Uzumaki (2000)
Directed by Higuchinsky
Starring: Eriko Hatsune, Ren Osugi, Sadao Abe
Genre: Horror
Running Time: 95mins

Rating:

A hybrid mix of Lynchian logic, and Cronenberg violence, Uzumaki is a bizarre film presenting a somehow even more bizarre village which falls under the curse of the Uzumaki (Vortex). Kirie is a young girl who dreams of a future with her childhood friend Shuichi, her village is a dreamlike landscape, idyllically quiet and friendly, everyone knows everyone, a sense of community is prevalent. But there is a black cloud hanging over the village in the form of a virus inducing obsession and destruction.

It all begins with Shuichi's father filming the spiral on a snails shell in close up. His gradual mental breakdown relates specifically to the image of a vortex / whirlpool. Shuichi claims an understanding of the curse and the evil that will soon plague the village, desperate to take Kirie away while his family falls apart. But, is there time ? Is it all too late? And why are two of the classmates turning into snails?.

BIZARRE. The one word that best describes Uzumaki, less a horror film and more a surrealist nightmare the chills are not as prevalent as in more conventional horror films, but the entertainment factor is high. Adopting a frenetic pace of editing, and wildly energetic cinematography reminiscent of Jean Jeunet, Higuchinsky pulls out all the stops to prevent the sound mind from questioning the bizarre and sometimes incoherent events that unfold. The story of Uzumaki is clearly second place to the sheer spectacle of its technical bravado.

Adapted from an original manga by Junji Ito - Uzumaki is steeped deeply in comic surrealism :- eyes bulge, characters are caricatures, the very fabric of reality is stretched and twisted beyond all comprehension.

But first, let's go back to the beginning?

The idyllic lifestyle as mentioned in the synopsis is a good place to start. For that is the biggest trick of Higuchinsky. We know from word go that the opening shot of a young corpse lying face up on the ground, his brains spilled randomly above his skull is merely the catalyst for a series of twisted events. However, interrupting this nightmarish image by cutting away to the innocence of a young girl Kirie is an immediate contrast of imagery and style placing us deep into comfortable, almost pop-cutesy surroundings.

The camera follows her feet skip as she rushes to meet her childhood friend Shuichi while accompanied by the unimaginably bad synthesised score that would be best suited to the clean cut pre-teen anime. But no sooner are we sat comfortably in this peaceful world, that Higuchinsky plays the shock card with the introduction of Yamguchi as Kirie's love crazed stalker, and once more, he returns us to the nightmarish world immediately with an intense change of style and atmosphere.

Such is the frenetic pacing of Higuchinskys film, that the constant flipping of the mood and atmosphere is so relentless and so sudden that unless you succumb yourself to the will of Uzumaki, you will be left reeling at it's impatience. This is a perfect example of a film that will divide its audience, but also it is an example of a film that can divide a single viewer. Upon experiencing Uzumaki there is a tendency to sit back in amazement at the remarkably wild telling of a generally paper thin story. At first the feeling is to embrace the experience, but with time, there is another element - one of uncertainty - this will be the sophistication in all of us.

Mentally, the film provides very little, if anything at all. The theory for the Uzumaki's existence, its reason, its control over people is never explained. And in a way this works to the films credit, God knows how bad it would have been if given an over explanatory narration as seen in many Japanese horror films. But it can't hide from the fact that, unless you have read the manga, its ending is so vague that the real flaw in the film comes from a slight sense of dissatisfaction.

Once the credits roll, I think that there is a universal response of uncertainty. Is that it? And if so, what did it all mean? The build up is well crafted, in particular the death reel at the end which displays a strong element of style with such a simple effect. However, it is the lack of resolution at the end which prevents Higuchinsky's film from being a much better film than it should be. Had the ending satisfied the thirst for knowledge that he creates then even the chin strokers in the audience would find time to appreciate Uzumaki for what it is. Entertainment first, thought later.

In spite of all this though, the film will leave you with a new outlook on the seemingly mundane elements of life. Trust me, you'll never look at a Spirograph in the same way again.