Sakuran

Richly saturated ‘moving photography’ confronts us from the first few moments of screen time, clarifying Ninagawa’s conscious homage to photography and ‘video art’ from the offset. Shots of high-contrast goldfish-filled bowls set both the overall tonality and ongoing thematic motifs of the film itself, the goldfish acting as an unadorned metaphor for beauty trapped behind glass.

Based on Moyoko Anno’s manga, the focus of the story rests on a young girl, Kiyoha, who is taken under the wings of the higher members of what is essentially nothing more than a lavishly-decorated brothel. Kiyoha is raised from an early age to become a whore, in preparation of her coming-of-age, from which point on she will be used and objectified by future clients. Most of the film, however, shows Kiyoha in her late teens, barely legal and working for the ‘family business’.

Having carried out photography projects on both sides of the globe, it is clear that Ninagawa favours a blend of both Western and Eastern inspiration. While the film itself is set within Japanese society, the soundtrack (much of which was composed by Ringo Shiina) is heavily soaked in Western influences, with many of the songs featuring English-language lyrics, which at times feel rather out of place amongst the striking Eastern setting. Sharing a colour palette with the likes of House of Flying Daggers (2004) and Curse of the Golden Flower (2007), the theatrical elements of the set-dresses compliment the costume design impeccably, though again often cause scenes to appear staged and false, often making it difficult to fully connect with the characters themselves.

The plot itself progresses in an engaging if predictable manner until the last third of the film, where things take a turn for the worse, transforming what began as a well-woven tale of frustration, passion and entrapment into something reminiscent of a Hollywood rom-com. Complete with tacky montage scenes telling of Kiyoha’s sudden success as she gains a promotion within the brothel, the soundtrack works in cahoots with the visuals, resulting in a nauseating feel-good vibe.

For a film that began with the promise of filling the void left behind by countless undesirable feel-good romantic-comedies constantly being churned out by the mainstream side of the industry, Sakuran’s sickly-sweet finale can only lead to disappointment. With an all-too-familiar resolution that will have audiences cringing and writhing uncomfortably in their seats, there surely can’t be a welcome response to yet more characters running off (very literally) into the sunset for that slice of happy-ever-after.

Laura Smith

Anticipation:

The filmic debut from a renowned photographer. Looks colourful.

Enjoyment:

Sexually charged and intruiging. Until it all goes wrong…

In Retrospect:

Despite good prospects, it turns into a journey into predictability. But worth watching if just for the first half.