The Mystery of Rampo

Starring:Masahiro Motoki, Naoto Takenaka, Michiko Hada, Teruyuki Kagawa, Mikijiro Hira, ShirÃ´ Sano, Ittoku Kishibe, Nekohachi Edoya, Jyunichi Takagi, Charlie Yutani, Kirin Kiki, Julie Dreyfus, Yoshio Harada, Kinji Fukasaku, An Actress, An Actor, Tomokazu Miura, Hiroshi Abe, Genjiro Arato, Yu Hayami
Director: Rintaro Mayuzumi, Kazuyoshi Okuyama
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

When Fiction Becomes Reality: Very Surrealistic Film!
Fox Wedding
Real Unreality and Unreal Reality
Obfuscation
Wonderful film, but DO NOT BUY THIS DVD

The Mystery of Rampo
Starring: Masahiro Motoki , Naoto Takenaka , Michiko Hada , Teruyuki Kagawa , and Mikijiro Hira
Director: Rintaro Mayuzumi , and Kazuyoshi Okuyama
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000YEEOE
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Description

Hailed by critics around the world, this "exciting and impressive." (Variety) tale of love and obsession based on the writings of Rampo EdogawaJapan's answer to Edgar Allan Poeis "an astonishing, first-rate achievement on all fronts Not to be missed" (Boxoffice)! Although Rampo is the literary toast of Japan, the government has banned his latest manuscript: a dark tale about a woman who suffocates her husband inside a hope chest. And when a local man is murdered by his wife in the same manner, Rampo becomes obsessed with her and embarks on a quest to unlock the truth about the crime. But as he traverses the line between his fantasy and her reality, is Rampo really trying to save the woman of his dreams or simply destroying the fragile shell of his own sanity?

Customer Reviews:

When Fiction Becomes Reality: Very Surrealistic Film!.......2007-02-28

Although "The Mystery of Rampo," is not based on any of Edogawa Rampo's writings, the film was motivated by the writings on Rampo. Edogawa Rampo was known as the Edgar Allen Poe of Japan; and Rampo even took his pen name from Poe [Japanese for Edgar Allen Poe]. This film may not appeal to many viewers, but I really liked the film. It is recommended with caution; however, I do own the film as I believe it is a very good film. The film is set in the late 1920s at the start of the Showa era of Japan. Edogawa Rampo (Naoto Takenaka) has just finished his latest novel. But there is more to this latest novel than meets the eye.

Rampo's finds that his latest work has been censored by the government. The government is concerned with the morals of the people, and believe the novel will set a bad standard. The novel deals with a woman who has murdered her husband, by allowing him to suffocate in a wooden chest. Upset with this, Rampo burns his latest work. However, upon reading the details of this murder in the newspapers the next day, which is brough to his attention by his assistant, he discovers that the circumstances of the man's death is identical to his latest novel. Something that this woman could not have known about since his novel was censored by the government. Therefore, Rampo decides to seek this woman out.

When Rampo encounters this woman, Shizuko (Machiko Hada) he discovers the woman also has the same name as the antagonist in his novel. And in a strange twist, when he decides to resume writing the novel, events in his book begin to happen in real life. The directors created a very atmospheric film with mystery and suspense. I knew that I was going to enjoy the film from the begining when the viewer is given a sweeping look of Rampo's library where one sees the mystery novels in his collection. And yes, there are the novels of Edgar Allen Poe. The film has excellent cinematography and a terrific score. It may not appeal to many viewers, but I enjoyed the film immensely. I recommended the film, however, rent it first to see if it appeals to your tastes.

Fox Wedding.......2006-06-10

Well, i've had this on a videotape for almost ten years and just yesterday decided to watch it. I'm glad i did! Unfortunately it wasn't widescreen, but apparently the colors are better on video, and i'd prefer that. Mono no aware! (the sadness of things)
ps. for advanced cases of nippophilia, try Lafcadio Hearn.

