My review

Uzumaki (Spiral) – 2000 – Higuchinsky

Let me start by saying that Uzumaki is only my fourth venture into modern Asian horror. Prior to this I have seen Battle Royal, Suicide Club and The Sisters. I found all of the previous films entertaining but I don’t know if I got the whole package. Chalk it up to my Western views, such as many other Americans, that need everything laid out in precise order and explained in high detail otherwise face omission as anything of cinematic worth.

Uzumaki is based on a manga about a small town that falls victim to an evil curse. The curse in question is based on the shape of a spiral, and causes all those inflicted to become fixated with this design. The story follows Kirie, a young girl on her way to meet-up with her friend Shuichi. While walking she runs into Shuichi’s father whom she find silently videotaping a snail. She thinks nothing of it and continues on her way. Later she tells Shuichi what she saw and he tells her how strange his father’s recent behavior has been; collecting every spiral design he can find. This is only the beginning of the curse as more and more people are grasped by it. Some are made to love and obsess over the design while others come to fear and destroy it.

This film however is in no way a cookie-cutter beginning, middle, end type of movie. The narrative seems to jump all over the place with plot lines that seem to go nowhere and an absence of explanation. One key scene that seems to be the sole source of explanation for what is occurring is that of a research montage done by a reporter. Sadly this scene does not seem to have translated very well into English and seems to lost significance. (For a good explanation of the previous scene go here **SPOILERS** http://imdb.com/title/tt0244870/board/nest/7861250).

With the story aside Uzumaki is beautifully shot in an almost comic book style. There is no doubt that this film is aesthetically endowed but this style is lost in some other scenes. Several shots of people’s spiral collections encompass the screen with an eerie presence but then there are also some schlocky scenes featuring a hypn-O-vista-like spiral reminisant to the intro of Horrors of the Black Museum. There is a style present but at times is inconsistent.

With all of this said Uzumaki is overall enjoyable film. Several scenes evoke a definite creepiness while other only induce laughter, which provides for a fun watch. I’d recommend a watch but be prepared to think and interpret a lot of it.

6/10



"The monster should always be bigger than the leading lady." - Roger Corman