 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | GENEON ENTERTAINMENT | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 16:9 ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | JAPANESE DTS & DD 5.1
W/ ENGLISH SUBTITLES | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 125 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | NR | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 02/13/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 09/1972007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | CHRISTOPHER SEAMAN |
She sings! She dances! She will dazzle you with her charm, her wit and her lovely striped…tail?! Behold the bandit masked beauty of the forest- Princess Raccoon!
Here is a movie that will defy its audience to be anything other than what it wants to be from one frame to the next. Seijun Suzuki’s wondrous, lushly produced and beautifully staged production of PRINCESS RACCOON is a comedy, a romance, a fantasy, an action movie, a musical that straddles almost every style popular in the western world today, and much, much more. It is also elusive, jumping between any one of these genres with mischievous ease, much like its title character. It cannot be taken seriously, and yet it refuses to let you dismiss it. What kind of audience it may find here or in Japan remains to be seen. However, it is worth watching at least once if you are open to a cinematic experience that is almost unlike anything you might have had before. That, and the fact Zhang Ziyi is playing the title part, of course! It is a period piece, about a young prince named Amechiyo, who is exiled for being more handsome than his father. Fleeing assassins, he ends up in the woods, where he is bewitched by the playfully mysterious Tanuki, actually the legendary Princess Raccoon, in disguise. They fall in love- of course- and after she brings him back to her castle, they celebrate her ‘un-birthday’ with a party that is filled with music, dance and comedic high jinks. Enter the villains, Amechiyo’s parents, who plot and sing their way through the story, threatening to split the lovers, kill Princess Raccoon, and generally make as much mischief as possible while staying in tune. Such is the story: straightforward enough, simple to follow and on its own, not exactly the most original of plots. While that is no knock against the movie- look at most of the movies today- the story on its own would not merit much consideration. What makes the movie stand out, however, is how the story is brought to life, and that is where most of this review will be focused. The production values are tremendous. Director Suzuki has taken the story and filmed it like a stage musical. There is no attempt to make the sets, except in cases where rare location shooting was used, look anything like what they are- stage pieces for ‘set piece’ action. Not since the 1980s film adaptation of PIRATES OF PENZANCE or any one number of art house director Peter Greenaway’s movies has this reviewer seen anything so unabashedly stagey in a movie musical. And it works! The effects, staging, and choreography harmonize so well no suspension of disbelief is really needed by the viewer because the whole thing is utterly, fantastically unbelievable to start with. This movie just requires you to go with the flow and enjoy it for its own sake. It is the feeling one gets that the actors seemed to work in much the same way. There is an extended 45 minute documentary on the making of the film which sheds much light on the creative process behind the work and follows Zhang Ziyi as she prepares for the part and deals with the rigours of filming. The actors are serious about their roles, no doubt about it. However, you can sense they really get into the playfulness of it all too, and buy into the whole surreal experience director Suzuki has created. Director Seijun Suzuki brings a lot of experience to the production. A fifty year veteran of the film industry, he combines knowledge of traditional narrative forms, theatrical staging and film art expertly in this movie. There is a lot of respect for him among the cast and crew, and a strong desire to make his demanding visions come to life. Few work harder than the actors themselves, who must sing and dance with ease throughout the film, performing stunts, and interacting with some bizarre sets. Zhang Ziyi is beautiful to behold, using her expressive face and excellent physical control to achieve a commanding but not overwhelming presence in every scene in which she appears. Joe Odagiri as Amechiyo has a tough job on his hands keeping up with his female lead, but manages quite well. The older actors in the movie have the most over the top fun with the film, and make delightful counterpoints in the film. They certainly have a fun time jumping from classical opera singing to modern rap in the time it takes to suck in a breath, and they carry off the transitions so easily it is quite a marvel to watch them in action. EXTRA:
As noted, there is 45 minute documentary on the making of the film. It can be viewed in sections or as one continuous piece. This documentary is well worth watching as most viewers will likely be so stunned by the extraordinary nature of this film at the end they will need some explanation as to how the heck the whole thing came together. Take the time. Watch the extras. You won’t regret it. IN SUMMARY:
If Shakespeare was Japanese, lived today, and imagined A MIDSUMMER’S NIGHT DREAM as a movie in that exotic land, PRINCESS RACCOON would be the result. Imaginative, sparkling like the soda water rain that falls in many scenes, PRINCESS RACCOON is a dreamy lighthearted and wildly surreal musical that will tickle your funny bone, and fill your heart with joy.
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