By Niya Diamo
Kazuaki Kiriya may not be a name you’re familiar with, especially if you’re new to Japanese cinema. But the visionary director is well-known for his vast imagination and creative work. He became famous in Japan in 2002, after marrying pop music superstar Utada Hikaru, but to the rest of the world his name gained meaning in 2004 with the epic action movie “Casshern”.
In the spirit of “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow” and “Sin City”, Kiriya creates the visual masterpiece “Casshern”, very well received from audiences for its fairy-tale structure and remarkable use of visual effects. Five years later Kiriya presents his second film “Goemon”, which does not fall short of revealing the genius of writer/director/photographer Kazuaki. Yet another piece to be praised for its visual brilliance and exquisite use of green screen/CGI relationship.
Before “Casshern”, Kiriya’s work included directing music videos (including many of Hikaru’s) and fashion photography. His background skills were a useful tool for his work on the epic movie. “Technically, and aesthetically I utilised everything from my past.”
Kiriya’s films might disappoint with some plot holes, but what they lack in content, they make up for in vision. It is Kiriya’s own strive for the “nonlinear” that creates the different and impressive style of “Casshern”. “Action, sci-fi, Shakespeare, and whatever. I really don't like genre.” Although he claims that “Goemon” might disappoint his fans and he could be accused of being “too linear” this time, the “easiness” to understand the plot of “Goemon” does not take away anything from the visual genius of the piece.
Those new to Kiriya may be blown by the visual effects, which are a joy to watch. With only two films in his short filmography, he has yet to disappoint. Any future projects? Kiriya reveals he is involved with some English language films, so hopefully we’ll see something else from the visionary director in the near future.Labels: cueafs |
