Inugami - The Cursed
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Inugami - The Cursed |
| Original title | 狗 神 |
| Country of production | Japan |
| original language | Japanese |
| Publishing year | 2001 |
| length | 101 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Masato Harada |
| script | Masato Harada |
| production | Masato Hara |
| music | Takatsugu Muramatsu |
| camera | Junichi Fujisawa |
| cut | Soichi Ueno |
| occupation | |
| |
Inugami - Die Verfluchten ( Japanese. 狗 神 ) is a Japanese mystery thriller from 2001. Directed by Masato Harada , who also wrote the screenplay based on a novel by Masako Bando .
action
Akira Nutahara, teacher of classical literature and calligraphy , is on his way to his new job in a remote mountain village on Shikoku with his motorcycle, which is not far from his destination Ikeno. The helpful Seiji Doi, junior boss of a large paper mill, offers him a ride, but first wants to visit an old friend in the small provincial town called Omine. The idyllic little village is mainly inhabited by two extended families linked by an old feud - the Bonomia clan, traditionally dominated by men, and the modern and more open-minded Doi clan.
Through Seiji, Akira gets to know the withdrawn and much older Miki Bonomia, who produces labor-intensive washi paper in a paper workshop . Despite the age difference, the shy papermaker, who leads a simple life under the strict eyes of her clan and the tyrannical head of the family Takanao, arouses the interest of the educator. The newcomer initially reacts with incomprehension when he hears of an old legend according to which her family is said to have an Inugami curse and is therefore avoided by other residents along with her clan. In the further course of the plot, however, it becomes clear that this tradition is absolutely correct. Some female family members have the task of secretly taking care of an old urn with the restless dog-spirits for generations, to check it for completeness and finally to appease these beings, otherwise they will harm other people. It is precisely this heavy burden that falls on the initially unsuspecting Miki, who, however, neglects her duties with the new relationship. This burden was passed on to her by her dead mother.
With the love affair with Akira, the taciturn Miki changes increasingly shortly before the annual ancestral festival. It really blossoms, becomes more cheerful and also changes externally - it is getting younger and younger. Soon the village is hit by the first strange accidents, which kill several people. The superstitious and isolated villagers blame the Bonomia clan and their threatening Inugami curse for this. Akira, who has meanwhile lost his job, plays with the idea of leaving the village with Miki, whom he wants to marry. However, Miki is bound to this place, traditional values and above all to the Inugamis for life. As a result, the strange incidents pile up, the hostility of the villagers towards them and their kind increases. The couple split up for a short time.
Before that, Miki confided in her lover and revealed to him that she once had a love affair with her then unknown brother Takanao. Her flirtation was not without consequences and she gave birth to a baby that she mistakenly assumed to the end was stillborn. In reality, however, Miki's deceased mother did not tell her what had happened at the time and released the newborn son, Akira, for adaptation. However, the two lovers do not know anything about the close family relationships. Only the head of the family Takanao, the biological father, is ultimately informed.
At the end of the film, the traditional family festival of the Bonomia clan is celebrated in spite of all adversities, at which the returned, passionate and still unsuspecting Akira is also present. At dusk, an ancient Shinto ritual leads to a family tragedy. The irresponsible Takanao is planning a "new beginning". For this he tries to poison all the women and children of his clan. His plan fails, some family members are able to save themselves, including Miki, while the patriarch is killed in an escalated scuffle. Rather casually, he mentions that he is Akira's father, but this gets lost in the hustle and bustle of events. In one of the last scenes of the film, Akira is shot by a hunter and taken away by Miki.
Reviews
“The atmospherically photographed mystery thriller takes up the Japanese taboo subject of incest with impressive natural symbolism and combines Japanese film tradition with modern themes and styles. Told almost contemplatively, it not only captivates genre friends. "
Awards
The film has won prizes at several national and international film festivals . In addition to being nominated for a Golden Bear at the 51st International Film Festival in Berlin and a nomination for the main prize at the Sitges Festival Internacional de Cinema de Catalunya , the thriller received the Jury Award at the Newport International Film Festival . Leading actress Yuki Amami also won two prizes for her performance of Miki Bonomia.
Web links
- Inugami - The cursed in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Inugami - The Cursed in the online film database
Individual evidence
- ↑ Inugami - The Cursed. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ cf. imdb.com