I am becoming a huge fan of Japanese/Asian horror films. I like the subtle and slow, eerie pace and the way the story is built up to an all-devouring climax. I have seen quite a few good ones over the past year and lots of them are about to be remade in Hollywood. Films like Ju-On, Ringu, Dark Water and The Eye (in fact, that one is actually from Thailand) provide a great source for Hollywood – who ran out of ideas ten years ago. I heard a lot about Audition (Ôdishion) by Japanese director Takashi Miike, who was also responsible for Ichi the Killer and, more recently, Zebraman (review soon). The press was in shock after Audition. So was I. It starts off as a rather simple drama, goes through a phase of a mediocre thriller and ends up being an unalloyed horror movie full of gore.

Ever since Aoyama lost his wife seven years ago, he never dared to even look at other women. When he realizes he is ready for a new relationship, a friend of his (a movie casting agent), proposes to organize an audition to find Aoyama’s ideal wedding candidate. Even before the audition has begun, Aoyama becomes intrigued by the serene and mysterious Asami. They start dating (initially under false pretenses), but people start to warn Aoyama that there is something wrong with Asami and that there is something a little peculiar about her past and the people she has met. When she vanishes, after a romantic weekend in an hotel, Aoyama starts investigating her whereabouts.

Audition is all about atmosphere and the viewer finds him- or herself almost a full hour into the movie, before things really get dark and creepy. Although this may be presumed slow and boring, it is a conscious, well-considered technique of director Miike.The actress playing Asami (Eihi Shiina) almost seems to be Miike’s personal love interest. He, at least, is highly intrigued by her in the same way as Aoyama is (Roman Polanski’s wife, who stars as the female lead in The Ninth Gate, is an example of how things can go terribly wrong in this area). The photography in many scenes is breathtaking and very effective. The way the scene in which Asami is sitting by the phone, awaiting Aoyama’s call, is shot is awe-inspiring. You see a close-up of Asami’s face, half-in shadow, and when the phone rings, you only see the movement of her mouth into a smile. It is also the scene that provides the very first scary moment of Audition.

The plot may be a bit ‘been there, done that’, and many Japanese horror movies like to use the events of a childhood as the main motivation to explain today’s atrocities, but the structure of Audition is very keen. You have no idea where the story is heading and before you know it you, it is all over you. Besides this, Miike uses some quite ingenious time tricks to deceive his audience. Although there is a lot of gore near the climax (with the use of vomit, piano strings and acupuncture needles), and one might wonder if it is functional, it certainly is effective. Now let’s await the American remake.

In short: Though annoyingly slow-paced at first, Miike builds up tention perfectly and works from drama and thriller to bloody, gory horror, the way I love it.

Directed by: Takashi Miike
Starring: Tetsu Sawai, Eihi Shiina, Jun Kunimura, Ryo Ishibashi
Runtime: 115 minutes
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Horror
Audition is available on DVD and VHS