Dir: Yasuzo Masumura | Japan, Drama 1964
Manji was screened in the reduced but vital archive section of this year’s BFI London Film Festival and received a masterly well informed, passionate introduction from Robin Baker, the BFI head of Cultural Partnerships, and Miki Zeze from Japanese distribution company Kadokawa who plan to restore and release other films from the 50 plus films made by Masumara (1924-1986).
Manji (alternative title All Mixed Up) is a stylish semi comic melodrama bristling with wide screen colour elegance as it unfolds the wayward obsessions and perverse game playing between two couples making this treatment of a foursome daring for its time.
Masumura worked from a script by established film maker Kaneto Shindo in what was to be the first of his three films based on the novels of Jun’ichiro Tanizaki. Reflecting influences that the director learnt from working with Kon Ichikawa, films like Ichikawa’s 1959 feature Odd Obsession act as a kind of strange bedfellow companion piece to Manji.
Masumura was deeply fascinated by Yukio Mishima and suicide pacts involving poison and blood are weaved into the film’s beguiling chess board game of dangerous games that lovers play. The beauty of the 4k restoration invites interest to explore more of his work which is always one of the pleasures gained from archive screenings. Peter Herbert
SCREENING DURING LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2024