Ikinai

This is a most unusual Japanese film, showing a new side of serious Japanese cinema--treatment of black comedy.

What is more unusual is that it deals with suicide--no laughing matter for the Japanese. Hara-kiri is almost revered.

And here is a first film from a young director that tackles this "deadly" subject with wit. Hiroshi Shimuzi has guts and talent, which I wrote about in January 1999, while reviewing the film (for India Abroad, New York) shown at the Indian International Film Festival at Hyderabad. I was pleased that it got recognized at other film festivals as well--including Locarno.

It reminded me of Cuban filmmaker Tomas Alea's black comedy "Death of a bureaucrat" made so many years ago.

I wonder how the Japanese reacted to the film.