WILLIAM FLANIGAN Viewed on DVD. Studio Director Shouhei Imamura delivers a gruesome tale about the product of a dysfunctional family who ends up as a remorseless killer (as well as an accomplished minor con artist). This Shochiku programmer is apparently based on a documentary-style book which, in turn, is based on actual events. The photo play tries to embrace and regurgitate both data sources which results in a schizophrenic movie that suffers from excessive "ancestor worship." Initially, the Director tries combining flashbacks with documentary-style filming (which never play well together), but quickly abandons this approach (much to the viewer's relief who would otherwise need a spreadsheet to keep track of things!). Early murder scenes are unintentionally hilarious, as characters just plain refuse to die despite receiving multiple fatal wounds. In between later murders, the killer freely roams city streets undisguised (except for sunglasses) when wanted posters are literally plastered everywhere! (A death wish; a plea for help; or just a dumb screen script?) Actors and actresses lack on-screen chemistry. Rather than forming an ensemble, each seems to be waiting to deliver lines instead of listening and reacting to the dialog of others. The lead actor does not seem to be in his element when playing a murderer, but, instead, when playing a chameleon-like swindler who can change modes of deception on the fly! Nude scenes and gratuitous simulated sex are inserted here and there to spice things up (and boost juvenile audience appeal). Cinematography (semi wide screen, color) is good except for the closing scenes (see below). Restoration is very good. Subtitles for opening credits are near-white letters on top of white Japanese characters making them challenging/impossible to read. Dialog subtitles are sometimes too long given their screen flash rates. Yup, the English title (widely used) for this movie does not fit, but it is catchy. The ending is just plain weird (and seems to be tacked on as well as poorly executed and photographed). But, then again, there could be a message hidden in there--somewhere! Not recommended (unless you first park your brain beside your disc player). WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

Frances Farmer This movie recounts the many unsavory exploits and pointless wanderings of a murderous criminal. Ken Ogata plays a man with absolutely no redeeming qualities and without a shred of nuance. Although I admired Ogata's vigorous performance and found the other actors quite capable, this movie became grating rather quickly. At a certain point I looked at my watch and was very surprised to see that only one hour had passed -- despite being "action packed" this film actually drags on and on and on.The essential problem is that whenever Ogata is on screen his mode is almost always full-on viciousness. The audience gets beaten over the head relentlessly with the obvious message that this guy is absolutely no good. Fair enough, but it's hard to sit through 2.5 hours of that atmosphere without feeling cramped, oppressed and a little (or even more than a little) bored by it all. This movie could definitely have used some serious editing.My favorite scene involves a very fraught and intimate conversation between the murderer's wife and his father. It is played with remarkable finesse and restraint by the two actors involved and offers a welcome respite from the constant drumbeat of murders, robberies, jailhouse interviews, etc.I'd say this thing is worthwhile if you keep your expectations well in check and don't have anything too pressing to do. Your patience will be rewarded at certain times and severely tested at others. All in all, "Vengeance is Mine" is a very mixed bag.

Joseph Sylvers Not as brutal as "Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer", but not as sophisticated as "The Talented Mr. Ripley". Vengeance is Mine is the story of a con man, thief, and murderer (not serial killer, there's nothing ritual about any of it), during 78 day manhunt to find him. The film also shows moments from Enokizu's youth, and has two sub-plots one about his Catholic father and wife, resisting their attraction to each other, the other about a mother and daughter who run a brothel, where Enokizu' sometimes stays.Criterion Collection DVD came with an interview with the directer where he says his only interest in films are people, there no nature shots in his films, every frame has human actions. His interests are not moral, he's interested his characters feelings, thoughts, sex lives, their everyday habits, but that's it.No cop hot on the trail, no great explanation for how he has come to this (Why so serious?), no guilty confession. It's a character driven story about a sociopath, at times charming, at others brutish, and still others pent up and pathetic (the final father son scene).Any very intense, unlikely humanistic, well made film. Not sure I would watch it again, but worth seeing once.

GyatsoLa Nasty, but fascinating account based on the true story of a deeply disturbed serial killer in early 1960's Japan. But this is very different from most movies of the genre in that it gives no neat psychological explanations of why he kills, or indeed gives any particular moral overview. It has a complex structure starting at his capture and working back and forth from there to his childhood and his murders. Its not an easy film to watch in many ways, but via an excellent central performance it manages to convey the complexity of the killer and the people he meets, including the women who (sometimes) love him, without ever taking an easy narrative or moral option. Perhaps the nearest equivalent movie I can think of is the more recent Korean 'Memories of Murder' which likewise breaks the 'rules' set by western serial killer movies, and as such are far more informative and interesting.