GEMINI (1999)
Rats, maggots, disease, unsettling sounds courtesy of Chu Ishikawa… it must be another Shinya Tsukamoto movie. A period drama might not be the kind of project anyone would be expecting from the director who, at the time, was mainly known for stop motion effects and industrial locations. But this blend of Meiji Era fashion and existential dread isn’t exactly typical fare. The eyebrows and the hairdos are certainly a fascinating choice. In some ways there are familiar ingredients involved as this is a tale of good and evil twins; and a story about a wealthy and a poor man who look alike. This is also based on a short story from the same time period rather than being a bizarre original script. But while archetypal characters and familiar narrative beats are used there are many strange moments waiting to creep out of the shadows.
