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 ideo Nakata, best known for the genre defining
Japanese horror "Ringu",
has finally given in to the persuasive lure of Hollywood, signing up for the
sequel to the remake of his original film. Time will tell whether his
talents transfer well and if he fares better than other Asian directors like
John Woo, but in the meantime, Western fans can be content with the opening
up of his back catalogue, making several of his earlier works available in
all their subtitled glory.
"Chaos" is one of
these; a kidnap thriller from 1999, which itself has been slated for a US
makeover. Although clearly inspired by Hitchcock, Nakata manages to add a
few new twists to the formula, coupled with an interesting,
non-chronological structure that keeps the viewer guessing in a way which
for once does not patronize and which is relatively uncluttered by pointless
exposition. The film is intriguing, cleverly plotted and very entertaining,
making it a must-see not only for fans of Asian cinema, but also for anyone
who enjoys films of engrossing mystery.
"Chaos" is a film that derives most of its
entertainment value from its labyrinth of plot twists and turns, and so
I'll just provide a very basic synopsis. Kuroda (Masato Hagiwara, "Cure")
is lured into a fake kidnapping scheme by Saori (Miki Nakatani,
"Ringu" and "Ringu
2")) a beautiful young woman who claims that she wants to test
her husband's love for her. Kuroda goes along with the scheme, tying up
Saori in an empty apartment and calling her husband with the ransom
demands. However, when he later returns, he finds her dead, and is
contacted by the killer who instructs him to dispose of the corpse or face
the police. Kuroda does this, but finds himself haunted by visions of
Saori, who he comes to believe may not be dead after all.
Although this may seem fairly familiar stuff, it
really is only the basis from which the real story develops. Nakata keeps
things fresh by playing out events through a disjointed time scale,
forcing the viewer to fill in a lot of blanks and to work out exactly what
is going on before it all comes together in the end. This is done very
well, and the fact that much of the action is seen from the viewpoints of
different characters gives the film an almost "Rashomon"-style
commentary on the nature of truth. It is quite refreshing to see a film
which does not feel the need to have characters constantly explaining
their actions, or which is not filled with countless justifications or
condescending scenes of reiteration.
In "Chaos", Nakata simply lets the story
tell itself, challenging the viewer to keep pace. The downside to this is
that the characters are not really fleshed out, and though we are gripped
by their actions, we never truly care about their fates, which is a shame
as the potential was definitely there for some particularly harrowing
emotional bruising. At times this gives everything a detached air, and
more like an exercise in style and narrative rather than any kind of
attempt to connect with the audience. This does seem to be deliberate
rather than through any fault of the actors, as the performances are all
first rate.
Nakata's direction is skillful and assured, eschewing
action set pieces or confrontations in favor of the same eerie, minimalist
atmospherics that enriched "Ringu". He is quite comfortable to
tell the tale at his own, deliberate pace, keeping the viewer hooked
through a clever series of plot twists and payoffs. The film's tension is
gradually notched up through a series of skillfully framed revelations,
though Nakata thankfully avoids most of the obvious or clichéd visual
devices despite a fair number of flashbacks. It is fair to note that there
is very little visceral action in the film, and since the script itself is
quite bare, some may find themselves impatiently waiting for the
surprising denouement.
Overall, "Chaos" is a film that is highly
recommended for fans of the director or simply for anyone who enjoys a
good mystery. Though somewhat cold, the film is intelligent and treats its
audience without condescension, making the bold move of daring to assume
that viewers can actually think and interpret events for ourselves.
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