There is far too much choice these days. I have the choice of thousands of films across several streaming platforms at the click of a button so more often than not spend an age looking through before deciding to not watch anything. This became more problematic when deciding to get back into reviewing and doing so by reviewing two films a week. So, I’ve decided to let someone do half the work for me. Step forward Mark Kermode who chooses a film a week for the BFI player, the British Film Institute’s own streaming service. Kermode’s picks each week will by my picks each week, which will lead to a variety of films from every genre and every country. It is also going to lead to some oddities. Take this week’s film for example, ‘A Snake of June’ (2002), which he describes as a ‘psychotic, sex fantasy’. He wasn’t wrong. The film follows a couple who are seemingly mismatched. Shigehiko (Yuji Kotari) is a boring, balding businessman whilst Rinko (Asuka Kurosawa) is a young, attractive counsellor and while they get on personally there is no intimacy in their relationship. This lack of intimacy leads to repressed sexual fantasies from both parties, and when a stalker threatens to expose Rinko’s fantasies to Shigehiko she goes along with his own sexual fantasies until the repression of this sexual repression explodes for all three of them.
Although I knew nothing about this film before getting into it I didn’t go in completely blind. I have previously seen director Shin’ya Tsukamoto’s most famous film, ‘Tetsuo: The Iron Man’ (1989), and so had an idea of what kind of world I was stepping into. After all, that film was bat shit mental but had left an imprint in my brain as a result. This film doesn’t quite get that far, but it is definitely knocking on that door. ‘Tetsuo’ is a film based much more in the surreal with insane imagery and set pieces that leave you questioning what the hell you just saw. ‘Snake of June’ is focused more on the realistic psychological issues of its characters, only briefly becoming more surrealist in a couple scenes (which just so happen to be the most insane moments of the film). This sense of realism means that the film is often uncomfortable to watch, especially during the scenes where Rinko is being blackmailed into fulfilling her sexual fantasies in public. The discomfort and extremity of these scenes is matched by the camera and editing style. It is frenetic and disorientating with a lot of quick cuts, close ups, and blurred shots which matches with the mindset of Rinko while she is carrying out these orders. This is the style the film takes up throughout the sexual scenes, which leads to a really discomforting viewing experience. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it is exactly what the feeling the film is going for and it succeeds in doing this extremely well. The film also has a great visual style. It is shot in blue-tinged monochrome, giving the film a unique aesthetic, which accentuates the cold mood of the film, helped with the dirty feeling mise-en scene of cold stone buildings and the constant rain. Despite this it is shot quite beautifully and there are several shots throughout the film that are brilliant in their visual style. It creates one hell of a mood which, along with the story creates an engrossing if difficult film to watch.
The difficult nature of the film does mean that it is a hard one to enjoy. That's not say I didn’t like it because I did, but it means that it is not a film I am going to be coming back to quickly if at all. There are entire sections of this film where you follow Rinko while she is being forced to carry out these deeds which are pretty horrible to watch. This is exactly what Tsukamoto was going for and he nails it in that sense, but it is not an enjoyable experience. Asuka Kurosawa also deserves credit for making these scenes as uncomfortable as they are. She sells Rinko’s despair, fear, and loss of control brilliant and adds a lot to the scenes. The more surreal parts of the film, although on paper are equally as horrific, are so weird that they become more palatable. These scenes become somewhat comedic in just how weird they are and so that sense of discomfort and unease that comes the more realistic scenes involving Rinko is mostly absent. The real strength of the film and where I got the most enjoyment from is its visual style and this world it creates. Unlike a lot of films, it is not a world that I would want to live in myself, but it still sucks you in and almost traps you in it. I believe the world of the film to be a real one and I want to avoid it at all costs.
‘A Snake of June’ is a film that I would not widely recommend. I have a few friends who might enjoy it but to say it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea is to put it lightly. It is sometimes beautiful yet frequently uncomfortable and weird film that is a difficult viewing experience. I definitely liked it, but I definitely did not enjoy it. If you watch films for escapism and to have a good time I would stay well clear. However, if you like your more art house fair ad don’t mind watching films that make you uncomfortable then I would say give it a watch. Yes that may only be a tentative recommendation but I think that it is a fair one.