Imprint (2006)

Pornographic, unscary, nothing of any value. I am not by any means offended by gore. I am a fan of Argento, Lucci, and the like. I have no problem with shocking scenes as long as the movie itself is entertaining or worthwhile.I found not a slice of entertainment anywhere in this film. It focuses only on the most base and deplorable aspects of human existence, and it does so for seemingly no reason. No one, not a character, nor a viewer, walks away from this film any better for the experience. The viewer isn't even rewarded with a sensical ending. I have nothing but questions, and frankly I don't care if they are ever answered.

Whilst I'd be the first to admit that some scenes in this film were hard to watch, it in no way detracts from the masterful story-telling that is the foundation of Takashi Miike's work. As well as being terrifying to the extreme, Imprint is also sad, moving and above all fascinating as each time the prostitute, played by Youki Kudoh, retells her story, a little more of the truth is revealed. Kudoh's performance is simply amazing and any other actress would have probably ruined the film. Billy Drago also turns in a fantastic performance in his role of Christopher, a hapless man searching Japan for his lost love Kimomo. The imagery in this film is unique to say the least, with historical accuracy taking a back seat to unique and striking visuals, such as the bright red hair of all the prostitutes as well as the vibrant blue hair of the nameless prostitute played by Kudoh. Such hair colours where not available to Japanese women in the time frame the film is set in (1900's?). However, this definitely works to the film's advantage, creating a surreal and fantastic environment where a story such as this one doesn't seem so unbelievable. Also, if you love a movie with a big twist, this one is for you. There are several twists throughout, but the big one towards the end is a killer (literally). Whilst riddled with extreme blood and gore, this aspect of the film is for once a necessary and important part of the film, explaining how this young woman became the person that she is. I highly recommend this movie, but if you're squeamish or find extreme torture unbearable to watch then I advise you to run a mile from this one. Also, look out for the dwarf who's nose is falling apart from syphilis. His bizarre behavior during the torture scene is perhaps the most disturbing part of the whole film. 10 stars!!!

It's saddening to me, really, that I would ever have to give anything Takashi Miike has so much as touched a score this low. Like Quentin Tarantino before him, Takashi Miike understands that originality is what is lacking from the entertainment industry, and he understands and has the capability to fix that. While Imprint expresses some of Miike's talent and understanding, it's no where close to what he has done in full-length films in the past. At all. Period. Imprint seems a lot like a single scene, drawn-out to an hour long, from one of his full-length movies.The story itself is only slightly above average. Man is trying to find his lost wife. While this is certainly nothing new, the subplots spoken by the whore he is entangled with are certainly, at very least, highly creative. The ending plot reveal (calling it a plot twist would be misleading) is nothing short of disturbing, and isn't something even the hardened horror fan is going to forget a few hours later. So, in a sense, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the underline story. While not totally mind-blowing, it works for the time space Imprint was given.With that said, the main reason for my low score isn't because of the story. It's because of how ineffectively the story is told. The first major problems started with the English-spoken dialogue. Simply put, it's atrocious. I never again want to see an obviously Japanise movie spoken in complete English. It takes away a lot of immersion right there. After that, the poor special effects in the ending and sometimes in the middle really became distracting. In opposite, however, I have to commend Miike's aesthetic choices. His use of white on the corpse in the opening was amazing, and likewise well as his color choices. The use of color isn't as over-the-top and ridicules as Suspiria, and that made the blunt colors work very, very nicely.As for the torture and gore, both were more well-done—and thankfully on screen this time—than typical Miike, showing he is improving. Some of the torture scenes were relatively brutal, using needles, which have become a Miike signature. Though I wouldn't call the disturbing element much better than average, Imprint is a lot less easy to watch than I expected it to be. The repeated use of bloody, dead fetuses was also something much more ballsy than your standard American R-rated film and your standard Japanese horror movie alike. So, in a way, I was both impressed and unimpressed with the gore scenes here. But, as I said, nothing is too far above average, like most other Miike films I've seen. Compared to American torture films, like the Saw series, Imprint and his movies in general, just look weak on the gore front. He only points the camera at the wall while something gory happens three feet out of view once, thank God. Miike has done that repeatedly in his other films, and it has to be the most annoying and least brutal film making method in regards to gore ever.Characters themselves, however, are more disturbing to look at than the violence. You'll see everything from a whore with an open cut running across half her face to a midget who appears to have a live bird growing out of her head. What more is there to ask for when designing truly original disturbing characters? In the end, Imprint was very much worth watching. It is a great place for someone who's never seen a Miike film to start, being it's one of his most disappointing and strait-forward. If you have seen Miike, it's a necessary view, but don't go in with high standards. At all.4/10

In the Nineteenth Century, in Japan, the American journalist Christopher (Billy Drago) is traveling through the country searching Komomo (Michie), the missing love of his life that he had abandoned years ago promising to come back to her later. He arrives in a shadowy island inhabited by whores and caftans, where he has an encounter with a deformed prostitute that tells that his beloved Komomo had passed away. He drinks sake with her and later he asks the woman to tell the story of her life. The prostitute discloses a dark and cruel story about her life and the sad fate of Komomo.The macabre "Imprint" is another disturbing and brutal movie of Takashi Miike. Using magnificent camera-work and impressive make-up in an awesome atmosphere, "Imprint" approaches gruesome and gore theme like abortion, fetus, incest, torture, perversions and abuse along 63 minutes running time of pure and sick horror with many twists. I confess that I felt uncomfortable and disturbed with the sadistic sequence of the torture of Komomo. Takashi Miike really honors the title of this series, being a Master of Horror. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Marcas do Terror" ("Marks of the Terror")