Customer Reviews

Strange Circus

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I really don't know where to start on this one, because it is just that amazing.

Firstly, the movie is incredibly beautiful, in a mind-blowing, visually stunning sort of way. Everything is very detailed,
Secondly, the acting is impeccable. All of the characters come to life and Masumi Miyazaki does such an insanely good job, I stand captivated long after multiple viewings...
Combined, you are sucked into the world these characters are living in, and sent into the big top of chaos.

Sion Sono, who you may, and most likely know from Suicide Club takes a whack at sexuality, and once again family. Tossing away society, we take a very intimate look at the workings of attraction, jealousy, memories, and a hurricane of other emotions that spawn from love of any sort; in this case it is a distorted love.

About this DVD:
The packaging is very nice, haha... the apparently newly trendy clear box, with nice inserts. The disk itself has the full version of Strange Circus, despite what the box says, this is, in fact the full TLA releasing of the movie, with the time as correct on Amazon.com. Why it is incorrect on the box... I do not know. There is also a great making of featurette, with English subtitles, that runs about an hour.

Though people say that this movie is highly disturbing and uncomfortable, etc. I didn't find it to be that bad. Yes there are some more... off-putting scenes, but nothing I wouldn't feel comfortable watching with friends, and definitely nothing inappropriate given the story/goal of this film, that taken into perspective, it's actually quite tasteful, going so far as to let you in on what is happening, but not so far as to be exploiting anyone. As I said, it is so well done, that you are completely taken along for the ride. The music is dead on to bring you in too, and the visuals are surreal to ordinary, and everywhere in between, but even when ordinary, it is breath-taking in beauty. Sion Sono again takes on a big task, and succeeds, in my opinion, and delivers something to take a look at and open your mind up to!

All around 5/5! A must buy/watch for the Japanese Cinema fan, Sion Sono fan, or the open-minded viewer!!!

Strange Circus is from the director of Suicide Club. Both films are controversial and very uninhibited with their theme.
Very bizarre, uninhibited, disturbingly wierd to its very core, this film doesn't leave much for the imagination, it pushes the envelope in the world of the macabre and the unusual. Actually, bizarre is an understatement. Decapitated limbs, incestuous lovemaking, and blood-soaked walls squeeze deep within the story's convoluted and utterly unnerving nature. It's the type of film that you want to look away from if it wasn't so intriguing.

A film that pushes the envelope this far has to be artistically captivating in its cinematography and immersive in execution to offset its exploitative premise and bypass its dark shadowy premise. The film delivers; with such lurid visual grandeur, dark twisted philosophy and a very strong and aggressive narrative style from director Sion Sono, it manages to rise above that label, but still maintain a feeling of gritty disgust which looms in its endless pit of the unusual. Buckle your seat belts and check your airbags, because all the odd and disturbing twists and turns within Strange Circus could disturb the viewer in a way that simulates whiplash.

As much as I would like to give you details of the screenplay, I'd rather have the ones who happen to rent/buy this title be taken on a ride. Suffice it to say, the film revolves around the decline of child named Mitsuko, and her mother Sayuri/Taeko the novelist. While this is a very grotesque tale of a love triangle, the good cinematography can preoccupy the viewer of this odd tale.

Masumi Miyazaki gives a great performance. She is quite gutsy to pull this off. She manages to capture the aura of Sayuri's/Taeko's eroticism as well as her twisted presence. She is quite a sight. The actress must have been hand-picked for this role. Sexy, alluring but with a disturbing aura about her; Miyasaki rivals Aya Sugimoto when it comes to raw twisted sexuality.

Strange Circus is an experience very much alike when you experience motion sickness. Viewers will feel like being grabbed by the spine and shaken until you pass out. For some reason, I managed to sit through the entire film because it gets you curious on how it will end. It has that effect much like when you see a car wreck, you want to look away but for unknown some reason you can't and your eyes are stuck.

Video/Audio: This TLA release video transfer is much like the Japanese region 3 release. The transfer is very sufficient to a film this type. It has some video noise but not bad. The 5.1 DD track is quite crisp. It delivers that loud creepy score.

