happened together in an adrenaline rushing montage. So it makes people think, "yes the cult is getting out of control and suicide is now an epidemic threatening Japanese humanity for inexplicable but soon to come reasons!" -The mother chopping herself to bits could be because she's a bored and unsatisfied housewife, and she was smiling content with her choice. No other people committing suicide were smiling in this film. Because they all did for separate reasons.-The comedians could just be too dedicated to their role of surprising people and also could be dealing with issues offstage. Their suicide was very dramatic.-The lady was by herself in her kitchen depressed and suffocated herself. That's not an easy way to go. It also has nothing to do with the other people, obviously.-The chef was staring into space at a food truck he runs. Easy to see why he would kill himself to be honest.-The lady standing around scantily clad holding a sign, I mean she might just be loopy.-The female spoken word poets are just being different, or it was staged as part of a performance they were doing.-The nurse seemed pretty done with life. Plus being a nurse and a young female doing standard work in Japan, at night, might be unfulfilling as well as jading when she's around sickness and death all day. Her smiling before she kills herself (not while she kills herself, like the mother) shows serious depression and disassocation as she goes along with a burdening routine.There's also a girl group who all along had a subliminal message (although, realistically, impossible to notice). The children are enigmas or something I suppose. They ask if people are connected. If you say, yes, if I remember properly, you get to have your skin removed and attached to a chain, symbolising connection. If you fail I suppose you can think about how DISconnected to yourself you are, and then you kill yourself as the boyfriend and detective did. So it is creepy in that sense.But this has nothing to do with a suicide club. When I saw its sequel, Noriko's Table and a scene confirmed this I had a huge "OH!" moment, though the film up to that point was hard to sit through because it was so saturated with narration and uneventful images (yet fulfilling for intellectual exercise).
ironhorse_iv
In Japanese culture, there has always been a morbid curiosity when it comes to the topic of suicide. The reason for this, is because, it's so intertwined with their country's history; both in ritual honorable ways, or in disturbing cowardice habits. It's an intriguing topic that Japan can't ignored. So, it was no surprised, that a movie was create to help, explore, why people commit to, such tragic acts. Suicide Club, also known as Suicide Circle, tells the story of a team of police detectives, trying to unravel the mystery on why 54 high school girls commit suicide, by throwing themselves in front of an oncoming subway train. What, they don't know, is this appears to be only the beginning of a string of suicides around the country. Can the detectives figure out, what's going on, or will the death toll, rise to new heights? Watch the movie to find out, if you want to! Without spoiling the movie, too much, suicide has always never easy topic to discuss. However, this movie doesn't know, how to tackle, such a complex topic like that. Written and directed by Sion Sono, the movie is not as thought-provoking as it could had, because the movie plays it, over the top, offensively silly. In this movie, a number of characters take their own lives in the most gruesome and outlandish ways. It's M Night Shyamalan, 2008's 'Happening' type of action, bad. I really couldn't take, this movie, seriously. All the suicides show in the film, are highly exaggerated, cheesy gory and goofy-looking. It doesn't help that the English subtitles are somewhat amusing, due to the language-barrier. Not only that; but the musical numbers by the 'Rocky Horror Show' reject, Genesis (Rolly Teranishi) & the preteen J-POP band, Dessert was somewhat jarring. It really doesn't match, well with semi-gritty approach of the rest of the film. The movie is directionless. There wasn't any realistic strong characters to follow. The detectives are really clueless in their jobs, and rarely any help in the movie. The whole sub-plot of the teenager hacker named 'the Bat' AKA Kiyoko (Yoko Kamon) trying to find the source of a web-site, keeping tabs on all the deaths is really out of place, and seem like, a waste of time. The people committing the suicide really doesn't add much, to the backstory nor does the movie never explain, why they suddenly felt, like killing themselves. It's seem very unrealistic that such a mass of suicides is even that possible. While, yes, there has been a rapid increase in suicides in Japan since the 1990s. Nevertheless, the number of suicides committed has been declining, since then and has been under, a few thousand, in three consecutive years. Also, the vast majority of people, more likely to kill themselves in Japan, are older men, not young women; movie! Although women attempt suicide about three times more often than men, men complete suicide about three times more often than women. The reason for this, is because, historically, Japan has been a male-dominated society, with strong family ties and correlating social expectations; however, in the 21st century, it brought about the death of the "jobs-for-life" culture has left these heads of families unexpectedly struggling with job insecurity or the stigma of unemployment. While there is a common perception that suicide rates are highest among the young, the elderly, in fact, have the highest suicide rates, everywhere with hanging being the leading method of suicide worldwide. A lot less, gory or bloody, than the film wants us to think. Honestly, what is this movie trying to convey with its message? Its seem like movie tries really hard to hint, that it might have to do with something with a subliminal message in music or a supernatural mind control that popular fab does, however, it's come across, way too vague, and without any kind of coherence. Even the Japanese DVD that come with extras that kinda explain the symbolism from each scene is little to no help. However, I do have a theory in what the movie message was. In my opinion, it was about 'connection' and how you live life. It's about the bonds, we share with our family, our friends, and even strangers. Basically, if one choose to dies, it break the chain, and a little part of us, die, a little, because of it. The movie shows, how people dealt with this lose. One can choose to follow, and continue the cycle of death, by return, killing themselves, or one can choose to break the cycle, and choose to live for themselves or for others. So in the end, it's a question of attachment. This is somewhat, what represented by the skin-roll. I just wish, the movie explain more. I really didn't like, that movie had to, had a prequel, 2005's Noriko's Dinner Table, just to help explain this. I know, that two versions of the film exist: an R-rated and an unrated version. The unrated version has six gory additions. The extended cut is somewhat, harder to watch, due to the disturbing imagery. Overall: I know, Japanese society's attitude toward suicide movie has been termed "tolerant"; however, as an Asian-American westerner, I find the movie, somewhat offensive and tasteless. I like movie about suicide that may help save some people's lives. In my opinion, this movie doesn't do that, well. Instead, of helping people, this movie makes suicide look fun by making it seem like it mostly painless to complete. In my opinion, films like this, can only triggers disturb copy-cats to followers. I have to say, the movie doesn't do much, but shamefully exploits suicide. Sadly, I wish this movie was about the three 19th century detective fiction short stories by Robert Louis Stevenson, instead.
