Fukurô

Legendary Kaneto Shindo's Owl (2003) is like his Onibaba decided to take a detour through a dark comedy club and picked up some serious existential baggage along the way. Imagine a mother-daughter duo, Yumi and Emiko, living in a ghost town ironically named "Hope Hills." Their business model? Lure men with the promise of sex, then rob and kill them. It's like Mary Poppins if Mary were a homicidal con artist and the umbrella was a weapon.

The first half of the film is a repetitive but oddly hilarious cycle of seduction, murder, and disposal. The men coming out of the room after sex and their reactions feel like a macabre sitcom where every episode ends with a dead body. As the film progresses, the mother and daughter's actions become a twisted form of revenge against a society that's left them to rot-a theme that unfolds compellingly over the runtime.

Sure, the first 40 minutes can feel a bit like Groundhog Day with murder, and the pacing isn't always perfect, but Owl is still a good outing. Shindo's critique of Japan's post-war economic growth and its treatment of marginalized groups, particularly the repatriated Manchurian immigrants, is searing.

The lead performances from Shinobu Otake and Ayumi Ito are absolutely cringe-inducing-deliberately so-bouncing between dark comedy and heartbreaking tragedy as they drown their sorrows in the hope for a better tomorrow. Additionally, the film's sparse, almost theatrical staging adds to the sense of isolation, making you feel like you're trapped in this bleak world with them.

The ending takes another tonal shift, and the final shot of the owl in the snow is so striking. It oddly reminded me of the owls in Twin Peaks.

On a side note, if you have a couple of minutes and a taste for the experimental, check out the short film Bag/Fukuro (2001), directed by Masahiro Ito.

The Owl

It is often said that comedy is the most untranslatable element from culture to culture. This is perhaps even more the case with surreal mixed genre films like this. In Shindo Kaneto's film (his 101st!) the old sensei has given us a strange meditation on male lusts and women's struggle for independence. It is like a play in that the action takes place almost exclusively in a small cabin in a deserted region of Western Japan. A mother and daughter are stranded in a ghost town and are starving to death. They hit on a plan to get them out of their plight which involves exploiting the few men who stray into their cabin. They offer sexual services and then bump off the happy customers. All goes well until a local cop shows up and, then, a relation of theirs from way back.

The first part of the film may seem a little repetitive. Audiences may feel a little trapped - perhaps intentionally so - in this cabin with the two crazy leads (both well known actresses in Japan who throw themselves into their roles). Basically this is sly satire on how easily men are duped when sex is promised. At times it plays almost like an Ealing Comedy, at other times like a violent farce. The film does pay off in the end but, in a way, one is still left with the feeling that this film would be even funnier for those really inside Japanese culture.

Kibogaoka was once a thriving village built for Japanese returnees from Manchuria, now it's a ghost town but for two: a lady named Yumie and her daughter Emiko. They barely survive, eating what meagre scraps they can scrounge and living in a state of disrepair. One day, a cunning idea strikes Yumie: she and Emiko will work as prostitutes- as the menfolk who work near Kibogaoka are notoriously deprived of female companionship- and then kill their johns, so they get more money. It's a brilliant plan, and seems to work well for a while. However, the arrival of a distant relative and the machinations of a local policeman threaten to foil the ladies' scheme and bring their murderous maneuvers to light.

Written and directed by Kaneto Shindô, 'Owl' is a bizarre black-comedy that is wildly entertaining and rather madcap; but also quite profound. The story is a simple enough one, but contains unexpected depth and intelligence, exploring the notion of the male gaze from a decidedly feminist perspective. The men in the film are largely ridiculous folk blinded by sexual attraction, who assume that the women are stereotypically innocent, feminine creatures who will serve them unquestionably- and with a smile. Shindô's clever screenplay shows that thought process to be one of male-centric folly.

'Owl' is also a funny picture, that goes to some surreal areas. The sounds of barn-yard animals are frequently heard while men writhe in the throes of death, and the overall atmosphere is surprisingly light and giddy; considering the film is about a couple of serial killers. The dialogue is sharp, witty and humorous- often in a very droll manner. In fact, at times 'Owl' feels like some kind of distorted drawing-room-play from the likes of Noël Coward or Oscar Wilde; in tone if not in subject matter.

The set design surely has some influence over that, as the film is staged and designed like a play. The action takes place in one location, largely in one room of that location; and the outside world is hardly glimpsed at all. Yoshiyuki Miyake's restrained cinematography adds to the somewhat claustrophobic or theatrical sense of space in the film. He moves the camera slowly; his composition is staid and assured and his framing is somewhat conventional- all of which makes 'Owl' look like a filmed piece of theatre.

This minimalism of set design and cinematography lets us focus on the dialogue, the characters and the wonderful performances in 'Owl' all the more intently- as well as on Hikaru Hayashi's emotive score. It is melodically enchanting work that can be remarkably eerie when required. Hayashi worked with Shindô on numerous projects- beginning in 1959 on 'Lucky Dragon No. 5'- and the two clearly enjoyed a bounteous working relationship. Hayashi's work on 'Owl' is aurally captivating and atmospheric; heightening the film's impact dramatically.

As mentioned above, the performances in 'Owl' are terrific, especially Shinobu Otake's as Yumie and Ayumi Ito's as Emiko. Otake is a most versatile performer who can imbue characters with a multitude of emotions. As Yumie, she is part terrifying and part tragic, a pitiful creation the motivations of whom the audience understands perfectly. As was the case with her performance in Yoshimitsu Morita's 'The Black House,' Otake's intensity and range leaves an indelible impression on the viewer.

Ito's performance as Emiko is just as intense, though she is somewhat more sympathetic and light-hearted. As one who always had to rely on her mother's judgements to survive, she doesn't question the murderous spree the two engage in; thinking it natural if Yumie is suggesting it. Ito's committed, slightly ditzy and breezy performance suits the character perfectly. As for the supporting cast, all the men are terrific; though they get very little to do. Mansaku Ikeuchi has the most screen time, and as the lascivious police officer he's excellent; stealing the few scenes he is in.

Kaneto Shindô's 'Owl' is a wild black-comedy that's as clever as it is macabre. Featuring two strong central performances from Shinobu Otake and Ayumi Ito, the film is unpredictable; even if some may suggest the murder spree feels a tad repetitive. The film benefits from a great musical score by the late Hikaru Hayashi and has an assured visual style that is strikingly minimalist. For those who appreciate the dark and the bizarre, 'Owl' is a real hoot.

I've never seen films of this Japanese director, this is the first that I play back and, paradoxically, one of the last to have been directed by Kaneto Shindo And a very peculiar black comedy, the situations are quite idiotic, but then towards the last twenty minutes this film going to end up on the drama and some also on the thriller., Owl is a little that repeats, on the other hand the film is always based on the same device and is filmed only ever on a ambiance thus giving a theatrical cut but that nevertheless never leads the viewer boredom simply because the beautiful protagonists (who the mother and daughter, two friends seem to) know how to keep up the interest of the film.