Seven Souls in the Skull Castle

Viewed at CineMatsuri 2014 and on DVD. When the performance ends (un-interrupted for 179 minutes), you may find yourself frozen in place (and paralyzed in your seat if you are in a theater)! The impact is that overwhelming. You may need a few minutes to return to reality. I have seen a boat load (or three) of movies and stage plays (haven't we all?!), but NOTHING like this. In chatting with the Producer (in my poor Japanese), he related that these performances are re-mounted about every six years or so, and, for a short time, tour just the major cities of Japan (and no where else on the planet). Direction, acting, choreography, lighting effects, stage decoration, camera work, digital video recording (you can even see the perspiration on the actors), miking, digital sound recording, etc. are all beyond spectacular. Dialog is written and delivered on an obtuse (almost abstract) level that is hard to compare (or comprehend). But is sure sounds suburb! Perhaps it might be likened to Shakespeare when it was first performed in what was then contemporary Old English several hundred years ago? This means that subtitles are a must even for some native Japanese speakers. (If there was ever an objective test for measuring one's Japanese pureness, being able to comprehend the dialog from this performance may be it!) When you see this performance, you may be witnessing the birth (or rebirth) of a new medium form. It is not a stage play as such (although recorded from/on/above/below the stage and with a live audience) nor is it a conventional movie (there are no edited scenes or cuts or retakes or dialog dubbing or, as noted above, an intermission during its 179 minutes). Some surround sound field effects have been added as well as sound effects such as steel swords in action). But that's it. Everything else remains as it was when performed live. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.