- Disgrace (Steve Jacobs, Australia/South Africa, 2008)
- Pisutoru opera (Pistol Opera, Seijun Suzuki, Japan, 2001)
- Minagoroshi no reika (I, the Executioner, Tai Kato, Japan, 1968)
- Overlord (Stuart Cooper, UK, 1975)
Japanese noir at Melbourne Cinémathèque
The final night of this season was a lot of fun. The two films are as different as chalk and cheese but the full colour and hyper-reality of Pistol Opera combined with the revenge story of I, the Executioner, both could well have been inspirational for Tarantino's Kill Bill. I found the vivid visuals, stylisation and bizarre narrative of Pistol Opera (in which any attempts at reality are completely quashed) to be an absolute joy. I, the Executioner doesn't have quite the same level of impact, but the two made for a strong finish to the Japanese noir season. I'm now looking forward to a two week season of films by José Luis Guerín, especially the acclaimed In the City of Sylvia, which I somehow missed at La Mirada Film Festival last year.
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