killing

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JAPAN CUTS Review: Shinya Tsukamoto’s KILLING Cuts Deep Into The Existential And Horrific

Shinya Tsukamoto’s latest film takes a toll on the senses with Killing, a chilling eight-minute chanbara drama that suitably provides a template on which the multi-hat wearing filmmaker gets to exhibit the more visionary ends of his craft. The story and setting are encompassed by a foreboding undertone in Killing in which we engage the story of Mokunoshin Tsuzuki (Sosuke Ikematsu), a samurai tentatively housed with a farming family. Partaking on his share of the workload, he also spars at wooden swords with the son of the family Ichisuke (Ryusei Maeda), whose sister, Yu (Yu Aoi), shares all but concern regard her brother’s desire to be as talented a samurai as is their guest. The same goes for Tsuzuki who plans on leaving for Edo very soon for the battlefield. One day, a chance meeting with Jiaremon Sawamura (Shinya Tsukamoto), an aged ronin upon whom they spotted in a duel […]

JAPAN CUTS XIII: Japanese Auteur Shinya Tsukamoto Takes Center Stage For Centerpiece Presentation & CUT ABOVE Prize In July

Lee B. Golden III

Japan Society’s 13th Japan Cuts festival is poised to kick off its nine-day event on July 19. Screening among nearly 30 feature films, ranging from a variety of titles amid multiple genres to be announced on June 11 will be the festival’ss Centerpiece Presentation: Japanese film auteur Shinya Tsukamoto whose new period sword drama, Killing, on July 24. Killing is described as a subversive samurai drama from influential cult director Shinya Tsukamoto that the filmmaker has described as a “scream” in response to the current state of the world. The film has been widely received at festivals since premiering last summer in Venice with international sales firm Nikkatsu shepherding sales rights. Nikkatsu also recently acquired the rights to Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989), Tetsuo II: Body Hammer (1992), Tokyo Fist (1995), Bullet Ballet (1998), A Snake Of June (2002), Vital (2004), Haze (2005) and Kotoko (2011), and The Adventure Of […]

KILLING: Watch The Official Trailer For Tsukamoto Shinya’s Period Samurai Drama

Lee B. Golden III

Tsukamoto Shinya’s latest, Killing, is standing pretty well thusfar as it makes the festival rounds from Toronto to Busan and eventually at Sitges in Italy where it won Best Music. Its next stop will be at the Singapore International Film Festival in December following its release next month on November 24. Killing pivots from Tsukamoto’s more gritty, horrific war perspective, Fires On The Plain, toward more contemplative sword drama centered in the 19th century as trade between U.S. and Japan brings centuries of peace in Japan to an end. At the crux of our story is a traveling ronin, a farmer’s daughter and her brother with whom he spars on occasion, all standing at the precipice of a major turning point in history as war becomes more imminent. Ikematsu Sosuke stars with actress Aoi Yu, Nakamura Tatsuya, and Tsukamoto himself who plays a dueling samurai who brings a spate of […]