Review of Tears of the Black Tiger (2000) by Arash X — 15 Apr 2009

Kind of a hybrid of melodrama, spaghetti western, and musical with the bonus of occasional very ample splashes of gore in the style of early Peter Jackson movies... really quite wonderful! Memorably sumptuous mise en scene gives it a unique look: marvellous use of colour.

(Use of scenery, props, costumes, filters and lighting are all beautifully co-ordinated.) Some utterly mad camera angles, shots through coins, illogical-but-fun panning shots and sudden wipes and pans: it's a real bundle of tricks.

The story is pretty silly on the whole but it doesn't matter. This is not quite up to the standard of Park Chan Wook's stuff but in the same sort of territory. Definitely worth a watch.