-SPOILER WARNING-
Based on a novel by Takeshi Kitaho, who also stars, this is a very ambiguous film satire on religious cults in Japan (an interesting subject since bogus religious cults seems to mushroom in that country, especially during its recent economic crisis). I say ambiguous because even though the first part of the film exposes the cult's fake nature and purpose, and its only concern for money (represented by the characters played by Takeshi, Shiba, and the always great Ittoke Kishibe, Go), it also acknowledges that they are genuine believers within the group, who are not interested in money and who show concern for other people (first represented by Komamura and to some extent the old healer and later by Takayama who becomes the new healer). Both factions clash in what the cult should teach to its followers, especially regarding money. Shiba too is an ambiguous character. There is a hint that he was once a true believer. Also his answers to Takayama's questions have some bits of truth and good nature. The film seems to endorse his view that bogus religious cults are even necessary. That there is nothing wrong in using God's name, even if He does not exist, or a bogus healer, if that helps people, who are weak and need to believe in something, to improve their lives and do good. Shiba is quite subtle in the way he manages to obtain money from potential members, so it appears that followers do want to make donations to the cult as in the scene of man dying of cancer. On the other hand a true believer like Takayama has also weakness. He, obviously tricked by Shiba, is found sleeping with a girl. He later decides to kill Shiba, who instead kills him, this representing Shiba's downfall from group's leadership. It is open to interpretation whether Takayama, after an exhaustive spiritual training, has really become a healer. He believes so and cures a member of the cult. But it seems to be a repetition of what he was told at the beginning of the film that the previous healer, a clear fake, had once cured this same member. This old healer also ended up believing he had real powers. The ending sequence of the film is even more disconcerting as it is not quite clear if the cult, now headed by Takayama, is going through a pure and new era or it is only a return to its maybe naïve origins and Takayama is only following in Shiba's footsteps. Takeshi Kitano character is funnier and more talkative than usual. He is involved in philosophical discussions about the existence of God and rationalises the right and necessity to lie to followers. Nevertheless we also get to see the Takeshi we are accustomed to when he beats up members of the cult who don't follow his orders. Beautifully shot, the film makes a clever use of wide-angle lens shots that add a comical effect to some of the situations involving the religious group (as the healer performing his act and when he kills the man suffering from cancer). Also nice use of long shots of the group travelling through the Japanese countryside. In short, this is an enjoyable film, more clever than what it appears at first and with an added ambiguity towards religious cults.
Based on a novel by Takeshi Kitaho, who also stars, this is a very ambiguous film satire on religious cults in Japan (an interesting subject since bogus religious cults seems to mushroom in that country, especially during its recent economic crisis). I say ambiguous because even though the first part of the film exposes the cult's fake nature and purpose, and its only concern for money (represented by the characters played by Takeshi, Shiba, and the always great Ittoke Kishibe, Go), it also acknowledges that they are genuine believers within the group, who are not interested in money and who show concern for other people (first represented by Komamura and to some extent the old healer and later by Takayama who becomes the new healer). Both factions clash in what the cult should teach to its followers, especially regarding money. Shiba too is an ambiguous character. There is a hint that he was once a true believer. Also his answers to Takayama's questions have some bits of truth and good nature. The film seems to endorse his view that bogus religious cults are even necessary. That there is nothing wrong in using God's name, even if He does not exist, or a bogus healer, if that helps people, who are weak and need to believe in something, to improve their lives and do good. Shiba is quite subtle in the way he manages to obtain money from potential members, so it appears that followers do want to make donations to the cult as in the scene of man dying of cancer. On the other hand a true believer like Takayama has also weakness. He, obviously tricked by Shiba, is found sleeping with a girl. He later decides to kill Shiba, who instead kills him, this representing Shiba's downfall from group's leadership. It is open to interpretation whether Takayama, after an exhaustive spiritual training, has really become a healer. He believes so and cures a member of the cult. But it seems to be a repetition of what he was told at the beginning of the film that the previous healer, a clear fake, had once cured this same member. This old healer also ended up believing he had real powers. The ending sequence of the film is even more disconcerting as it is not quite clear if the cult, now headed by Takayama, is going through a pure and new era or it is only a return to its maybe naïve origins and Takayama is only following in Shiba's footsteps. Takeshi Kitano character is funnier and more talkative than usual. He is involved in philosophical discussions about the existence of God and rationalises the right and necessity to lie to followers. Nevertheless we also get to see the Takeshi we are accustomed to when he beats up members of the cult who don't follow his orders. Beautifully shot, the film makes a clever use of wide-angle lens shots that add a comical effect to some of the situations involving the religious group (as the healer performing his act and when he kills the man suffering from cancer). Also nice use of long shots of the group travelling through the Japanese countryside. In short, this is an enjoyable film, more clever than what it appears at first and with an added ambiguity towards religious cults.
