Seance (2000)

Based on Mark McShane’s novel, Séance on a Wet Afternoon (Kôrei), Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s international award-winning thriller stars Kôji Yakusho (Shall We Dance) as Kôji Sato, a sound effects engineer, and Jun Fubuki (Pulse) as his psychic wife. When a missing young girl escapes her kidnappers and hides in Kôji’s equipment case while he is recording sounds in the woods, the stage is set for a scheme to promote her psychic abilities. But the couple’s hoax goes terrifyingly awry in this unsettling and atmospheric shocker from one of Japan’s new masters of horror.

scary (and neat way to learn Japanese)

I watched this all alone during the daytime and it scared me plenty. The acting, dialogue and setting are all excellent. Quibble: logical lapses (why didnt the husband and wife use gloves??? etc). There were hardly any boring parts and the ending was perfect IMO. Exceeded my expections and definitely worth more than 1 viewing. Will recommend to friends. August 18, 2008

Kiyoshi Kurosawa can do no wrong.

Séance (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2000)

Séance on a Wet Afternoon is one of those staid British suspense pictures that pretty much everyone over thirty has caught at least parts of, either on video, in revivals, or flipping through TV channels on a Saturday afternoon. At this point, it's less a movie than it is a cultural institution. Still, it would probably not be entirely accurate to say that Kiyoshi Kurosawa here takes on Bryan Forbes (Kurosawa himself says in the DVD extras he'd never seen the original adaptation when he was presented with the idea, and only read the book after accepting the commission to do the film). It would probably also not be entirely accurate to say that in such a hypothetical battle, Kurosawa wiped the mat with Forbes.

Koji Yakusho and Jun Fubuki, both of whom previously worked with Kurosawa on Charisma, here play Sato and his wife Junko, taking the roles of Richard Attenborough and Kim Stanley in the original film. I have not read the book, and thus cannot say which version is more faithful to it here, but the fact that these two characters (and that of the hapless victim) exist is the final similarity between the two films, save for the climactic final scene from which it derives its name. Yes, the main plot point is the same: Junko is a psychic who becomes involved in the hunt for a missing girl. One of the two adapters of Mark McShane's book, however, decided to play a bit of "what if...?" with the mechanism of the girl's disappearance, however. The 1964 film presents us Bill/Sato and Myra/Junko as morally two-dimensional at the beginning; there are bad things afoot, and we know where everyone stands. The 2000 film injects another character into the early events and thereby completely changes the moral tenor of the characters; Sato winds up where he is by misadventure rather than by any moral deficiency of his own. We're already on firmer (or slipprier, as it were) ground than we were in 1964 when it comes to making a good movie; Kurosawa then goes on to make the original cop thriller into a flat-out ghost story, something at which Kurosawa excels (viz. the estimable Cure); add in a couple of cameos from the everpresent Ren Osugi (Audition) and Sho Aikawa (Ley Lines) and you've got yourself a pure-D Japanese delight. Could it have been a better movie? Yeah, probably. But is it a good movie as it stands? Definitely. *** ½
January 25, 2007

"Do You Believe There Is A Hell?"

"Seance," by director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, is a heavily nuanced and above average film. Every film I view of this great director makes me anticipate his next film even more. He is not only a talented director, but he has a style all his own. And although he credits directors in the West for his love of cinema, he is in a class all by himself. From his outstanding thriller "Cure," to his enigmatic film "Charisma," Kurosawa gives the viewer another film worthy enough to add to ones cinema collection. And although this film is not in the same league as the two aforementioned films, this one is no slouch by any stretch of the imagination. "Seance" stars Kurosawa regular Koji Yakusho as a sound technician named Katsuhiko Sato. The film is a little slow paced, and may seem to lack cohesion in some places, but it is well worth the time spent viewing the film, as everything comes together at the end.

As the films narrative begins, what you have is a drama which will eventually turn into a supernatural thriller. Sato's wife, Junko Sato (Jun Fubuki) is a spiritual medium who performs Seance's. In addition to this, she is also working with a graduate student named Hayakawa (Tsuyoshi Kusangi) who is attempting to explore the possibility of mediums assisting psychologists. Hayakawa has written a thesis on the use of mediums, and as a psychologist, he wants to explore other avenues to psychological study. This is turned down by the department head however, as being too far off the wall in regular research. Still Hayakawa firmly believes in Junko's abilities as a medium. Moreover, there are some subtle to not so subtle areas in the film which point out Junko's spiritual abilities as a medium.

Junko's husband Katsuhiko (Koji Yakusho) is a sound engineer. When one of his co-workers needs to have the sound of trees blowing in the wind, Katsuhiko takes his recording equipment near Mt. Fuji, to get some good sound effects. Also, with him is a large sound case he happens to leave open when he is recording the sound of the trees, and the film will veer the viewer into an ominous chapter in Katsuhiko's life: For there is another narrative going on at the same time dealing with a recently kidnapped girl. The meeting between these two will end in tragedy for ALL parties concerned. I really liked the way that Kurosawa gives the viewer the scenery of the surrounding areas where his films take place. There is an aesthetic beauty that tends to lend itself to the film. Not only with the outdoor scenes, but indoors as well. Especially the old buildings he uses in his films.