Real Unreality and Unreal Reality.......2005-11-04

The film was motivated by the writings of Edogawa Rampo (1894-1965) - a play on the name of Edgar Allan Poe. Rampo was a controversial Japanese thriller author whose work was often banned in the 1930s - which play themselves out in the movie and starts the tale off. The author was often compared to Edgar Allan Poe - for conjuring up the very same types of gothic imagery. In this movie, fantasy merges with reality in this mystery cum thriller. A woman has murdered her husband in a manner very similar to a killing depicted in an "unpublished" work of Rampo's. The irony is that the government has banned the novel of the same subject. In line with the fusion of reality cum fantasy upon meeting the killer, the writer is astonished to observe that she also bears an eerie physical similitude to the character that emanated from his mind's eye. The author/character Rampo soon becomes so fixated with her that he subsequently re-creates her as the woman a protagonist in his new novel. Often moving from one realm to the other and driving the lives of both fictional and real characters. However, complications develop when Rampo starts situating himself within the fictional realm/world he created. Before long, and this is where the genius of the movie really lies, that it is tricky for him - and the viewer - to figure out the boundaries between fantasy and reality. Michiko Hada is stunning in her portrayal of gothic damsel in distress. Beauty and the Beast never looked so good.

Miguel Llora

Obfuscation.......2005-05-09

Author Hirai Taro took the pen name Edogawa Rampo as an homage to Edgar Allen Poe, who inspired Hirai to become Japan's first and greatest author of weird fiction. He is as well know in his native Japan as Poe is in the United States, and his stories continue to haunt the Japanese sub-conscious in the same way as "The Tell-Tale Heart" or "The Raven."

"Mystery of Rampo" is neither an adaptation of one of Rampo's works, nor a biographical piece. Instead it is a jazz riff, a lush dream-painting, taking us on a journey inside the mind of a writer, one who happens to be Japan's master of obsessive mystery and imagination. It attempts to capture the feel of a Rampo story, the obsession, the dark sexuality and fetishism, the madness. The story drifts back and forth between the real-life Rampo and the actor who stars in his adapted films, transformed into an Avatar of Rampo's fantasy life. Mixed in is a woman, perhaps real, perhaps not, who's life is a mirror of a story that Rampo is writing. A story banned by the rising militaristic government.

The film is heavily stylistic, relying on visuals and sound to tell the story and blend the lines between dream and reality. It is more David Lynch in tone than any Japanese film I have seen previously, It is beautifully shot, and the dance between the different stories is a pleasure. The story does assume an existing familiarity with Edogawa Rampo's character and life, something which might be lost on Western audiences.

The actors are all wonderful, especially Naoto Takenaka as Edogawa Rampo. Takenaka is more familiar as the crazy dancer of the original "Shall We Dance?" and Butterfly Joe in "Ping Pong." It is nice to see him stretch his range, and take his place as one of the top Japanese actors working today.

Unfortunately, a rare opportunity was missed in the DVD version of "The Mystery of Rampo." In Japan, producer Kazuyoshi Okuyama was unhappy with director Rintaro Mayuzumi's finished version, and reshot roughly 40% of the film himself. The two versions were released simultaneously, to test who had the better vision, Rintaro or Okuyama. Okuyama's version won, easily beating the original director's version at the box office. It is the winning version that appears on this DVD. What a treat it would have been to have both versions available, so we could have the same contest!

Wonderful film, but DO NOT BUY THIS DVD.......2004-10-21

Don't misunderstand my intention. This is a superb film. In fact, it's one of the most beautiful, haunting, and complex films ever made. I've loved it from the moment I saw it. Deep, rich, engrossing, elegant. A hell of a ride. Intellectually and cinematically, a masterpiece. So why shouldn't you buy the DVD? Because it's simply atrocious. It's truly tragic how poorly the colors are rendered. Where the film's photography is lush, rich, and vivid in color (an element which, by the way, is essential to the film), the DVD renders none of this. The DVD colors are dim and washed out. And not only is the luscious color completely lost, the sound is mediocre as well. Horrific, absolutely horrific. Where do I go to complain?

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