Fantasia 2018--Hanagatami--Nubuhiko Obayashi (2017)

A dying Mina, superimposed over a giant moon, in Nobuhiko Obayashi's bewildering Hanagatami (2017)

 

 

 

People often ask me, when I'm taking notes in a movie theater while a film unfolds, if I'm afraid of missing something when I take a moment to look down at where my pen is hitting the page.  The answer is an emphatic "yes"--even though I'm used to writing in the dark, some films are really challenging to grasp on a first (or second, or third) screening.  With Nubuhiko Obayashi's Hanagatami (2017), the frame is so rich with visuals, the story so dense, that I'm not sure the film would become any clearer on repeat viewings.  Based on a novel by Kazuo Dan by the same name, Hanagatami ostensibly follows a group of teenagers, just before the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II, grappling with their relationships (friendship and romantic) as their lives are forever changed by war's onset.  This description is bare bones, because most of the time I had no idea what was going on--perhaps because of my glancing familiarity with Japanese history and literature, as well as some of the oblique, but clearly significant, cultural references littered throughout the film.  As the trailer for the film makes clear, Obayashi's playful use of superimposition, optical printing, and multi-layered composition, accompanied by very stylized acting, is geared toward the adventurous cinephile.  The film exhibits a studied artificiality in both style and performance that doesn't really allow viewers to immerse themselves in this world.  I saw many gorgeous images onscreen, and if that's enough to sustain you for the film's near three hour running time, take a chance on it.  Also, understanding Japanese is a plus--there's quite a bit of dialogue and it's delivered pretty quickly.

A still from Hausu (House) by Nubuhiko Obayashi (1977)

and another

and yet another from Hausu (1977)

I signed on to Hanagatami (2017) based on the many surreal, absurd, and glorious virtues of the director's cult film Hausu/House (1977), where a bunch of schoolgirls visit one of their aunt's houses in the country, and the house proceeds to devour them in a host of unique and imaginative ways.  Watch the trailer to sample some of its many charms.  The film is so out there that viewers are swept along by a gory visual maelstrom.  Hanagatami samples some of the same collage effects on display in Hausu, but wraps them in a seemingly romantic epic regarding lost youth in a time of war.  Not quite as effective, or perhaps just not what might be expected if one has limited exposure to Obayashi's oeuvre.

(from left) Toshi, Aso, Ukai, and Kira...are all supposed to be in high school

A couple of things kept me from really engaging with Hanagatami.  First, the main male leads are all supposed to be HIGH SCHOOL BOYS.  Yep.  Obviously the casting is deliberate, right?  But what does it signify that Keishi Nagatsuka, who plays Kira, looks to be in his 40s, and has gray glittering in his facial hair.  Toshi tries to counteract the fact that he easily looks twice his age (17) by acting quite broadly, like a silent-movie hero, but ultimately coming across as goofy.  Likewise, Mina, the "teenager" tragically dying from TB, seems to be the hinge on which all hetero-eroticism in the film swings; still, I think viewers looking for implied queerness between characters can mine quite a few interactions, especially those between Toshi and Ukai (who both have their share of nude scenes).  Further, I'm not sure how well known Kazuo Dan's book is to viewers, but there were moments that I was absolutely certain that the subtitles MUST NOT be accurately translated.  What are these characters saying???

"sixteen-year-old girls" hanging out in Hanagatami

Hanagatami is a visually striking and imaginative film that failed to connect with me, perhaps because I was expecting more of the bloody mayhem of Hausu.  The film's vivid garishness was fun for the eye, but at nearly three hours, it takes a certain level of commitment from viewers that I clearly just...don't...have.  As I left the theater, Thierry, who has been working at Fantasia since I first started attending, gave me a quick hug and asked me if I was going to write on this oddball film.  Indeed I have, but I wish I could recommend the film more.  I can recommend Hausu without reservation.

Fantasia 2017--The Honor Farm--Karen Skloss (2017)

A lackluster prom night is transformed by shrooms in Karen Skloss's The Honor Farm (2017)

Prom Night can be a great setting for horror films, especially because this "event" in a teen's life is so fraught with both expectation and disappointment.  Karen Skloss's The Honor Farm sets her surreal and dreamy coming-of-age tale on this fated evening, as teen Lucy (Olivia Grace Applegate) and her BFF Alice (Katie Folger) bounce back from their bummer evening to hang out with some "freaks and geeks," including the goth-cool Laila (Dora Madison) and the heartthrob J.D. (Louis Hunter) on their way to the sinister "Honor Farm"--a former prison, now abandoned, that is rumored to have been the site for murder, torture, and ritual sacrifice. Oh, and did I mention that they are all tripping on mushrooms??  That's the kicker, and part of the real charm of the film.

Tripping teens bonding over awesome/nightmare visions

Drew Tinnin from Dread Central writes that the film contains, "Imagery of the occult and moments that would make David Lynch proud;"  and indeed, the film's surrealist and evocative images are dependent on the inclusion of psychedelics to the narrative.  While it may not be the wisest choice to visit a haunted abandoned prison on one's first "trip," Lucy and Alice are in remarkably friendly and supportive hands.  The kids who introduce them to drugs are not horrible teens, and throughout their journey bond in changing groups of two, three, and four.  Yet the majority of the film focuses on Lucy, who early on is established as having a rich fantasy and dream-life.  Her voice-over grounds the film and gives spectators a perspective through which to experience the film's world.  