When an opportunity occurs, which may lend credence to the wifes psychic abilities [proving her powers to others] both of them devise a plan they believe will make her famous. I have always liked the line that Katsuhiko tells his wife when he believes fame will come her way: "But if it works out, you'll become famous." Later when when events backfire he tells her "You've had your dream. Time to get back to the living." To which she responds--"But you said something good would happen." There is much tragedy that lies in store for this couple, and especially for Katsuhiko. When tragedy does occur, concerning this husband and wife, we see them both trying to deceive the police in order to give credence to the wifes claims of spiritual prowess.

However, in trying to devise a hoax to prove her powers as a medium everything backfires on both of them as something very unexpected occurs concerning this little girl. There were parts of the film I did not really understand when I first viewed it, but after listening to Kurosawa's comments on the film, which is on the DVD, I came away with more understanding. Plus, having viewed the film several times since its release, I like the film even more every time I view it. The ending did not end as I had originally hoped, but now I REALLY understand why the film ended the way it did. And the ending is great---better than I initially thought, or gave it credit.

Plus, the interaction between Katsuhiko and Junko was terrific. Further, it is the acting performances that both these actors give which make this and above average film. We see the hell that Katsuhiko is now going through due to an accidental interaction, which he struggles to come to terms with. Not only that, but you sense his own guilt at was has transpired in the film. There are some great scenes and dialogue in the film when Katsuhiko asks a Shinto priest to cleanse the house of unclean spirits. The priest, played by Sho Aikawa [a regular of Takashi Miike's films], has some very profound interactions with Katsuhiko. The dialogue between the two inside the house, and outside was terrific. And although I really did not pay much attention to this the first time I viewed the film, it really packs a powerful punch when one later contemplates on this interaction. Especially when Katsuhiko asks the Shinto priest if he believes there is a hell. I recommend this film highly. In fact, this film probably warrants a higher rating than I have given it. [Stars: 3.5] January 25, 2007

Kurosawa

In the city, a little girl is coaxed from a playground and into a waiting automobile of a stranger who has his sights set on a large ransom payoff. Koji Yakusho (Doppleganger, Cure & Kairo) stars as Sato, a humble sound technician who, on a trip to the country to get some "wind sounds" on tape for a coworker, unknowingly becomes involved in the kidnapping. When the police are at a loss for leads in the case, Hayasaka, a psychology/paranormal studies student, takes the initiative to call on Sato's wife Junco (Jun Fubuki), a "medium" with whom Hayasaka has been working with to support his theories, to pour over some of the little girl's personal effects in order to locate her. When she fails to provide help, she allows herself time to re-examine her abilities and to take a respite from her homemaker status by taking a position at a local eatery. Junco begins to have morbid visions on the job, without her usual "paranormal preparations" and decides that her newer, more sensitive abilities are too much to handle at her job. Later that day, back at home, Junco and Sato find suddenly find themselves even further involved.


Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Kourei is loosely based on the tense, gloomy but brilliant film Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964). Both are based on a Mark McShane novel by the same name. It's remade with a slower, tenser, more methodical manner, which Kurosawa has nearly perfected. We only have to look as far as his masterpieces, Kiaro & Kyua (Cure), to witness a Kurosawa film's natural evolution into a fully realized, and cohesive body of work. Not known for artificially pumping up his films to create mood or action, he's remained true to his style and allowed the movie to progress on it's own accord. That patience may be to Seance's detriment.


I'm afraid Kurosawa's vision in this instance isn't as good as I'd hoped. There are tense, frightening moments, there's no question. The direction is great. There's a scene in the Sato home where Kurosawa uses multiple layers of light and darkness in varying degrees, and among the different doorways and halls to signal an spine-tingling little scene, that borders on, not only directorial, but film greatness. But I think the complete story itself, as far as staying faithful to the original story goes, wasn't quite brought to fruition. Some essential, relevant action and substance has been replaced with Japanese elements that, quite frankly detract from the story. But it was made for Japanese audiences, just like Sarah Michelle Gellar's "Grudge" remake was made for American audiences. There's even one very weird, Doppleganger-esque scene, which I really didn't get at all. It just didn't seem to fit.


I can certainly appreciate a good remake. Everyone should take them for what they are; homages to the originals (in most cases). Kurosawa's direction is reason enough to see Seance. As a compare/ contrast piece against Seance on a Wet Afternoon, it might make an interesting double feature. For the Asian Horror novice, this is as good a place as most to cut your teeth in the genre.
May 13, 2006

Slow-paced and Brooding

This film is rather slow-paced, brooding, and a bit dark; however, it is not over-the-top as some other Japanese "Horror" films, and the special effects are often low-key, and sad to say, a bit low-budget at certain times, but this doesn't mar the film (there is one particularly eerie shot of a ghost in this film that I found rather interesting).

I liked this film and would watch it more than once, which means I think it's a good one, but it's not great either. If you're expecting lots of CGI or gore, this is not for you. This film has a deep, meditative quality that is more mysterious than horrifying, which I enjoyed.

April 23, 2006

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