Antiporno

I am pleased to announce that my very first encounter with the filmmaker Sion Sono has left a lasting impression on me. I have always appreciated unconventional and absurdist perspectives, particularly those that boldly critique the dualities and hypocrisies inherent in our society.

"Antiporno" serves as a courageous commentary on art, pornography, patriarchy, and the ingrained exploitation present in each of these realms. The story explores the intricate notions of power, freedom, and identity, specifically for women; concepts for whom are often shaped and distorted by media, men, and societal biases.

The narrative unfolds through the character of Kyoko, a brash and sexually liberated young artist whose abrupt plunge into a state of helpless paranoia employs the 'unreliable narrator' trope. And this approach effectively blurs the line between nightmarish imagination and unbearable reality, adding considerably to the film's intrigue.

However, the limited screen time and insufficient exploration of the supporting characters prevented me from rating the film higher.

I exist. I exist here. I know I exist. I exist, but not today. Today comes constantly. It'll come until I die. But I don't exist today. We don't exist in the todays we've lost. It appears as if we do, but we don't.

You wake up from a nightmare where your life is just a character evolving on stage, for the amusement of others. But you wake up. To reality. Or ... are you still on stage? If yes... where is the exit? Where?

An item that appears repeatedly throughout the movie gets a very strong meaning at the end of it. A lizard who grew too big to ever get out of the bottle he's in! Where's the exit? Where?

Antiporno is not a porn movie. It contains some nudity scenes, vulgar language and many shocking scenes. And color. A lot of color sometimes. Liquid even. But besides, it's hard to say what it is. Perhaps for someone more familiar with the work of Japanese director Sion Sono, things are clearer. It is a symbolic film, requiring an effort to understand it. And I believe that a profound knowledge of Japanese society is indispensable.

In 2016's "Antiporno" we are introduced to Kyoko who is a renowned artist and her assistant Noriko. You immediately get a sense of what kind of person Kyoko is and how she behaves towards others. She is a psychotic lunatic and she loves to humiliate others for fun. There are lots of weird scenes and the movie mostly takes place in a colorful room with some paintings and a poorly decorated interior. The movie also contains lots of nudity and sexual content which is one of the main traits the movie deals with. Then there is a sudden turn of events which completely turns the movie upside down and gives you a new perspective to look at. After some time you also get a glimpse in to the mind of Kyoko and what events had lead her to the current situation. The movie is certainly equipped with a deeper meaning and a message but that alone doesn't make a good movie. To be honest, most of the time I was looking at the screen not knowing what the movie is trying to tell me. There are lots of weird scenes with lots of screaming and sexual talk involved and in the end the movie did not succeed as is source of entertainment and that is what I'm looking for when I watch a movie. [3,8/10]

I sat down here in 2023 to watch the 2016 Japanese drama "Anchiporuno" (aka "Antiporno") for the first time ever. Actually, I had never even heard about the movie prior to watching it, so I didn't know what I was in for, nor did I have any expectations to writer and director Sion Sono. All that mattered here was the fact that it was a Japanese movie that I hadn't already seen.

Well, this movie was definitely something else. First of all, then Sion Sono certainly managed to deliver a movie that was fully and wholly unpredictable. Just as you start to think you got it figured out, then the movie goes off in a whole new direction. And that was actually a good thing, because you never knew where you would be lead by writer and director Sion Sono.

The storyline in "Anchiporuno" is somewhat of an acquired taste, though. And that makes the movie somewhat of a niche movie. And by that I mean that "Anchiporuno" is not a movie that will appeal to the general audience. Nay, this is somewhat of an acquired taste. I found the storyline to be interesting though, because it was so different and unique.

The acting performances in the movie were good. The only familiar face on the cast list for me was Mariko Tsutsui (playing Noriko). It should be said that they had a good ensemble of actresses and actors, and they brought the characters to life on the screen in an enjoyable way.

You should take heed though, that "Anchiporuno" does contain its share of nudity and adult scenes, so this is not a movie suitable for just everyone.

If you enjoy niche movies and movies that stand out as being unique, then you certainly should take into consideration giving Sion Sono's 2016 movie "Anchiporuno" a chance.

My rating of "Anchiporuno" lands on a six out of ten stars.

If like me, you're not as aware to the medium or rather genre this is a love letter to (no pun intended), you may miss certain things this nods to. Having said that, most things are apparent or at least as crazy as you'd expect them in a Sion Sono movie. Hard to grasp entirely and apprently just one of about 8 things he worked on in that year ... this is almost mind blowing.

Color and framing, the set up, everything that is put in here (or rather out there), works quite nicely. While overall I felt the title works like when you call a movie an Anti War movie - you still get war and scenes of mayhem and fighting, but they are supposed not to excite you. I would argue the same is true for this. Lots of nudity, lots of craziness. If you can deal with that and the fact there is a lot of breaking the fourth wall ... and intimidation and punishment and ... not so much arousment - you're going to be fine. Just fine