The Films (4/5,3/5,4/5,4.5/5)

Yoshishige Yoshida, more commonly known as Kiju Yoshida, was one of the Japanese new wave directors. A series of film makers who followed the path laid down by the French new wave film makers like Claude Chabrol and Jean- Luc Godard. While TV was still new born, and major studios were doing great business in Japan, Independent films were starting to explore new forms of storytelling in a very extreme manner. Avant Garde styles and nonlinear story telling became a new standard. Yoshida is still finding his footing in the US market and the good folks at Arrow Academy have released his loosely connected Political trilogy, so now we can fully explore how bizarre and challenging Yoshida’s gorgeous little films are.

EROS + MASSACRE (1969/70), tells the story of two young college students who research the history of an infamous crime. The story of Sakae Osugi, a famous anarchist and theorist, and how he was murdered by one of his three mistresses. The couple of teens experience the 1920’s and this case through a lope and face the Terblanche of the 1960’s.

To call EROS + MASSACRE confusing, is an understatement. First made as a 3 and half hour arthouse piece, the film was later cut down to 2 hours and 45 minutes due to a law suit by Ichiko Kamichika, a politician and former lover of Sakae Osugi. Looking at the theatrical cut first, the film is a madhouse of bizarre images and dreamlike non-linear story telling. Director Yoshida mixes over exposed lighting, quick editing, and daring camera movements to suck the viewer into this fever dream of a political message. The closest comparison I can make is to the late 60’s films of Jean Luc Godard, such as WEEKEND (1967) and 2 OR 3 THINGS I KNOW ABOUT HER (1967), where image, sound, and the spoken word are put into a blender to turn the movie into an experimental mess. The film is complex and challenging. The longer director’s cut is smoother in spots but not as entertaining. Around the three-hour mark, the film losses steam.

Next up, HEROIC PURGATORY (1970), tells the story of an engineer’s wife and her journey for her lost teenage daughter. As she continues her quest, she gets sucked into a labyrinth of revolutions, spies, political unrest, and the breakdown of reality.

HEROIC PURGATORY is an even more extreme journey into the unnatural and surreal. Yoshida handles the material with a bleak over view of life. The sound effects and music by Tetsuo Segawa make the film almost seem like a horror film. Somehow, while more complex and alienating, HEROIC is a more entertaining film then EROS. Every detail is more fantastic and more focused. The scene composition, framing, tracking shots, sharp focus, transitions, and use of the Japanese locations and trains give the film a nightmarish vibe.  The script too is filled with odd nuggets of dialogue such as a speech about using cockroaches in one’s coffee.

The last film in the trilogy is 1973’s COUP D’ETAT. The film tells the story of intellectual extremist, Ikki Kita, and his campaign to throw a military coup in 1936. As the story continues, we get to see into Ikki’s life and the slow fall into madness.

COUP D’ETAT is at once the bleakest of the three films, and the most normal. It’s mainstream and ordinary on the surface compared to the earlier films, but the subject matter is still wild. The main highlight of the film is the power house performance of Rentaro Mikuni as Ikki Kita. Every moment with him is intense and borderline scary. Mikuni showcases the quiet madness and masochist natural of this man, whose doomed ideas lead to the deaths of many good men. While this film is not as experimental as EROS or HEROIC, Yoshida shows a great mastery of image and shadow. Making COUP the best of the bunch and one of the most nightmarish.

All three films show Yoshida as a true visual artist, and a welcome reassurance for his work is luckily happening. The influence of this unique man can even be seen in the works of anime legend Hideaki Anno (SHIN GODZILLA), whose Neon Genesis Evangelion uses many of the same techniques such as the obsessive use of trains, closeups of telephone wires, off balance framing. While not as well-known as BRANDED TO KILL (1967) director Seijun Suzuki, Yoshida is a stylist who is worth checking out.

Audio/Video (4.5/5)

All 4 films come with a Japanese LPCM 1.0 track. The audio is crisp with no noticeable errors. Easy to read subtitles are included.

The 1080p HD picture is a little hit or miss on EROS, as the picture is a little too bright and over exposed. The black levels are smooth and the striking black and white photography looks so beautiful. Of the four, COUP is the most impressive looking. A fantastic package overall.

Extras (4/5)

Each film gets an introduction by film historian David Desser. Desser covers every aspect of the films and brings up lots of historical tidbits. Director Kiju Yoshida does three intros for the films and discusses his mind set during the productions. All 4 films come with scene select commentaries by David Desser. The biggest help is his insight into the production troubles EROS + MASSACRE faced going from Director’s cut to the theatrical version. The main extra is a 30-min documentary on the films called, Yoshida…or the explosion of the story. Rounding out the set is trailers and a booklet of liner notes.

Overall (4/5)

This set is a great intro to the wild and odd world of Kiju Yoshida. If you enjoy off beat Japanese cinema this set is a must have. Highly Recommended.