Well-known in Europe and the United States for their dramatic flair for percussion, the performance ensemble Kodo (in Japanese, the literal meaning is "drum child") is the subject of this elliptical documentary that takes viewers to Kodo's homebase island of Sado in northern Japan, as well as offers glimpses of the group performing in various venues. While the film does a good job of acquainting us with several of the key members of the ensemble and conveying their individual artistic visions, it is a self-conscious, studied piece of work that devotes far too much time to people talking about music and a good deal less to the drums actually being played. The ideas and aesthetic behind Kodo's music are interesting, but we're talking about drums here, and drumming is lower-brain, pre-linguistic stuff--15 solid minutes of Kodo in concert would've given viewers a much better appreciation of their art. An optional purchase. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Van Vleck)
Kodo
(2001) 69 min. VHS: $19.98, DVD: $24.99. Image Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Volume 16, Issue 6
Kodo
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