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Customer Reviews of The Mystery of Rampo

When Fiction Becomes Reality: Very Surrealistic Film!
Although "The Mystery of Rampo," is not based on any of Edogawa Rampo's writings, the film was motivated by the writings on Rampo. Edogawa Rampo was known as the Edgar Allen Poe of Japan; and Rampo even took his pen name from Poe [Japanese for Edgar Allen Poe]. This film may not appeal to many viewers, but I really liked the film. It is recommended with caution; however, I do own the film as I believe it is a very good film. The film is set in the late 1920s at the start of the Showa era of Japan. Edogawa Rampo (Naoto Takenaka) has just finished his latest novel. But there is more to this latest novel than meets the eye. <
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>Rampo's finds that his latest work has been censored by the government. The government is concerned with the morals of the people, and believe the novel will set a bad standard. The novel deals with a woman who has murdered her husband, by allowing him to suffocate in a wooden chest. Upset with this, Rampo burns his latest work. However, upon reading the details of this murder in the newspapers the next day, which is brough to his attention by his assistant, he discovers that the circumstances of the man's death is identical to his latest novel. Something that this woman could not have known about since his novel was censored by the government. Therefore, Rampo decides to seek this woman out. <
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>When Rampo encounters this woman, Shizuko (Machiko Hada) he discovers the woman also has the same name as the antagonist in his novel. And in a strange twist, when he decides to resume writing the novel, events in his book begin to happen in real life. The directors created a very atmospheric film with mystery and suspense. I knew that I was going to enjoy the film from the begining when the viewer is given a sweeping look of Rampo's library where one sees the mystery novels in his collection. And yes, there are the novels of Edgar Allen Poe. The film has excellent cinematography and a terrific score. It may not appeal to many viewers, but I enjoyed the film immensely. I recommended the film, however, rent it first to see if it appeals to your tastes.

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Fox Wedding
Well, i've had this on a videotape for almost ten years and just yesterday decided to watch it. I'm glad i did! Unfortunately it wasn't widescreen, but apparently the colors are better on video, and i'd prefer that. Mono no aware! (the sadness of things) <
>ps. for advanced cases of nippophilia, try Lafcadio Hearn.

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Real Unreality and Unreal Reality
The film was motivated by the writings of Edogawa Rampo (1894-1965) - a play on the name of Edgar Allan Poe. Rampo was a controversial Japanese thriller author whose work was often banned in the 1930s - which play themselves out in the movie and starts the tale off. The author was often compared to Edgar Allan Poe - for conjuring up the very same types of gothic imagery. In this movie, fantasy merges with reality in this mystery cum thriller. A woman has murdered her husband in a manner very similar to a killing depicted in an "unpublished" work of Rampo's. The irony is that the government has banned the novel of the same subject. In line with the fusion of reality cum fantasy upon meeting the killer, the writer is astonished to observe that she also bears an eerie physical similitude to the character that emanated from his mind's eye. The author/character Rampo soon becomes so fixated with her that he subsequently re-creates her as the woman a protagonist in his new novel. Often moving from one realm to the other and driving the lives of both fictional and real characters. However, complications develop when Rampo starts situating himself within the fictional realm/world he created. Before long, and this is where the genius of the movie really lies, that it is tricky for him - and the viewer - to figure out the boundaries between fantasy and reality. Michiko Hada is stunning in her portrayal of gothic damsel in distress. Beauty and the Beast never looked so good. <
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>Miguel Llora