MovieChat Forums > Pisutoru opera (2001) Discussion > Okay... did anyone else get this out of ...

Okay... did anyone else get this out of the movie?

posted 16 years ago by fiftyfivewolves
4 replies | jump to latest

Okay, this is meant to be a discussion on the movie, and it definately contains spoilers, so, if you have not seen the movie and want to remain pure durring your viewing expereince, please do not proceed fruther, thanks :)

So I was watching this movie, and I was not under the impression that it was going to be a super-action flick, because, after reading the reviews it seemed as though the people who went in with that in mind were sorely dissappointed, so I viewed it as an artsy movie. Now, based on that, I realize that that may have led to a bit of an overanalization, but hey, that's what I do.

What I understood, or at least, found possible, was that the four main women (the girl included as one of the women) are all the same person.
-First of all, the varry in age just, young, younger-adulthood, older-adulthood, and elderly.
-Her house was called "Four Seasons" or that was on the wall, something to that effect. As in, for stages of life, spring-youth, summer-able adulthood, fall-demise, older adulthood, and then winter-death/edlerly, looking back on what has happened.
When Stray Cat fights the woman in a while dress (the agent/ real hundred-eyes[?]), she defeats her: fall.
-The whole speach of "The face of a killer...... a woman's face identical to mine..... Perhaps we'll shoot eachother." That is potentially suggestive that they are the same.
-The youngest, Sayoko, Sayo-ko, Sayo-Child. Does that give you the idea that Stray Cat is Sayo? Now, there were several parts where they refferenced eachother as sister, was that figurative, literal, either way, it throws this idea off.... a little, potentially.
-When Sayoko and Stray Cat have the conversation and the mirror, "You can take my head," she kills part of herself off, same with The Agent (white dress). Then in the end she takes her own life, Stray Cat. But whatever happens to the old woman? Did something happen to her with the construction?

The problem is, with how un-linear it is, it's hard to tell when things happen...

Then there is the case of the end. When Stray Cat and No. 0 (right?) meet, and he wants to reclaim his title by defeating the new No. 1, being the first to return to No. 1.

Also, the river of death, or wathever it is, is a yellow haze, and Stray Cat always wears yellow, while White Dress Woman wears purple, yet we venture into the river of death several times, on the dock, being pulled in and out of it. When is this taking place?

So what I've deduced is that Stray Cat, or whoever the most current is, perhaps the old woman, is constantly struggeling with herself, and death, trying to kill off her other selves to once again become whole, but in the end has to take her own life so that no one else will have power over her. I think that the whole Guild was a figment of her immagination, and that is why she had a fake gun; the aquisition of the real pistol was when her imagination penetrated the lining between her mind and reality.

Like I said, it could very well be over-reaching, and it's still kind of a shaky layout, but if anyone has any input, agree, disagree, or any insight of any sorty, that would be really nice! Thanks :)

[–] Jabbapop 16 years ago

"the aquisition of the real pistol was when her imagination penetrated the lining between her mind and reality."

the whole gun thing confused me. stray cat seemed to always be pleading with the agent for a mission/gun. it's not as if she had a toy gun and then got a real gun. she had a toy gun and depended on the agent for a real gun to use during missions (eg the wife of the ceo/the pool hit), until she broke the rules and purchased a springfield for herself. i'd like to think that the gun as a motif functions as some kind of individualizing marker and a commentary on the character's traits, as each character has a very distinct weapon. stray cat's transition from a toy gun to a working pistol, then, says something about her maturization and emancipation. (toy- childish, given; pistol- portable, deadly, purchased on own.)

i don't like the whole "guild is imaginary" angle. the implication of this would then be that all characters are imaginary as well (beyond the fact that they exist in a movie), or at least liars.

"What I understood, or at least, found possible, was that the four main women (the girl included as one of the women) are all the same person. "

I do agree that a main theme of this movie is identity, and relating to other people as if they were oneself (ie empathy). In regards with Suzuki's previous crime films, perhaps this movie says women are more capable at this than men? Hanada (the protagonist from "Branded to Kill") is only concerned with number one (pun intended lololol.) I don't know, that sounds incredibly trite.

I think that's a very credible observation linking the four women to the four seasons.

[–] fiftyfivewolves 16 years ago

Thanks for the reply :)

I get what you're saying with the gun, about maturation. So did she have to go out and buy a gun if she wanted one, or was that similar to cheating? Would you say?

[–] wresbill 14 years ago

Thank you both for your interpretation. Trying on my own to figure what I just saw. It's the fourth Suzuki features I see. In the first half of his movies, I try to understand where I am, and I just watch the second half without asking myself an overload of questions !

[–] SilentJay32 11 years ago

"i don't like the whole "guild is imaginary" angle. the implication of this would then be that all characters are imaginary as well (beyond the fact that they exist in a movie), or at least liars. "

The Guild isn't imaginary, but it is a fiction that all but three characters are unaware of.