I would like to warn you that this is not for the faint of heart. It is a journey into the unusual with a VERY shocking level of abnormality. People who liked Lynchian-type mind-benders may want to give it a shot. The film's premise is of such sensitive nature that only the MOST TIMID recommendation can be given. [3.5 stars]

This is one of the most disturbing films i have ever seen. It deals with child physical,sexual and emotional abuse in the most in your face manner possible. A little girl is forced by her own father to watch sexual acts through a peephole. The movie gets darker and darker with every scene and through the whole thing you get the feeling that your watching a nightmare on screen. Its very disturbing but its a solid film.

I am not one to shy away from any sort of film. I guess I have this twisted curiosity that drives me to see even the most disturbing movie made; so long as it is compelling. There are movies that you can say that you didn't particularly enjoy, yet you can't help but admit its brilliance and ambition. Films such as "The Girl Next Door", "A Very Short Life" and "Blood and Bones" are prime examples. Sion Sono, the acclaimed writer-director of "Suicide Club" and "Noriko's Dinner Table" once again defies genre descriptions and claims that it is grotesque but at the same time, it is visually erotic. Truer words have never been spoken.

A preteen schoolgirl named Mitsuko (played by Rie Kuwana) is pushed into a world of sex, voyeurism and abuse by her father Gozo (Hiroshi Ohguchi) who is also her school principal. In the beginning, Mitsuko was merely forced to watch her father have sex with her mother, Sayuri (Masumi Miyazaki) while hiding inside a huge cello case. But as time passes, Mitsuko and Sayuri switch places. Sayuri begins to envy Mitsuko as the other woman as Gozo forces the two to watch while the other has sex with him alternatively. This disgusting behavior, twisted relationship and forbidden sex has provoked a major collapse in psyche...

"I was sentenced to death at birth; or maybe my mother was to be executed and we switched places."

Sion Sono's "Strange Circus" is a film that defies proper descriptions. It is neither an art house film, nor is it a horror film; it is a bizarre amalgam of both that truly pushes the envelope. The movie is indeed horrific in ways that seem very real because truth be told, thing like this does happen. "Strange Circus" is the most graphic, highly disturbing film I've ever committed myself to watch....twice. (The first time was in April, 2007) My first review didn't do the film justice, I was so shocked that such a theme would be explored in Japanese cinema so vividly. Themes of incestuous sex, sexual and child abuse, beheadings and decapitations, orgies and sick sexual depravation are strong in the film`s screenplay. Still, Sion Sono's "Strange Circus" deserves to be seen, it is brilliantly shot and despite its very disturbing themes, it is an excellent movie.

The film begins as we become privy to Mitsuko's mental torture. It is the kind that upsets a person to the core. Aside from Mitsuko's mental anguish, her mother Sayuri also experiences extreme torture of her psyche. One may ask as to how a mother can allow such an act to occur, but trust me, Sono will put everything together. The way the film's first half is structured is similar to a narrative that feels episodic, it is as if Mitsuko herself is writing a journal. The film is quite cryptic in a way and would no doubt alienate some viewers. Its narrative is full of sequences that may make one question which is real or not, and as soon as you think you have it figured out, Sono warps you into another possibility. The sex scenes are very graphic and borders on being plain porn. Thankfully the scenes of Mitsuko's molestation happen off camera, with some hinted at symbolisms to make its point.

Sono sidesteps the notion that there are innocents in the film. Sure, it is easy to sympathize with Mitsuko as we witness her plight but as soon as begin to develop the tiniest bit of empathy, it becomes replaced with confusion and utter disgust. Gozo may well be one of the most despicable characters I've seen in cinema. His admission that what he and Mitsuko did was wrong, was a way to express his knowledge that what he did was evil, and he was afraid that they may be found out. Gozo is a sex addict and would have sex with any woman. Throughout her life, Mitsuko is mentally tortured and used. First by her father and then attacked by her own mother. A strong argument may be raised that the movie is about the hallucinations of the older Mitsuko that she is writing a story now as a handicapped writer Taeko. But Sion Sono's film is just as mind-bending as one by David Lynch. This is where Yuji comes in, to explain and to reveal the horrifying answers.

