A young man kills his bride on the day of his marriage and goes insane. He wakes up in an asylum with no memory, left in the hands of two mysterious doctors who relate his condition with his biological identity.
A young man, Kure Ichiro (Yoji Matsuda), awakens in a cell. He has no idea where he is or who he is. He shortly finds himself visited (separately) by two doctors — Dr. Wakabayashi (Hideo Murota) and Dr. Masaki (Shijaku Katsura) — who tell him conflicting stories. Directed and co-written by Toshio Matsumoto (Atsushi Yamatoya also worked on the screenplay) and based on the book by Kyusaku Yumeno, “Dogra Magra” is a puzzling work that blends reality with fantasy. I expected a horror movie of sorts. While that classification does kind of work, labelling it as such doesn’t do the film any favors. This is one of those movies that defies genre classification.
What’s actually going on in Matsumoto’s film doesn’t seem as important as the journey the viewer takes. The film frequently circles back on itself, often clashing with what came before. Is our main character really the Kure Ichiro these doctors speak of? Which doctor is lying — maybe both? The film is compelling, keeping you glued to the screen even if you aren’t quite sure what’s going on or haven’t a clue what’s happened after viewing it.
As usual with Radiance discs, this Blu-ray™ package is well done. The technical presentation of the film, which the included booklet states as being “Transferred in High-Definition by producer Shuji Shibata,” is fantastic. The image looks very nice (pardon my lack of technical jargon), and the sound is crisp and clear. I noticed no unusual anomalies while viewing this disc.
Radiance has also added many special features to the disc, including an audio commentary from Matsumoto, an interview with Matsumoto, a visual essay about the film by Julian Ross, an extra about the chant one of the characters delivers in the movie, the film’s trailer, and a gallery of production sketches. The interview with Matsumoto is informative about the film and its journey to the screen. Matsumoto’s commentary is likewise excellent, offering a wealth of information about the movie as it plays out. The package also includes a booklet featuring writing about the film, an interview with producer Shuji Shibata, and a statement from the director that appeared in the film’s original press book.
This movie was not on my radar, but I’m glad to have been able to encounter it, thanks to Radiance Films. It’s hard to evaluate, which seems to be by design from listening to and reading the features included with the disc. Fans of the work of David Lynch or Richard Kelly (specifically “Donnie Darko”) will probably enjoy this film quite a bit. The disc is well worth checking out for those curious.
Now available on Blu-ray™
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