No. 15 - “Ichi the Killer” (2001)
I don’t like it when a list includes two movies by the same director in a row (in this case, Takashi Miike), but damn it, this is how my ranking turned out. “Ichi the Killer” contains more perverse violence than anything on this list. Dismemberment, disembowelment, torture with hooks, rape, tongue cutting. Fucked up, I know, but this exaggerated violence seems to mock Japanese gangster films and anime. “Ichi” was clearly made with comedy in mind, as evidenced by cartoony gore, wild characters (one guy puts on dog ears to become a hound/sleuth), and complete lack of explanation for the titular character’s deadly suit (which may comment on countless anime in which whiny protagonists become unstoppable via ridiculous suits).
But why the hell is it so high on the list? The story is unique, where almost every character has a sadistic or masochistic side. These tendencies are often exploited for laughs, but if you take the characters for what they are, their motivations are understandable. The script simply plays by a different rulebook.
Convention and decency are not only ignored in “Ichi”—they are deemed inappropriate. Perhaps the boldest display of this philosophy can be seen in the film’s climax, when Miike allows his cast (led by the incredible Tadanobu Asano) and crew to make the creative decisions themselves. As Miike explains in a DVD commentary track for this scene, one possibility is more fascinating than multiple possibilities.
He’s right. There will never be another climax like it.
No. 14 - “Memories of Murder” (2003)
Director/writer Bong Joon-ho could have made a pretty good serial killer film, like David Fincher went on to do with “Zodiac” in 2007. After all, Joon-ho was drawing material from real and fascinating unsolved cases in South Korea. Instead, he made a great satire using the same story. This is why you see an officer dropkicking a suspect during an interrogation. Every time you think you might be watching a procedure, “Memories of Murder” inches toward bitter critique. Song Kang-ho is brilliant as the lead detective who helps botch the investigation.
No. 13 - “Spirited Away” (2001)
From my standpoint, one can enjoy Hayao Miyazaki’s animated masterpiece in two ways. You can watch “Spirited Away” as a quirky story about growing up, with the child protagonist Chihiro getting a job, falling in love, and finding her way in a world of spirits and magic. Just as one’s life is affected by many people, Chihiro meets an array of strange characters that help and challenge her.
However, I prefer watching “Spirited Away” the other way, accepting every weird, unexplained thing as fact and not bothering with what anything means. Judging by certain negative opinions on this film, some people may have forgotten the bliss of watching a movie as a child. Miyazaki certainly hasn’t.
No. 12 - “Eastern Promises” (2007)
David Cronenberg changed his direction for the 2000s, leaving behind social critique and sci-fi/horror for a more realistic, character-driven, and subtler approach. (But as one can see in “Spider,” “History of Violence,” and “Eastern Promises,” the director didn’t abandon subtext.) Cronenberg improved this new approach with each of his 2000s films, making “Eastern Promises” his contemporary masterpiece. For such a short film in an overcrowded crime genre, it explores several themes and sets itself apart from “The Godfather,” “Miller’s Crossing,” and every other superb crime film (for example, everyone uses knives in “Eastern Promises”).
The cast and characters are devastatingly good. Viggo Mortensen’s best performance could have been a disastrous lesson on how not to do a Russian accent. Half the battle was won with the script, which presents Mortensen’s character as a three-dimensional moral enigma. Then you have Naomi Watts, whose maternal heroine stands up to an organized family of crooks; Vincent Cassel (almost steals the movie), a son who may or may not be hiding homosexual feelings; and Armin Mueller-Stahl, a friendly but sinister force of evil.
But as much as Cronenberg restrained himself in the 2000s, he still couldn’t help his fascination with the relationship between sex and violence. This lack of restraint is best demonstrated in the sauna fight of “Eastern Promises,” a hilarious spectacle of penetration and dick waving. What makes the scene so well done is how its excess complements the overall story.
Finally, I like any movie that knows how to use a voice-over narrative with fucking dignity. “Eastern Promises” doesn’t overuse the device and allows it to enrich the story, not frustrate me with rambling and exposition.
No. 11 - “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006)
“Pan’s Labyrinth” is a fairly tale in hell that gets darker every time I see it. The greatness of this film lies in its ability to be simple and profound simultaneously. The fantasy segments don’t give us a break from the war story. They help us understand it. Guillermo Del Toro handles the theme of resisting authority—even if it means death—rather brilliantly, framing the idea in the context of politics and family. The girl Ofelia is defying both a captain of a repressive regime and her stepfather. While this story element may seem merely obvious, it helps accomplish the impressive feat of melding the war and fantasy genres.
“Pan’s Labyrinth” does a lot of things very well: acting, cinematography, visual effects, characters, etc. But what I can’t forget is the woman humming during the main theme of the film’s soundtrack and how her voice overcomes an undefined sadness.
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