Lucy's narration and POV really emphasize the female-oriented focus of the film, and as it was co-written by Skloss and her teenage daughter, the film's voice feels very authentic.  The Honor Farm carries forth the wonder and anxiety involved in being a teenage girl, and much of the film's occult imagery replicates some of the pagan goddess/wiccan symbolism out there, while also exploring tropes of femininity and virginity common to the coming-of-age genre.  One of the striking cameos that is uncredited on IMDB is the role of Laura--a woman who appears to be the victim of a sexual assault/pagan sacrifice, but becomes more of a trigger for Lucy's incipient transformation from girl to woman.  I didn't get a chance to ask Skloss (whom, btw, was just so warm, friendly, and cool) at the screening, but I'd swear that brief role is played by Michelle Forbes, who always elevates every work in which she plays a part. If not, she's a definite look-alike, channeling a goddess figure similar to her Maenad character in True Blood.

J.D. and Lucy "meet cute" in the oddest places

The film contains moments that are just a touch too "teenage" for my tastes, as the sudden romance between J.D. and Lucy attests.  Still, I admire that Lucy was portrayed as a young woman with burgeoning desires, unafraid to express them, and all the male characters in the film, while almost entirely supports for the female characters, were not jerks, or dicks, or a-holes (except, maybe, Lucy and Alice's original prom dates).  I think that J.D.'s unabashed sweetness and respectfulness for Lucy was written very thoughtfully and carefully from a female POV to both appeal to and educate audience members on the politics of representation.  One also gets the sense that the experience this group of 8 teens share will create some very strong bonds.

The girls attack with makeshift weapons

While I'm really not a fan of horror comedies, The Honor Farm made me laugh out loud many times, from the pitch perfect representations of tripping on mushrooms (with all of its assorted fascinations), to the spunky, intrepid way the female characters showed strength, curiosity, and resourcefulness.  None of these young women are your average victims, and some of the lines popping out of their mouths not only felt "teen-real," but were downright hilarious.  Further, Sinclair's (Liam Akin's) enthusiastic munching of the entire bag of shrooms led to a spot-on interpretation of an owl, and an impromptu call to one's Mom adds just the right tone.

Teens hide from the crazed Dentist

Not to say that there are not some genuine scary moments in the film.  The "honor farm" itself is the perfect setting for a bunch of claustrophobic scares, heightened by the dimly-lit flashlights employed and the truly sinister underground tunnels.  When some of the kids stumble upon what looks like a ritual sacrifice, with a baby lamb in tow, things take a real turn toward the dangerous and terrifying.  What makes the Honor Farm really unique is that you actually care about these kids, and much of the menace is hoping that nothing too terrible happens to them.  Strikingly, the film never makes certain what actually happens in the film's diegesis (because shrooms), and that ambiguity really makes an artful impact on the film as a whole.  For her debut fiction feature (she has a feature documentary under her belt), Karen Skloss creates a moving portrait of girlhood with all of its fears and pleasures, and places it in an ambiguous dream realm both scary and funny.  A triumph, and I hope she continues to work in the genre for years to come.

Cate Blanchett Shines in Manifesto (Julian Rosenfeldt, 2017)

Cate Blanchett's Rock Star iteration in Julian Rosenfeldt's Manifesto (2017)

Some people might say that they would see Cate Blanchett in anything, that she really elevates a film to a whole other level.  I tend to agree, although Blue Jasmine, directed by "he who shall not be named" is a strike against her.  Still, if you loved her as Bob Dylan in Todd Haynes's I'm Still Here, Julian Rosenfeldt's Manifesto really allows her talents to shine.

Blanchett takes on a series of personas to deliver monologues on a variety of Manifestos

If you are looking for a film with a narrative arc, then this film is NOT for you.  It consists of a series of vignettes, where Blanchett takes on a host of different characters: choreographer, homeless person, conservative housewife, financial broker, news anchor, puppeteer, etc.  She then spouts a series of monologues written, largely, by famous white guys, who pontificate on art and life in various "manifestos."  She covers a broad range of works that had me chuckling throughout and reliving some of grad school's finest moments--surrealism, communism, futurism, situationism, minimalism, conceptual art, and even the Dogme 95 guys.

Cate's choreographer shouts at a bunch of dancing Xenomorphs while spouting Fluxus theory

This litany of theories might sound rather boring, but the film is really and truly visually dynamic.  Rosenfeldt uses carefully composed frames, stunning set pieces, and many long, aerial shots to keep the film formally attractive and enticing. One of the standout scenes is when Choreographer Cate puts together a rather unusual dance performance while spouting Fluxus.  Another scene has Widower Cate going on about Dada at a funeral.  The collisions of sound and image are witty and smart.  One of my favorites has Schoolteacher Cate teaching a bunch of grade school kids how to follow the Dogme 95 rules.  My one caveat is that sometimes I felt distracted by the soundtrack and the visual track, as if I was struggling to place the ideas in a monologue, but was so delighted by the images onscreen, that I just kind of gave up.  The references are fast and furious, and made me want to reread some of the quoted theorists while also going through the film very slowly in order to catch everything.

Puppeteer Cate unpacks Surrealism

Would this film fly with someone not steeped in some of the most important artistic and cultural theories of the 20th century?  I don't think so, UNLESS you are a huge Cate Blanchett fan.  Then, who cares what she's going on about--her performances are extraordinary in Manifesto, and gives me hope that there are still plenty of smart people out there who would truly dig this unique and inventive film.