Customer Reviews

Shikoku

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The island of Shikoku is one of Japan's most rural provinces, with few large cities and scores of small villages scattered amongst the high mountains. The name translates as "Four Countries," but an alternate spelling can be read "The Land of the Dead." This film makes use of both aspects of Shikoku, both the semi-archaic, rural lifestyle of a Shikoku mountain village and the ghosts that haunt there.

The story of "Shikoku" is of three childhood friends, two girls Sayori and Hinako and a boy Fumiya. Sayori (the lovely Kuriyama Chiaki, familiar as Takako Chigusa in "Battle Royal" and Gogo Yubari in "Kill Bill Vol. 1" ) has a hidden secret; Her mother, a Shinto shamaness, uses Sayori as a medium for contacting the dead. From this isolated village Hinako and her parents move to far-off Tokyo on the island of Honshu, breaking the trio of friends. Flash-forward to the present, and a grown and sophisticated Hinako returns to her hometown, seeking her old companions. She is shocked to meet a grown Fumiya, and to learn that Sayori died at age 16, drowned. Sayori's father is hospitalized, and her shamaness mother is gone on a pilgrimage, the great 88 Temple Pilgrimage of Kobo Daishi, found across the island of Shikoku. Inevitably, as it is a ghost story, Fumiya and Hinako find themselves thrown together when they encounter a spectral and haunting Sayori. Along with the risen Sayori, other departed are wandering the village, as if someone has thrown open the gates to the Land of the Dead.

While "Shikoku" is a ghost story, it isn't really proper to call it a horror movie. Although there are some creepy moments and it might cause a sleepless night or two, the goal of the film is not really to frighten, but rather to tell a somewhat sad and somewhat romantic story of death and life and love. Comparisons to Japanese horror films such as "Ringu" and "Ju-on" do "Shikoku" a disservice, as they are not the same intent. It is, however, a wholly enjoyable film with ghostly atmosphere, fine imagery and an interesting story.

Japanese religion plays an important role in "Shikoku," and some familiarity with Japanese religious traditions and death legends would probably broaden appreciation. For instance, in Japan people are usually buried in white kimonos, a symbol of purity, and Japanese ghosts almost always appear in this costume. It is, in fact, a uniform for Japanese ghosts, and as much a part of the tradition as blood is to vampires. Water is the realm of the dead, and rivers are meant to be passages to the underworld. Collecting paper "amulets" from sacred sites, such as the 88 Temple Pilgrimage of Kobo Daishi, is also a Japanese religious rite. The film is enjoyable without this information, but it adds to "Shikoku" in the way that knowledge of Catholic practices woutd add to "The Exorcist."

The DVD for "Shikoku" includes a few special features, including interviews with Nagasaki Shunichi, the director, and the two main female cast members Kuriyama Chiaki and Natsukawa Yui, as well as a short "Making of " featurette.

A story of friendship and about how Hinako finds herself sexually attracted to Fumiya. They're both startled when Sayori's spirit a gateway to a path of darkness a myserious ride of hell this film is dark and forboding and a rollercoaster ride ,it will scareyou that what its about work the story Sayori (Chiaki Kuriyama), the daughter of the village's spiritual leader, died in a mysterious drowning accident with leads to downward spiral to get to the meat of the story a scarefest and enjoyable movie highly recommend it.

I though shikoku was pretty decent, it's not that scary, but there are some creepy scenes and it does invoke fright. If your a big Japanese horror film fan then this movie is worth buying, but if not I wouldn't recommend it to you.

This film, while definitely not action packed, is still definitely worth watching if you research the film a little first to understand some of the symbolism. I agree that at times this movie is drawn out and slow, but the twist with Fumiya at the end made the movie worthwhile for me.
I think Sayori's hate inspiring jealousy could of been more developed in the story line, but i thought the ending wrapped everything up nicely.
This is not a movie I personally would recommend to someone who wasn't a die-hard Japanese cinema fan, although I did enjoy it.

I thought this movie was wonderful. The Japanese make the best horror films in the world, but many of those films, especially ghost stories such as Shikoku, operate on a different spiritual plane than Western horror. The fact that Shikoku is hyped as a product of the studio that produced the Ringu series will have many viewers expecting chills and frights that just aren't to be found here. When it comes to J-Horror, you can't expect the movie to conform to your expectations; instead, you have to embrace what you are given. Shikoku is about love and loss and sadness, not horror per se. It has its creepy moments, but I would describe Shikoku as a spiritual horror movie, operating at a wavelength that those of us in the West have to learn to appreciate. If you can do that, you'll fall in love with movies such as this one.

