Despite the issues in the diegesis, both in terms of pacing and the immense number of characters, the film manages to keep the audience engaged thanks to its intriguing cinematography. This is mainly due to the well-executed choice of shots, color palette, and editing style. However, the abrupt transition to graphic violence creates a disconnection, turning what could have been an immersive experience into something more polarized and challenging to digest. To make matters worse, in the over two hours of runtime, Kakihara's presence, as a visually striking and complex figure, stands out as a missed opportunity to explore his narrative potential more deeply, relegating him to a secondary role. Similarly, the portrayal of Ichi, while impactful, doesn't seem to rise to the level of a solid protagonist either. As a result, both characters, despite their striking qualities, appear to get lost in a complex and overwhelming narrative web characterized by a multitude of events, timelines, and numerous secondary characters. Unfortunately, this contributes to the sense of lacking a clear protagonist.
Furthermore, while the gore is grotesque and unpleasant, it is at times implausible, unlike the CGI, which, with its obvious shortcomings, lacks any justification and fails to integrate seamlessly into the final result. Its deficiency not only diminishes the design work, but also undermines the overall believability of the film.
In the end, regrettably, it is a story easy to forget due to the narrative chaos. Therefore, in my opinion, it will be remembered solely for the rawness of the gore scenes.
Review by AitorBlockedParent2024-01-06T02:09:10Z
Despite the issues in the diegesis, both in terms of pacing and the immense number of characters, the film manages to keep the audience engaged thanks to its intriguing cinematography. This is mainly due to the well-executed choice of shots, color palette, and editing style. However, the abrupt transition to graphic violence creates a disconnection, turning what could have been an immersive experience into something more polarized and challenging to digest. To make matters worse, in the over two hours of runtime, Kakihara's presence, as a visually striking and complex figure, stands out as a missed opportunity to explore his narrative potential more deeply, relegating him to a secondary role. Similarly, the portrayal of Ichi, while impactful, doesn't seem to rise to the level of a solid protagonist either. As a result, both characters, despite their striking qualities, appear to get lost in a complex and overwhelming narrative web characterized by a multitude of events, timelines, and numerous secondary characters. Unfortunately, this contributes to the sense of lacking a clear protagonist.
Furthermore, while the gore is grotesque and unpleasant, it is at times implausible, unlike the CGI, which, with its obvious shortcomings, lacks any justification and fails to integrate seamlessly into the final result. Its deficiency not only diminishes the design work, but also undermines the overall believability of the film.
In the end, regrettably, it is a story easy to forget due to the narrative chaos. Therefore, in my opinion, it will be remembered solely for the rawness of the gore scenes.