This offering from Japanese director Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer) is actually a filmed record of a 2005 Tokyo stage production. Adapting Kyoka Izumi's Meiji-era story to a contemporary setting, this kabuki-style presentation follows a traveler who heads to a distant mountain village in search of a missing friend. When he reaches his destination, the traveler discovers that the village is home to the Demon Pond, and that the local villagers are required to ring a large bell three times a day in order to keep the pond's resident—a dragon princess—inside her lair, and separated from an equally lethal mate living in the mountain's base. The situation becomes very interesting when the traveler's friend, the keeper of the village bell, is derelict in his duties. Miike's staging is visually striking, particularly with the jolting arrival of the pond's princess. However, the film is best appreciated by those who are somewhat familiar with kabuki theater, and fans expecting a typical Miike film may be confused and disappointed by this highly stylized and (truth be told) rather slow-moving endeavor. Nonetheless, Demon Pond is an unusual and intriguing production that spotlights a new dimension in the filmmaker's talents. Recommended. (P. Hall)
Demon Pond
Cinema Epoch, 130 min., in Japanese w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $24.98, May 13 Volume 23, Issue 4
Demon Pond
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