Strange Circus (2005)

Strange Circus (2005)
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From the director of the cult hit Suicide Club comes an unsettling look at the life of a sexually-abused adolescent whose inability to distinguish her mother's pleasure from her own pain sends her down a dark and surreal path. Sexually molested by her father Gozu (Hiroshi Oguchi) and mentally tormented by her jealous mother Sayuri (Masumi Miyazaki), twelve-year old Mitsuko (Rie Kuwana) is locked in a cello case and forced to watch her parents perform a series of intimate acts. When Mitsuko's mother dies as the result of a fatal fall, the deeply disturbed young girl begins to believe that she has, in fact, been transformed into her own mother. Her father viewing the death of his wife and mental malaise of his daughter as a motivator to ramp up the incestuous relations with his increasingly unhinged offspring, Mitsuko eventually ends up restricted to a wheelchair following a failed suicide attempt. Later, it begins to appear that the preceding events were nothing more than the details of a new novel by reclusive, wheelchair-bound author Taeko (also Miyazaki). When Taeko's trusted editor places his fey personal assistant Yuji (Issei Ishida) in charge of the successful writer, the probing Yuji launches a clandestine investigation into Taeko's background while simultaneously being forced to satisfy her deepest and darkest fantasies. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Starring:
Masumi MiyazakiIssei Ishida, (more)
Director(s):
Sion Sono
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Strange Circus

From the director of the cult hit Suicide Club comes an unsettling look at the life of a sexually-abused adolescent whose inability to distinguish her mother's pleasure from her own pain sends her down a dark and surreal path. Sexually molested by her father Gozu (Hiroshi Oguchi) and mentally tormented by her jealous mother Sayuri (Masumi Miyazaki), twelve-year old Mitsuko (Rie Kuwana) is locked in a cello case and forced to watch her parents perform a series of intimate acts. When Mitsuko's mother dies as the result of a fatal fall, the deeply disturbed young girl begins to believe that she has, in fact, been transformed into her own mother. Her father viewing the death of his wife and mental malaise of his daughter as a motivator to ramp up the incestuous relations with his increasingly unhinged offspring, Mitsuko eventually ends up restricted to a wheelchair following a failed suicide attempt. Later, it begins to appear that the preceding events were nothing more than the details of a new novel by reclusive, wheelchair-bound author Taeko (also Miyazaki). When Taeko's trusted editor places his fey personal assistant Yuji (Issei Ishida) in charge of the successful writer, the probing Yuji launches a clandestine investigation into Taeko's background while simultaneously being forced to satisfy her deepest and darkest fantasies. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
83 mins

Complete Cast of Strange Circus


Director(s):
Sion Sono
Writer(s):
Sion Sono
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Member Reviews
 
Donald A.

There is a japanese weirdness that transcends the oddness of the japanese horror genre, most fans even of japanese horror arent fully prepared for this extra level. The best two examples of ultimate weirdness are Visitor Q and Sonos other film Suicide Club. Try Suicide club first before this one, Club is a bit more linear and western, if you like that try this.

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Erik B.

This one is sick, weird, and perverted, yet exceedingly interesting and well-written. Directed by Sion Sono, the primary focus here is on sexual/psychological perversion as a consequence of abuse. One major negative is that (after the first half hour) this film abandons the spectacular imagery and symbolism that is used early on (i.e., the bright carnival amidst the pitch black night, the deep reddish sets, etc.), thus making the middle section of the film a bit bland in places. Luckily, there are plenty of twists and psychological elements to pull the film past the finish line. The viewer beware that there is a massive amount of explicit sex and a few gory moments here, but they are essential to develop the underlying themes.

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ADELL P.

If you thought Suicide Club was strange, this move is far more disturbing! The way the story twist you'll never be able to guess what is going to happen next. The story is so well written, even the main character in the movie is having identity issues. This movie is a MUST for all fans of J-Horror

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