I found the first few scenes somewhat confusing, as we see three children enjoying themselves and then watch one of them, Sayori (Chiaki Kuriyama) take part in a strange, voodoo-like ceremony. Then one of the friends, Hinako, moves to Tokyo with her family. As we later find out, this greatly upset Sayori, for she was the one who had long dreamed of the day she could leave the rural and isolated village on Shikoku. Time passes, and then an adult Hinako (Yui Natsukawa) returns to the village, only to find out that Sayori had drowned sixteen years ago. Fumiya (Michitaka Tsutsui), their mutual friend, is still there, however, and he and Hinako begin spending time together. There's a level of discomfort to it all, though, as Fumiya always seems to act as if he fears someone is watching them. At the same time, strange and troubling things begin happening in the village, including the desecration of some holy statues outside of town. Some of the villagers seem to fear that Hinako's presence has somehow provided the means for the dead to return.

Truths emerge slowly as the story develops. Sayori's absent mother, who is a priestess of some sort, has been taking annual pilgrimages to all 88 temples on the island of Shikoku. It turns out, however, that she has been visiting each temple in reverse order, as her secret intention is to tear down the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds in order to reclaim her daughter. We also learn of the depth of Fumiya's relationship with Sayori, which adds a great deal of emotion and feeling to the ending of the film. You just don't find this kind of poignancy in Western ghost stories.

An understanding of Japanese culture and language would add much to the viewer's experience of Shikoku, but it is not necessary. The two possible meanings of the word Shikoku, for example, are made pretty clear in the context of the film. I also have to say that Chiaki Kuriyama is mesmerizing as Sayori. I believe this was her first true film role, but you wouldn't know it as it's impossible to take your eyes off of her whenever she is on the screen.

Shikoku does come with a few special features. The behind-the-scenes look at the filming of the movie is really just that, a narration-free look at the preparation and filming of several of the film's later scenes. You also get interviews with director Shunichi Nagasaki and both leading actresses - and, fortunately, all of these special features are accompanied by English subtitles. It's always interesting to get some insight into the atmosphere of Japanese movie sets, as there always seems to be a relaxed professionalism between cast and crew that provides a refreshing contrast to the almost-constant turmoil to be found on most American film sets.

Just know that this is not a frightening movie; it's suspenseful, and it does have some creepy moments, but it's not a horror movie in the Western sense of the term. There is no strict dichotomy between good and evil established, as the ghost ends up being the most pitiable and plaintive character in the whole film. Perhaps, more than anything else, Shikoku is a tragic love story - and quite a beautiful one, in my opinion.

This is a quiet psychological Japanese ghost story. Its a very dry film, in that there is no blood and gore. There is little if any action. It reminds me of Peter Straub novels and how ghosts from the past haunt people years later like in Ghost Story, Julia, and If You Could See Me Now. It a way its a Straub novel with a Japanese setting. Straub would have a lot more action.
It also has a lot to do with Shikoku and the 88 temples and how the area is known as a place for the dead. I like to think of this movie as a Buddhist's vision of hell. I took a class on Zen Buddhism at Kansai Gaidai in Osaka, Japan. The teacher passed around a book on Buddhist's hell. They were many ink drawings and illustrations about pain and suffering that are just as good as those done by Dore for Dante's Inferno. That is the weak part of the film for me. The director could have explored the whole concept of hell but I don't think it was his aim. He was trying to recreate and interpret, in his own way, the novel by Bando Masako. The whole movie could have been a lot scarier. There are other quiet psychological horror movies that work better like Hitchcock's The Rear Window. I originally bought this movie used on VHS at a Tsutaya videostore in Osaka around Umeda. I bought it recently on DVD so I could see the English subtitles and see if I liked it better. I understand the story better than when I just watched the Japanese VHS and tried to piece it together with my knowledge of Japanese. Still, its just not scary or as fun as other Japanese horror movies.
The best thing about the whole movie is Kuriyama Chiaki's performance. The whole movie is boring until you get to the scenes with Chiaki and she steals all the scenes she is in. If your interested in seeing Chiaki before Kill Bill and how she has grown as an actress then you might like it. There are better movies that she has starred in like Battle Royale and Ju-on. I wanted to like it better if only it had been scary.

I thought this was a good movie. I bough it because Chiaki was on the cover, and she is my favorite actress. I was disappointed when I watched it because she is hardly in the film at all. She is in the film about fifteen minutes, if that. She did do a good performance, though. But this isn't my favorite film. If I were to recommend a Chiaki film, it would have to be Battle Royale or Kagen no Tsuki.

Slowly paced, there are no real shocks here but this is a ghost story that emphasises humanity. There is an ongoing sense of foreboding and the film does finally deliver. I don't believe in spoilers but I will say that you can almost sympathise with the ghost! This is a worthy addition to any Asian horror fan's collection.
It's slow and subtle and a welcome change from the little boy and water-logged girl spirits that haunt Asian cinemas so much now.
Shikoku is at least worth a look. I like it.

