Audition (1999)

- Ôdishon
A Masterpiece, 30 May 2005

Every once in a great while, you stumble upon a movie that you immediately know is a masterpiece. I had read what other people had written about Audition, but didn't really believe all the hype. Surely it couldn't be as good as people claimed. After seeing Audition for the first time, I simply cannot get the film out of my mind. I doubt I can come up with enough glowing adjectives to describe the movie - disturbing, fascinating, brutal, engrossing, etc. It is quite simply on of the best movies I've ever seen. Fortunately, I knew very little about Audition before I watched. The final 30 or so minutes blew me away. I'm not going to go into detail as this would ruin the movie for those who haven't seen it. Just be prepared for one of the most shocking endings you'll ever likely see.

The plot starts out as something right out of a Hollywood romantic-comedy. A middle-aged man wants to find a new wife. A producer friend of his sets up a series of bogus movie auditions as a way of meeting women. Does it sound enough like typical Hollywood tripe? The man meets the woman of his dreams. Or is she? What dark secrets does she hide? Watch and be amazed.

The acting is first rate. The two leads, Ryo Ishibashi and Eihi Shiina, are both excellently cast. Ishibashi comes across as a sympathetic figure who simply wants a companion. Shiina's performance is excellent as the seemingly demure woman with a hidden secret.

Takashi Miike is certainly a director that can be mentioned with the greats of the genre. The images he presents may be difficult to watch, but they aren't easily forgotten. Cinematography, editing, lighting, and the use of dream sequences are all first rate. Since I watched Audition, I've read numerous complaints about how slow the first part of the movie is . While it may seem slow to those more accustomed to Hollywood films where somebody is killed or something is blown-up every five minutes, the slow pace is absolutely necessary to increase the shock value of the end. Miike knew what he was doing.

There are any number of ways to interpret the film. I'm sure that with subsequent viewings, I'll look at the events the movie presents in a different light. There's a lot here to take in during one viewing. I'm almost positive that I'll change the rating of Audition to a 10/10 after a second viewing.

9/10