Goth

Title: Goth
Rating: 3.5/5
Genre: Mystery, Drama
Starring: Kanata Hongô, Rin Takanashi
Director: Gen Takahashi
Language: Japanese

Another little known low-budget Japanese film to fall into my lap following, despite the name this is a drama with little to do with the general scene you may expect. Instead it follows the morbid tale of a serial killer hunting down pretty young female victims in the midst of Tokyo, mysteriously removing their left hand and publicly displaying his artwork for all to see. Garnering the attention of the morbid loner Morino (Rin Takanashi) and the equally fascinated Kamiyana (Kanata Hongô), disguising his fetish with an outgoing and happy façade, they begin tracking down his works in order to see them before the police can, each step taking them closer to the artist and the danger that entails.

Considerable effort has gone into emphasising the core theme; that even the most despicable of actions can be transformed into something of artistic beauty, and the carefully positioned poses of the victims, the camera work in accenting its unconventional beauty and even the make-up used to lend an almost 'still-life' type of artistry has not gone unappreciated. Even with a limited budget he has succeeded in creating some genuinely artistic shots that defy the standard convention of looking overtly unrealistic like few films seem capable of. What does seem to be glossed over far too readily, however, is the psychology behind such motives; beyond the simple “most normal people wouldn't understand” type cliché lines, when we are finally confronted with the man responsible what should have been a major climactic point felt a little shallow.

The two lead characters do little else to support this shallowness either, the inherent difficulties in taking two very different characters who both harbour a dark and morbid secret fascination with the artist and finding a manner for them to open up to the audience without feeling defiant of their closed and coveted nature is a problem that quickly presents itself and struggles to find a solution. The times when an insight into their past presents itself flowing naturally but altogether failing to connect, and as a result I felt emotionally unattached despite the rather grim tale being told. This cold and emotionless style of character whilst never feeling boring despite the relatively slow pace was performed well in itself, and its certainly no fault of the script itself but rather the direction that critically failed in its duty here.

Unquestionably this feels like something of a mixed bag with both definite strong points and weak. The mystery element was worked effectively, the clues subtly presenting themselves whilst allowing the killers identity almost impossible to predict and revealing revelationary hidden truths of the characters. The plot unfurls at a comfortable pace and never feels convoluted, and the manner its filmed is nothing short of poetic given the time to be appreciated, but its simply that dramatic impact that feels sorely missing; that lack of tension or emotional investment in the two protagonists that holds it back from being all it could have been.