"Shikoku," is not really a horror film, per se, but more of a sad drama, with a small amount of horror thrown into the film. Moreover, it gives the viewer an extremely nuanced depiction of creepiness. I like this film a lot quite frankly. Especially the religious aspects that were put into the film. And while a knowledge of the Shinto religion is a plus, this is not necessary to enjoy the film. The film itself centers around three main characters. The beginning of the film introduces the viewer to a trio of three young children, Hinako (Yui Natsukama) Fumiya (Michitaka Tsutsui) and the beautiful Sayori (Chiaki Kuriyama). They will be separated for many years when the young Hinako leaves the island of Shikoku with her parents: For her father has secured a job in Tokyo.

Many years later Hinako returns to her hometown. She is unaware that her childhood friend Sayori drowned at the age of 16. However, she discovers this from one of the locals. Further, she reconnects with Fumiya, who has come back to Shikoku too. He was once in love with Sayori, and still harbors feelings for her, even though she has died. But there are very creepy and subtly sinister events happening in this small village where Hinako has come back to. Sayori's mother is a Shinto shameness, and she is attempting to resurrect Sayori. In order for her mother to do this, she must traverse the islands 88 temples in reverse order. There is a lot of symbolism in this film, especially some of the ones that the reviewer Zack mentioned.

I especially liked the way that water is used in the film, in which the purification and ritual prayers are utilized. For example, there is a gated entry to a cave, where local legend has it that no one goes near. Caves and caverns have long been associated in ancient cultures as the entrance to the underworld, and that is no exception in this film. At the entrance of this particular cave, there is an obelisk shaped stone, with great religious importance, surrounded by water: As water purification is important in Japanese religion, and especially during the semiannual ceremonies of purification at Shinto shrines. And although some of the mythological allusions are difficult to grasp, the image of the obelisk in the water is not lost on the viewer as a purifying image. And more importantly, an entranceway. But to where?

This formal ritual of purification is a main theme in Japanese religion. In fact, traditionally, all Shinto shrines provided water for their worshipers. Maybe I have read to much into the film, but for me at least I really enjoyed watching this extremely nuanced and atmospheric ghost story. And as some reviewers have written, it is about 'ATMOSPHERE', not blood and gore. As the films narrative continues, Hinako and Fumiya must find a way to stop Sayori's shamaness mother from resurrecting her, because not only will she be resurrected but ALL of the dead on the island. Will they both succeed? Or will the island become the 'Land of the Dead'? This is a very good, and much overlooked film. I highly recommend this film to those who like their horror nuanced and atmospheric, as opposed to violent and gory. "Shikoku," is a great creepy ghost story, with great acting and beautiful cinematography. Highly recommended.

Asian horror has been the big thing for a few years -- long-haired ghouls, blind girls who see ghosts, and so forth.

But I doubt Hollywood will be rushing to remake "Shikoku," a creepy and pretty movie with too much shakycam. While the star Chiaki Kuriyama does a solid job, the movie is too vague, blurry and full of loose ends that never really get tied up. It feels like they were making up the movie as they went along.

Hinako, Sayori and their mutual crush Fumiya were inseparable as children, until Hinako moved away. Now ten years have passed, and Hinako (Yui Natsukawa) returns to the old hometown -- but she finds that Sayori (Chiaki Kuriyama) drowned some years before, and Fumiya (Michitaka Tsutsui) is still haunted by her presence.

But ghosts are rising around the town, and a muttering old priestess is making her rounds, reversing the seals on temples -- and breaking down the barrier between life and death. As Fumiya and Hinako start to fall in love, Hinako begins seeing Sayori's apparition -- and finds that Sayori's mother is determined to bring her daughter back to life.

"Shikoku" is a play on words -- the kanji logogram means both "four countries" and "land of the dead," which sounds promising for a horror movie. But don't expect it to ever be fully played out to its full promise.

It starts off promisingly -- ghosts are rising, a vengeful dead girl, a corrupted friendship, and a cave leading to the next life. Then Shunichi Nagasaki just seems to lose interest in the plot. Half the subplots are dropped, so don't expect any "land of the dead" stuff. And what is retained of the plot never really gets fleshed out.

The whole last act is a rush job, with few explanations, and all the character conflict between Hinako and Sayori left up in the air -- apparently Hinako just forgets how Sayori loathed her. But it is very beautifully filmed, once you get past the nauseating shakycam shots -- lots of misty forests, mountains, forests full of light, and mossy old shrines. As a visual experience, it's absolutely lovely.

Kuriyama gives a solid performance as Sayori, and she's very creepy and amoral. The only problem is that we're expected to feel sorry for Sayori, and frankly she's too whiny and vicious for that to ever happen. Natsukawa gives a decent performance, but her character is too passive and emotionless.

"Shikoku" had the seeds of a good supernatural thriller, but the end result is rushed and full of dropped subplots. It could have been great, but became a lame ghost story instead.