Izo

IZO is a 2004 Japanese film directed by Takashi Miike. The main character of the film is Izo Okada (1832–1865), the historical samurai and assassin in 19th-century Japan who was tortured and executed by beheading in Tosa.

Izo
Directed byTakashi Miike
Produced byTaizô Fukumaki
Fujio Matsushima
Written byShigenori Takechi
StarringKazuya Nakayama
Takeshi Kitano
Bob Sapp
Release date
21 August 2004 (Japan)
Running time
128 minutes
LanguageJapanese
English

Izo appeared previously in Hideo Gosha's Hitokiri (1969), then played by Shintaro Katsu. However, Miike's portrayal of the character (or rather his spirit) transcends reality (and time and space) and is more of a surrealist exposé of Izo's exceedingly bloody yet philosophical encounters in an afterlife heavy on symbolism, occasionally interrupted by stock footage of World War II accompanied by acid-folk singer Kazuki Tomokawa on guitar. Kazuya Nakayama plays Izo and the many characters he encounters on his journey include figures played by Takeshi Kitano and Bob Sapp.

Cast

Awards

Izo was awarded the best Special Effects prize at the Sitges Film Festival (Spanish international festival specializing in fantasy and horror films).[1]

  • Izo at IMDb
  • ＩＺＯ (in Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved 21 July 2007.

Reviews

See also

References
  1. "Izo". cultflicks.net. Retrieved 16 September 2008.
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