Shabondama Elegy (Tokyo Elegy)
Reviewed by Jason Van Bergen on 6/29/2004
Director Ian Kerkhof is considered to be a sort of anti-film film-maker, tackling the underground activities, mostly illegal, that mainstream film-makers would not touch with a ten foot pole. Kerkhof’s most notorious effort thus far is “Naar de klote!” (Dutch for “Wasted!”), a sordid look at Holland’s drug-infested underbelly.
With his follow-up effort, “Shabondama Elegy” (“Tokyo Elegy”), Kerkhof lends his touch to the world of sex and criminal life, with a highly artistic take on a couple’s sexually charged love affair in Tokyo. The male protagonist is a Western resident on the lam from the Tokyo police, and his lover is a Japanese porn queen, with demons of her own resulting from a lifetime of sexual abuse from her father and every man since.
Indeed, “Shabondama Elegy” is only a step away from adult entertainment itself, with the couple’s escapades providing the source of the film’s entertainment throughout. For its North American release, the DVD features Japanese-style genital blurring, a somewhat redundant necessity due to everything the film’s imagery implies.
Ian Kerkhof’s latest film is by no means particularly good, but it certainly retains the director’s reputation for edgy film-making on the margins. An international audience is already well-aware of Kerkhof’s efforts, now all that remains is for the director to gain some recognition in America.
Rating: 4/10
this review originally appeared on thecritics.org
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