Michelle and Andrew team up for an all encompassing review of Perfect Blue.
Perfect Blue is one of the most enthralling and underrated anime
films of all time. For whatever reason, it has stayed under the radar of many
film aficionados and maintained somewhat of a cult status. The late Satoshi Kon
was not unknown in the western anime world, having directed critically
acclaimed masterpieces such as Millennium
Actress, Tokyo Godfathers and Paprika. He was known for his incredible
editing techniques and atypical approach to storytelling. Perfect Blue was his directorial debut- although he had his hand in
writing and doing designs for other anime series prior.
Whenever Perfect Blue gets mentioned, comparisons to David Lynch always crop
up—it is a fair comparison but Satoshi Kon definitely has a style all of his
own. The story concerns a young woman named Mima Kirigoe, who is a pop singer
trying to break her way into the acting business. As Mima struggles to sustain
her separate diametrically opposed identities: that of a squeaky clean pop idol
and a sexy adult actress, she has an internal crisis of sorts. To compound
things, she also seems to have attracted the attention of an unknown and
dangerous stalker.
As Mima’s sanity begins to slide,
the film starts to take a surreal tone and this is where Kon’s masterful
editing comes into play. He has a way of manipulating time/place utilizing
quick cuts and clever scene transitions to shape the perception of the viewer
to his liking. Because he is not confined to standard camera positions (since
it’s animated) it affords him a freedom not possible with live-action filming. The
character designs are realistic and understated which makes the jaunts into
magical realism that much more jarring and captivating. So, at times, this
movie does show its “anime roots”, but not in the way most casual fans would
expect. It is entirely possible to recommend Perfect Blue to someone who has never watched an anime in their
life and for them to completely enjoy and respect it as a viable film and not
just “kid’s stuff”.
There definitely are adult themes
present throughout Perfect Blue;
murder, nudity, exploitation, implied rape and blood are all shown. It
transcends plain shock value because of the quality of the direction and the
intelligence of the writing. Kon’s style parallels Hitchcock’s films,
especially because of the complexity of the story and the way it’s visually
presented to make the audience think or believe a certain way. The animation is
top-notch as well and it’s provided by Madhouse studio, who are known for their
outstanding work on numerous other anime feature films and television series. Masahiro
Ikumi’s score is appropriately haunting and foreboding which adds greatly to
the ambience in the film.
The influence of Perfect Blue on western cinema has been understated—it
is said that director Darren Aronofsky bought the rights to the film so that he
could use shots from it in his film Requiem
for a Dream. His later film Black
Swan also has some similarities, but he denies basing it off of Satoshi
Kon’s previous work. The two directors have met each other, and both have
stated that they enjoy one another’s work, so it may be just a case of mutual
respect among professionals. At any rate, this is a film that should not be
missed by anime and film lovers alike.
-Michelle Kisner
NOTE: The Blu-Ray reviewed here
was released in the UK on November 27, 2013 and is Region B locked
The Video
Satoshi Kon’s 1997 anime classic gets a stellar visual transfer
courtesy of Anime Ltd. When compared to
the long out-of-print non-anamorphic Anchor Bay disc, whose colors were washed
out with far more print damage and aliasing inherent to non-anamorphic discs,
it’s a major improvement. While some
shots reveal slight wobbling of the image (notably the first close-up of Mima’s
stalker), it’s probably inherent to the source and not a fault of the disc
mastering. Colors are much richer with
deeper, truer black levels than the overly boosted Anchor Bay disc. Some shots are blurrier than others, but that
too is likely intentional and not the result of poor mastering. Scenes of Mima roaming around her apartment
have never looked better, with deep reds that don’t bleed or shimmer. Film grain is heavy but that’s again likely
due to the source material itself, and overall the image looks filmic rather
than like digital video. Those who only
know Perfect Blue by the Anchor Bay
edition will be delighted with the new transfer, as if they’re viewing the film
for the very first time.
The Audio
Now here is where the DVD/Blu-Ray authors went hog wild. Mastered in DTS-HD 5.1 surround sound, Perfect Blue is a totally immersive
sonic experience that will give your home theaters quite the workout. Opening concert scenes and dialogue sound
crystal clear with heavy bass and active rechanneling of the sound effects, and
Masahiro Ikumi’s terrifying score has never sounded better with the eerie,
disembodied voices howling from all directions.
When Mima is on the subway and her alter ego speaks to her through the
window, the rear channels erupt with the sound of the bullet train roaring
by. Scenes of Mima being chased by her
alter ego follow Mima’s perspective so we hear her pursuer running close behind
her. It’s a spectacular track which
draws viewers deep into Mima’s psyche that makes our ears hers. Simply put, those used to the 2.0 stereo
surround track on the Anchor Bay DVD will be in for quite a shock when the
razor sharp remastered audio hits their ears.
The Extras
With this DVD/Blu-Ray combo special edition, extras include several
cast and crew interviews, an extended interview with the late director Satoshi
Kon, three different Q&As detailing the making of the film, and a
behind-the-scenes look at the recording of the opening J-Pop song ‘Angel of
Love’ along with an English-dubbed version of the song. Along with trailers for Japan, the UK and US,
the digipack package itself includes a series of postcards of images from the
film, including the Japanese theatrical poster. An image of Mima takes up both discs and one
of them sports a topless Mima upon removal of the disc, keeping in theme with
the film’s underlying sexual hysteria.
Overall it’s a snazzy package collectors will be excited to show off to
their friends or simply display on their home video shrines.
Overall
While most readers won’t be able to view this Blu-Ray edition without
the aid of an import player, as the US have yet to release the film in
high-definition, Perfect Blue is a
great horror film to be sought out as soon as possible and one that will haunt
you long after the credits have finished rolling. While full of explicit sexuality, extreme
violence and horrifying portrayals of psychosis, this is a flawless masterpiece
which could not have been made half as effectively were it filmed in live
action. Much like Kon’s other surreal
masterworks, the film is an uncompromising journey deep into the heart of
darkness that will leave most viewers quivering with fear as we with share with
Mima her travelogue to Hell and back.
Live action films rarely ever get this deeply, profoundly disturbing.
-Andrew Kotwicki