Review of Vengeance Is Mine (1979) by Tom B — 27 Oct 2009
Serial killer movies are a peculiar genre and almost as old as film itself. M, Born To Kill, Psycho, Peeping Tom, and Henry Portrait of a Serial Killer all render the topic disturbing. Silence of the Lambs turns it into sheer entertainment.
Imamura's Vengeance Is Mine is of the former type, the unsettling type, yet here the topic is framed by beautiful cinematography and a half-documentary style. It's a great-looking movie with superior performances by all, especially Ogata, who would later do great work portraying Mishima.
Unique in the genre, this serial killer seems to be a product of shame, not the usual tortured-to-extremes kind of shame, but ordinary cultural shame compounded in this case by the influence, corruption, of Christian guilt added to the mix.
It is an unsettling film and shows us unsettling images, but is also remarkably human in its portrayal, and Iwao is without a doubt a part of a society. He is framed by others, ordinary citizens, who also live messy human lives.
It reminded me of Zodiac in style, however the mood is decidedly grimmer, bleak, and will likely leave a bad taste in the body. This is the price of watching serial killer movies, but in some cases it is worth it.
An oddly compassion-invoking killer in this one, yet we also recognize the extent and futility of his misalignment. Overall a fascinating and sensitive film.
This review of Vengeance Is Mine (1979) was written by Tom B on 27 Oct 2009.
Vengeance Is Mine has generally received very positive reviews.
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