Zigeunerweisen

Four people, each suffering from their own brand of paranoia, are bound together by a vexing, potentially devastating mystery. To gain closure, they must learn to trust one another as they explore the dark side of one another's fantasies. Starring Yoshio Harada, Naoko Otani, Michiyo Ookusu and Toshiya Fujita, acclaimed director Seijun Suzuki's eerie and enigmatic film won the Japanese Academy Award for Best Picture in 1981.

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Part horror film, part art film and part folkloric tale of love and conscience, Zigeunerweisen has a little bit of everything. The first film in the Taisho trilogy stars Yoshio Harada as an irresponsible ronin-type savage who wreaks chaos, destruction and unrequited love everywhere he goes. The only stable part of his life is his henpecked best friend, Toyojiro Aochi, played by film director Toshiya Fujita in his first starring role. Zigeunerweisen is packed with Suzuki's signature visual aesthetic. The only downside to this film is that it does move rather slowly. Part of that is due to that fact that a lot of the film is conspicuously missing any sort of score. Set in the Taisho period from the 1910's through the mid 1920's, even the costumes display this clash of old and new as some characters are clad in traditional Japanese garb and some in modern dress. The Taisho era is called Japan's roaring 20's and was instrumental in the makeup of modern Japan. Coincidentally, this was the era in which Seijun Suzuki was born. Zigeunerweisen is not going to be understood or liked by the masses. But if you are a Suzuki or Yoshio Harada fan, it's definitely worth viewing.
- pterosaur