One of Japan's most avant-garde auteurs has created another visually stunning but narratively forgettable baroque fantasy.
Several filmmakers in Venice are reportedly presenting films that reflect the "state of the world." Whether it's Luca Guadagnino with his take on cancel culture, Yorgos Lanthimos satirizing the radicalization of the far right, or Kathryn Bigelow portraying our collective madness in a nightmarish fashion, many of our most celebrated directors seem to be observing a rapidly changing world and asking themselves, "How did we get here?"
Director: Mamoru Hosoda
Writer: Mamoru Hosoda
Stars: Mana Ashida, Masaki Okada, Masachika Ichimura
Hosoda, a former Studio Ghibli animator who went independent and has become one of Japan's most successful auteurs, is no exception. His latest film, 2021's "Belle," was a sci-fi adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast." For his newest work, Hosoda hasn't strayed too far from that baroque fantasy setting, which was already more idealized than the relative normalcy of his commercially successful (and Oscar-nominated) "Mirai." "Scarlet" is a loose, but clearly intentional, adaptation of Hamlet, complete with castles and knights, ghosts and treacherous uncles, and plenty of things that aren't in Shakespeare's play.
One of the first lines of dialogue shows Claudius (Kôji Yakusho) plotting his brother's murder; "I've long dreamed of pouring poison into his ears," he says, but the king is too popular, and Claudius must frame him for conspiring with a neighboring country, thus allowing his execution. Scarlet (Mana Ashida), a young princess, watches in anguish as her father's ruthless executioners seem to relish their task. After Claudius poisons her, Scarlet begins her exile in the "Other Lands," a kind of purgatory, where she plots her revenge alongside a horde of people who feel equally wronged by their prematurely shortened lives.
But this is a Hosoda film, so things will get considerably more complicated from there. Like Mirai's acceptance that he is no longer the man of the house, Scarlet's most important journey is one of self-discovery, a quest very different from the violent pursuit of justice undertaken by the original Prince of Denmark. But there's also a bit of that in it. Otherlands is a community of people struggling to survive, from all places and times, who nevertheless manage to understand each other despite their differences.
Scarlet's journey through this world will lead her to cross paths with a variety of characters, starting with Hijiri (Masaki Okada), a nurse from present-day Japan who refuses to accept that he should have died. Shortly after, Scarlet encounters a little girl who says that if she were a princess, she would dedicate her life to making sure the world was livable for girls like her. This is enough for Scarlet to realize that revenge might be somewhat selfish; there are more important matters to attend to.
The political situation of the dispossessed masses, without food or shelter, is not far removed from that of James Gunn's "Superman," another well-intentioned but rather vague expression about oppressed peoples and the evil rulers who deprive them of life and dignity. Scarlet's adventure is even more influenced by "Dune," whose heir to the throne becomes radicalized to embrace the cause of his former antagonists. Hosoda's film poses a similar question to Scarlet that Frank Herbert's saga posed to Paul Atreides: To what extent is this story about her? Hijiri is an example of altruism who teaches Scarlet that living for others is the only way to find true fulfillment.
Hijiri even questions her ruthless approach to the warriors sent by her uncle to kill her, telling Scarlet, "The ultimate warrior shoots invisible arrows with an invisible bow." That's not exactly Scarlet's style, and it's probably too much to ask her to lay down her arms while she's being actively hunted. But Scarlet realizes that she has the power to improve the lives of all the people in Otherlands, and perhaps even prevent some of them from ending up there.
It has been said that several filmmakers in Venice are presenting films that reflect the "state of the world." Whether it's Luca Guadagnino with his take on cancel culture, Yorgos Lanthimos satirizing the radicalization of the alt-right, or Kathryn Bigelow portraying our collective madness in a nightmarish way, many of our most celebrated directors seem to be observing a rapidly changing world and asking themselves, "How did we get here?"
Hosoda, a former Studio Ghibli animator who went independent and has become one of Japan's most successful auteurs, is no different. His latest film, 2021's "Belle," was a sci-fi adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast." For his new project, Hosoda hasn't strayed too far.
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