Achilles and the Tortoise

Achilles to Kame

(Japan, 2008, 119 mins)

35mm

Selected Filmography:  

PRODS: Mori Masayuki, Yoshida Takio
SCR/ED: Kitano Takeshi
CAM: Yanagijima Katsumi
MUS: Kajiura Yuki
Cast: Yanagi Yurei, Higuchi Kanako, Omori Nao, Osugi Ren, ‘Beat’ Takeshi, Tokyo Shock Boys

  Watch the trailer.

Always surprising, Kitano Takeshi applies a famous paradox from mathematics (the formula which demonstrates that a sprinter can never catch up with a tortoise, explained in an animated prologue) to the story of a boy who was given the dream of becoming an artist. Young Machisu has the creative spirit of the sprinter, but circumstances conspire to keep him crawling at the pace of the tortoise. There’s too much bad in his life--a bankrupt father, a harsh foster-uncle, hostile schoolteachers--and then, when he grows older and is played by Yanagi Yurei from the “Kitano-gumi” stable of comedians, the endless struggle to find and develop a personal style while earning a crust.

Kitano himself takes over the role of Machisu in the closing scenes and uses his own paintings throughout to illustrate the character’s travails--and, of course, to parody movements in modern art. There’s plenty of the wry self-deprecation we’ve come to expect from recent Kitano movies, but also plenty of knockabout humour, including an inspirational appearance by the legendary Tokyo Shock Boys. You could call it a sad comedy.

VIFF acknowledges the support of the Japan Foundation in presenting the films from Japan

-- Tony Rayns

Sponsored By:

Japan Foundation

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