Takashi Miike's notorious 2001 film was banned in several countries for its graphic, ultra-violent scenes, while some consider it a cult classic, writes James Balmont.
Updated / Tuesday, 9 Feb 2021
13:00
Kevin Coyne of the Irish Film Institute introduces
Japanese Story, the IFI s new season celebrating the finest cinema from Japan over the decades - classics from titans such as Ozu and Kurosawa are included, alongside some more outré examples of work from contemporary directors, as well as samples of uniquely Japanese takes on genre - watch now, via IFI@Home.
The Japanese film industry stands not only as one of the world s oldest and largest, but also one of the most historically significant of national cinemas.
In its infancy, the medium was quickly accepted, due to the influence of traditional theatre forms such as kabuki. As was common internationally, films screened with live musical accompaniment, but one uniquely Japanese development at this stage was the introduction of benshi, narrators who would provide commentary on the action, often performing their own dialogue for the characters. Having witnessed a benshi performance at t