Direction: Nobuhiko Obayashi
Country: Japan
The idea for Labyrinth of Cinema, the swan song from the late Japanese helmer Nobuhiko Obayashi (House, 1977; Sada, 1998), was stimulating but the results, not always consistent over the course of its 179 minutes, may leave some viewers grappling with a sense of disarray. This is a direct consequence of the film being a mixed bag of ideas and genres (musical, romance, drama, animation, yakuza film and slapstick comedy are some examples) assembled with insouciant gestures and a frenetic pace.
Guided by the poems of Chuya Nakahara, Obayashi found a jocular way to discuss serious matters, creating an anti-war manifesto that also shows his deep fondness for cinema. The first part was too pathetic and wacky to get my appreciation, but the film improves gradually, and despite prolonged beyond the reasonable, ends up within satisfying limits.
Hence, we have heavy topics such as noxious patriotism, misogyny, the massacre of Okinawans by the Imperial Japanese army, guns vs. swords, numerous references to Japan’s warfare, and the Hiroshima atomic bombings, all contrasting with the beauty, power and magic of the cinema, often summoned through stylized images that resemble 3D collages.
There’s an experimental vein here that is more than welcome, but it’s not by chance that the word labyrinth is in the title. At least, it was all engendered with a better future in mind, which was Obayashi’s noble last wish and intention.
