Vengeance Is Mine

A different breed of serial killer sub-genre, and I tell you what, this is on par, if not better, with such newer serial killer drama such as Silence Of The Lambs, Se7en, or Memories Of Murder.

Things that I like the most from this film is how Imamura depicted the character of Iwao Enokizu, a serial killer that has killed 6 peoples and on the run. Instead of showing his psychological aspect, Imamura looks like just trying to tell that this man is born that way, his character is given. A monster unleashed in this flawed world. Reminds me a lot with the Joker in the The Dark Knight (the character, not the acting).

The story structure also very effective, that even in the long 140 minutes, the film didn’t feel too long. The flashback played wonderful and nicely fit.

So overall, I was in complete surprise with this Imamura masterpiece. This is brilliant, and little bit-overlooked crime/serial killer film. Highly recommended!