Blood
Directed by: Ten ShimoyamaStarring: Aya Sugimoto, Kanji Tsuda, Jun Kaname Synopsis: Idealistic police detective, Hoshino (Kanji Tsuda), finds himself in hot water after exposing wholescale corruption by high ranking officials. Instead of being lauded, Hoshino is sent to work in the Cold Case division, following up on cases which are about to judicially expire. Investigating the murder of a maid fourteen years previously, Hoshino goes to interview the maid’s employer, Miyako Rozmberk (Aya Sugimoto). Surprisingly, Miyako divulges new information on the case, stating that she believes the killer was her former lover, Ukyo Kuronuma (Jun Kaname), a mysterious businessman with powerful connections. Hoshino’s investigation acts as a catalyst to the long-standing tension between the two, who are both vampires... Review: Blood is a film which tries to blend together a number of different genres and styles, to varying effect. Opening with a visually striking sequence in which a samurai dispatches a number of enemies during a snow-storm at night, the film then shifts to the present day and we are introduced to the trappings of a police procedural, complete with loose-cannon cop and disapproving boss.The tone lurches again with the introduction of Miyako Rozmberk. Evoking the vampiric eroticism of Daughters of Darkness and the lighting style of Tony Scott’s The Hunger, the scenes with Rozmberk are very languid and, it has to be said, stultifyingly dull. The stillness in these scenes lulled me to sleep on three separate occasions. There is a lot to like in Blood . The visual style is very impressive. The flash-backs in the snow are great with the bright red blood contrasting with the pure white snow. The concept of these two vampires clashing with each other throughout time, sniping at each other, using mortals to stoke the conflict (Hoshino soon realises that he is just the latest pawn in their conflict) is very well realised. It’s very reminiscent of the triangle between Tom Cruise, Kirsten Dunst and Brad Pitt in Interview With the Vampire. The fight scenes are rather well done, if too reliant on wire work for my tastes, and the climactic battle is big and bloody.The problem is that the differing styles all work at different paces and whenever Rozmberk is onscreen the pace of the film keeps stalling. The dreamy soft-focus and background silence make it difficult to concentrate on any exposition being parcelled out. Verdict A valliant attempt at creating a mix of police thriller, kung-fu and gothic vampire horror, it unfortunately doesn’t quite gel, with the dreamily shot vampire lovemaking slowing down the pace of the thriller elements. 6 out of 10 (MikeOutWest) New! CommentsHave your say about this! Leave me a comment in the box below. |
