Audition (1999) Ôdishon

Movie Rating R Contains: Violence Graphic Violence Sex Mature Situations

Director: Takashi Miike Movie Genre: Suspense, Horror Country: Japan Audition Score Card The following scores are based on a 0.0 to 10.0 rating scale Hover your mouse pointer over the name of each scoring category below for a description Direction: 7.0 Writing: 7.5 Acting: 6.8 Cinematography: 6.5 Sound and Score: 6.0 Functionality: 8.0 Presentation: 6.8 Genre Comparison: 7.0 General Comparison: 6.7 Overall: 6.9 Reviewed 2006-03-11 21:21:05

Audition, from Japanese director Takashi Miike, starts out as a touching story about a widower and his search for a new wife. The plot then changes from a quaint love story, to a mystery, and finally to an unnerving thriller that ends with one of the most unforgettable climaxes ever committed to film.

Ryo Ishibashi plays Shigeharu Aoyama, a middle-aged man who decides to re-enter the dating world several years after the death of his wife. Clueless about single life, he enlists the help of his friend Yasuhisa Yoshikawa, played by Jun Kunimura, a producer who suggests they hold auditions for a prospective mate under the pretense of a casting call. Shigeharu quickly chooses the beautiful Asami Yamazaki, played by Eihi Shiina, beginning a classic tale of love at first sight. After Asami suddenly disappears, Shigeharu tries desperately to find her and quickly realizes that there is more to her story than meets the eye. Asami later resurfaces and confirms all of Shigeharu's growing suspicions.

This movie is one of the most effective horror movies ever made, largely due to Miike's expert pacing. The speed of the movie is established early and gradually builds in intensity as the movie progresses. Many viewers will criticize this movie for its slow plot progression and largely uneventful first half; however, after multiple viewings, the subtle visual clues that Miikes uses become much more evident and although the surprise ending has been revealed, the pacing is no longer an issue.

This movie also has a feminist subtext. Asami represents a hero for Japanese women who feel oppressed by the gender stereotype of the docile, subservient, "weaker sex". Miike ushers in the finale with an attack on every aspect of male sexuality in the form of a montage that would make Sergei Eisenstein proud.

Audition was the movie that introduced Miike to the west. His movie Fudoh: The New Generation was presented at several film festivals when it was released in 1996 and was well received; however, when Audition was released in 1999, audiences were blown away by the effectiveness of the psychological horror elements of the narrative. This movie is an excellent introduction to the relentlessness that is Takashi Miike's work.