Masumi Miyazaki plays multiple roles--as Sayuri, even as Mitsuko and then as Taeko. Her performance is just mesmerizing, her sex scenes are just disquieting but at the same time, undeniably erotic. Miyazaki bears her soul for her role and expresses every piece of needed emotion meant for the scene. "Strange Circus" is a success because of Masumi Miyazaki, she just does what is needed to be done. Her performance is truly impressive and to think that the actress took a long time off from acting (for 11 years) before this performance. Sono presents considerable visuals and symbols to balance the film's disturbing themes. The film is beautifully shot, with a nice execution in style.

The film's screenplay is the type that makes you want to look away, much like witnessing a really bad car accident but for some reason, you just can't look away. The film would be able to induce whiplash, brought upon by its last act. The end of the film is just too riveting and gripping that it may be worth the price of admission. It is a form of non-linear storytelling that may prove confusing to some, yet, so rewarding to those who are into brilliant filmmaking. It is just plain confusingly horrifying. Also, the film has a good share of blood and gore in the film's last act...it involves a chainsaw.

"Strange Circus" is no doubt a film not for everybody. Heck, I would go as far as to suggest that it is not a film that would appeal to most people. While I cannot deny its bold ambition, I can't really say I liked or enjoyed the film. If this had been released in theaters, it would earn the dreaded NC-17 rating. Sion Sono's "Strange Circus" is rightfully named. It is grotesquely gripping and disturbing at the same time. It provokes a gritty disgust while enticing you with its narrative.

The film is of such disturbing nature that only the most timid recommendation may be given.
You may hide in a corner and suck on your thumbs now. [4+ Stars]

Actually, until I hit that point, I was ready to get this - movies do not offend me. But I see no point to purchasing a film with a few minutes missing - much less 24- a quarter of the film - and from the sound of the reviewer I learned this from this is perfectly acceptable because the missing parts offer more detail of the situation. ???

I am always thankful when someone provides this kind of information - now if someone will arrange an uncut release, my credit card will be out and ready - but never for this chopped up version.

What can I say? Seriously? It was surreal, confusing, and uncomfortable, all at the same time. The implied sex between father and twelve-year-old daughter was excellently done, without actually indulging in a bit of pedophilia. Using her mother as the representation of her was brilliant, and spared many of us the squick of underage incest.

The young man who plays Yuji was stunning. He was effeminate without being over the top. You could almost see the glint of psychosis in his eyes as he confronts his mother and father near the end of the movie. Until then, he seemed almost normal, if a bit of a fanboy. The psychological twists and turns, and the constant switching of perspective, kept me confused and dazed throughout the film. I was never sure, even by the end of the movie, what the real story was. Definitely kept me guessing.

Amazon.com's review of the movie has one thing wrong, however. There was no sex between Taeko and Yuji. Kind of difficult, considering Yuji was actually Taeko's daughter. The self-mutililation, by removing her breasts, to negate the idea that she was just like her mother, brought home with shocking clarity how damaging parental rape and neglect can truly be. This film is an acquired taste, cerebral in nature, and not for everyone.

Strange Circus is a great movie. It's very poetic, somewhat slow-paced, and it's beautiful to look at - at least when you're not looking away and covering your eyes. Still, it doesn't matter- there's no place to hide. This movie burrows right into your gut and stays there. It's not a horror film; it's more of a twisting, surreal drama. And yet it contains just about every horrific taboo subject you can think of. Rape, incest, forced voyerism, mutilation, physical and mental abuse- if you can think of it, it's in there. Did I mention the finale also includes a chainsaw? Yes, it's poetry, but it's a brutal poem that hits you in the gut, over and over again. If you're only a casual fan of Asian Cinema, this movie will be like staring into the sun. Don't do it. Don't watch. But if you're familiar with Sono's other works, or Miike's work, this movie is quite a ride. Come prepared.

This movie is great and plays mind games with the viewer until the end and they are very effective. I was thinking WTF is going but it all got cleared up for me in the end. The movie has taboo subject matter and deals with it in a way that I've never seen. Though there are many sexual scenes in the movie you don't see more nudity than a woman's breasts but it definitely not for the closed minded.

