Twilight

And just when you start to think that maybe you've seen it all when it comes to the world of film, a movie like Twilights walks right up to you, smacks you across the face, and loudly declares you most certainly haven't. That's because this is a Japanese short film about a ghost (I think) who doesn't want to let go of the world after he dies, even though no one recognised him anymore, as he travels through it.

It's mostly dialogue free (with title cards like a silent film for the limited conversations), and rapidly edited with plenty of low-budget special effects to tells its fantastical storyline. It's very much experimental, but at the same time, it sets up the core premise in a way that's surprisingly easy to follow. Even if individual shots or moments may be hard to interpret, the story - at its simplest - is discernible and quite clear, which I appreciate in an avant-garde kind of movie (doesn't happen very often). When it comes to the ending, it certainly has an air of mystery to it, but works on a base emotional level, too.

And the ending is maybe the most technically impressive part of the film, too, thanks to an extended long-shot at the climax that goes for about four minutes, with the camera moving alongside the main character the whole time while all sorts of things happen around him.

There were parts that reminded me of Spirited Away's take on fantasy, so I wonder if this film influenced that one in any way. There's also a part in a movie theatre with multiple screens showing the past/future, and I couldn't help but think of Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes when I saw it. As for films its reminiscent of that were released before it: some of the editing and fast-paced scenes feel a bit like Tetsuo: The Iron Man.

The music is technically repetitive in parts, but it didn't bother me. I liked it, really, and it was appealing in the same way that old school video game music was, where even if it looped, if it fit the visuals well enough, the repetition didn't matter.

I found out about this today and watched it within minutes of learning about it. I'm glad I did, because this 33-minute surreal fantasy film is one of the best short films I've seen in quite a while.

This "Twilight" is so special in so many ways that any description on it isn't helpful or exciting enough to make you watch it. And you must see it. Tengai Amano's first (and so far) only film is an artistic rendition on the most avoided topic of all time: death.

The director uses of a strange sense of humor, many reflections, thousands of questions and almost no answers in the lovely story of a young boy (played by Daiko Ishimaru, an actress - not sure why some places have stated that a male actor is playing) who literally runs away from death, surprisingly coming to him at such tender age at the 3rd hour of a 3rd day of an uncertain month in the 1960's. His hours have passed, there's nothing much to do, but he still refuses to accept it, running between corners, streets, villages, dead ends, holding on to memories of his family (or probably imagining his father giving him water when he's thirsty, or his mother feeding him with rice when's he hungry), trying to live longer. And the music cue, like the clock that stopped at 3'0 clock, is a recurring reminder that there's nothing more to be done, he must go to the other side yet he keeps on running from out of the fear of the unknown.

In a way I can understand the character's motivations, same as everyone's else but why is he running for? He's not going towards any pleasant place neither constructing anything new, no new memory, or something worth having and worth living for. Then the ball is thrown back at us. While living we're always running to something else, more and more, avoiding death in any possible way, never discussing it, not even when it's so close to us. But it's all that we know. Why risking anything different, why bother? It's a fact, mandatory to all of us yet that doesn't make any easier to accept or tolerate. It's there in the distance, in a far away future. And when death comes to a young person, it's more tragic cause such person hasn't built a life yet. So young and so conscious this restless boy is...

While the theme is saddening, the movie isn't. The level of artistry is tremendously vibrant, poetic, spectacular looking it surpasses anything in recent years. It matches the seriousness of themes worked by Bergman and Kurosawa with the style of a Chaplin. Visually fascinating, filled with imagery tricks (the scene with the following hats), heavily influenced by many artsy clips of the 1980's and the slapstick comedies from the silent era (this is a silent film, with title cards and all). The latter, the comedy bits, isn't necessarily hilarious, it's the way the director conducts and experiments with the absurd that makes the movie a little strange, and to some very humored (the recurring musical theme is an example of this). And it's a solid and sensible story that can move any hearts and minds.

Stop everything you're doing (including reading this review) and go find it and watch it. Nothing will be more important or make more sense to your life than this precious jewel. It tells so much about life...and death. 10/10