5.0 out of 5 stars
Artful and unique Japanese foray into Horror and Hell, Nov 7 2009
This review is from: Jigoku (Criterion Collection) (DVD)
The first time I saw this movie, I felt like I was going crazy, I had been shut in for a few days hadn't really been out, and it was late at night. The first half of the movie is absolutely agonizing to watch (in the best way), it's one bad thing after the other as the doomed protagonist spirals into hell.
One of the most interesting things about this movie is I found that I was actually relieved once the characters where in hell because the build up was so tense, the decent into to hell is almost peaceful.
I think it is safe to say that this movie is more about creating atmosphere and bringing life to Nightmarish visions of Hell, than proving or pushing some sort of Moralistic point, the overall feel of the film is fairly Nihilistic (every character in the movie ends up in Hell) and though the movie surely gives the viewer a lot to ponder over, it is the imagery that will really stay with you.
The special effects are absolutely superb, extremely inventive, evocative and beautiful. The lighting and cinematography in the early scenes is dark and spooky, y'know.... it's a perfect movie for me, one of my favorites.
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