Gotta give this 5/5

I should have written a review for this movie long ago. It's an amazing film that deserves a well rounded critique from someone who is a huge fan of Sion Sono's work. For those of you who are unfamiliar with his movies, he's made the notorious SUICIDE CLUB (aka SUICIDE CIRCLE) and it's equally dark follow up, NORIKO'S DINNER TABLE. Both films I consider to be my favorites in terms of the Japanese Horror scene, something that I think only Takashi Miike (ICHI THE KILLER) and Shinya Tsukamoto (TETSUO : THE IRON MAN) could ever top.

Recently I showed the movie STRANGE CIRCUS to a group of my friends and the end result was mixed opinions. Some people were disturbed by it's graphic scenes of sexual depravity and bloody revenge towards the end of the film. Other people just seemed bored by it's slow pace and confusing execution. My one friend even claimed during the movie that they didn't need to watch a film like this, because the real world is already full of this kind of sadistic depravity. In the end, only three of my other friends seemed genuinely moved by STRANGE CIRCUS and actually liked it. I guess you could say that this movie isn't for everyone.

The films basic premise is about this young girl named Mitsuko, who is sexually raped and abused by her Father, who also happens to be the principal of her school. At home, her Father forces her into a large violin case (or maybe it's a cello case) and cuts a small hole in it for her to look out and breathe. He places this case in the corner of his bedroom and makes his daughter watch him have sex with her mother. Eventually Mitsuko's mom finds out what her husband has been doing, but it doesn't matter because he's a psychotic tyrant who does what he wants. After he show's his wife that Mitsuko has been forced into the instrument case the whole time they were having sex (this seems to go on for weeks, maybe even months) he then forces his wife into the violin case, so that she can watch Mitsuko being raped by her Father.

These trade off's (mother and daughter in the case) go on for an undistinguished amount of time, furthering Mitsuko's obvious mental break down. These scenes are interspliced through the movie in a dream like state, showing scenes of a grotesque circus and the loud creaking of a ferris wheel. These seem to symbolize Mitsuko's dwindling sanity, emphasized by the creaking of the ferris wheel. Meanwhile, her Mother has turned into an abusive monster herself. She feels that her husband is more attracted to their young daughter and takes it out on Mitsuko, beating her and sometimes almost killing her.

Eventually the movie slips into it's own delirium, bluring the lines of fantasy and reality that sometimes make things hard to understand for the viewer. Some scenes have Mitsuko acting as the mother role and vice versa, making you question if the mother or daughter even existed as two separate people to begin with. This could be the "kiss of the death" for some people who watch this movie, considering it's all very complicated and sometimes hard to follow. Yet, by the end of the film, things do start to make sense and eventually all the pieces start to fit. I like to call these type of movies "slow burners" because nothing is ever rushed. STRANGE CIRCUS is a demented little film that takes it's time and has an amazing pay off.

Gore Hounds, there really isn't anything here for you in terms of blood shed. Some of the scenes towards the end of the movie deal with dismemberment but it's nowhere near the blood bath that is SUICIDE CLUB. Even without all the blood and guts, this movie is amazing from start to finish. STRANGE CIRCUS is disturbing, shocking, disgusting, beautiful, ugly and unforgiving. I feel it's on the same level as SUICIDE CLUB and sometimes I have a hard time picking out which one I like best.

If you're looking for an interesting film that holds your attention from the very beginning, give STRANGE CIRCUS a try. It's a heck of a lot better than most of the garbage that fills our movie theaters these days. Yet, it's not one of those cocky "Indie" films that take themselves too seriously either. STRANGE CIRCUS is just a dark and morbid movie that doesn't try to hide it's true intentions. Which are to disturb and revolt the viewer.

Five stars without a doubt!

Over and out!

This movie is like a wild trip thru the minds of a psychotic abused child and her self-victimized mother. Even though it gets a little slow towards the middle and a slight confusing at the very end, still overall: genius. The delivery was on-point along w/ the acting. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because of the disturbing child abuse. I'm not a fan of some visuals in the movie but I decided not to let my bias disturb the pure genius of the movie. I suggest anyone (over 18 of course lol) watch this.