Directed by: Seijun Suzuki
1981
/ 139 minutes
/ Strictly 18+
Based on a gothic short story by Kyoka Izumi
Screened as part of JFF Classics 2018.
Set in the Taisho Era (1912-1926), playwright Matsuzaki encounters a mysterious woman named Shinako. He is taken in by her beauty but their romantic rendezvous comes with a dark foreboding when Matsuzaki realises that Shinako is the spitting image of his patron’s deceased wife.
Directed by Seijun Suzuki (focus of the 2017 JFF Classics), the visually stunning Kagero-za takes audiences on a sensual and surreal exploration of the human psyche. Based on a gothic short story by Kyoka Izumi, Suzuki brings complicated characters to life with avant-garde pop visuals that capture the essence of the hedonistic Taisho period.
National Film and Sound Archive, Canberra
Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney
Director: Seijun Suzuki
Original story: Kyoka Izumi
Screenplay: Yozo Tanaka
Executive Producer: Genjiro Arato
Cinematographer: Kazue Nagatsuka
Editor: Akira Suzuki
Cast: Yusaku Matsuda , Michiyo Okusu, Eriko Kusuta and Katsuo Nakamura
Genre: Special Series
Format: 35mm colour