US PREMIERE
The Blood of Rebirth is Toyoda’s first film in four years. After exploding onto the international film festival scene with award winning films, Unchain, Porno Star, Blue Spring (IndieFest ’02), Nine Souls (IndieFest ’04) and Hanging Garden (IndieFest ’06), he returned to the proverbial wood shed. During this time he focused on his music and filming a double fistful of live music projects. The time spent away was, well, torture for his international fan base. This hallucinogenic gem takes the audience to a place both intensely Japanese and through layers of ancient mythology, religious mysticism and is perfectly punctuated with a rocking sound track. This newest Toyoda film will blow your mind!
The Blood of Rebirth is set in the Middle Ages in Japan, when gods and demons reigned over a larger domain than mere mortals. Oguri, a renowned masseur, is summoned to the fortress of the ruler of the dark world, a man known simply as “the Lord” and ailing from a particularly wicked type of venereal disease. After encouraging Terute – a captive princess from another land – to escape, Oguri is poisoned to death by “the Lord” before he can make good his escape. At the way station between heaven and hell, Oguri requests, and is granted his wish – to be sent back to the land of the living in the form of a “Hungry Ghost,” who has “unfinished business.” Saved by a monk who happened to pass by, he learns of a “spring of rebirth.” Meanwhile, Terute manages to flee from “the Lord’s” fortress and reunites with the undead Oguri. But the wicked “Lord” is on the prowl and the chase is on…
In a complete departure from typical narrative films this is unquestionably a new genre of film. I first saw this film in October of 2009 at a press screening in Tokyo during the Tokyo International Film Festival. This was before the subtitles were added and I was with an American who does not speak any Japanese. He was completely blown away by this film with only a quick glance at the synopsis before the screening… It’s not about the dialogue, it’s about the experience.
The Blood of Rebirth is a beautiful film with signature Toyoda touches of elegance in slow motion and both visual perspective alongside that spiraling camera which absorbs images and light. Dilated pupils are aperture settings on his camera. The adaptation of the folktale is compelling and has the depth I’d expect of a Toyoda film, but beyond this? This film pulsates with it’s own life form and is one the audience will want to have again and again. The haunting rock beat and the spiraling images take the viewer deep, deep, deep to a place where they too have the opportunity of a “rebirth.”
The Blood of Rebirth. Jimi Hendrix asked us and said it best in the psychedelic heyday of the 60’s “Have you ever been experienced?”
- Mike Skurko
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