by Chris MaGeeWith the news last week that Koji Wakamatsu's latest film "Caterpillar" was going to be in competition at the 60th annual Berlin International Film Festival it was only a matter of time that we got to see some stills and a trailer for this much anticipated project - and now Wildgrounds has come through big time. Not only have they posted a full gallery of stills and what, to me, is one of the most striking posters in ages, but they've also pointed the way to the theatrical trailer, and again it's a real winner.
As we've reported before "Caterpillar" is based on the 1929 short story "Imomushi (Caterpillar)" by mystery/ ero-guro literary icon Edogawa Rampo, the same story that formed the basis for Hisayasu Sato's segment, also titled "Caterpillar" in the 2004 omnibus film "Rampo Noir". That version, in keeping with the general tone of "Rampo Noir", was surreal, visually stylish, and steeped in sadomasochism. After seeing the trailer for Wakamatsu's take on the story, though, it definitely looks like he's eschewing flashy visual style for historical authenticity. The story, originally taking place during the First Sino-Japanese War, has been updated to the Second (1937-1945) and WW2. Shigeko (played by the wonderful Shinobu Terashima) sees her husband off to the front with a sense of pride, but as you can see from the trailer below, his return as a limbless casualty turns potential triumph into tragedy. Here's a perfect example of a trailer doing what a trailer should - giving you just enough of the plot and a feeling of the entire film while giving nothing away. It's pushed "Caterpillar" right to the top of my must see list of films for 2010.
Check out the trailer below and then make sure to head over to Wildgrounds to check out the gallery of stills and the full (and stunning) poster for "Caterpillar".
I'm not sure about this one. On my own opinion, the segment in Ranpo Noir was bad because when you watch an adaptation of such a story by Edogawa Ranpo, you hope that the whole story will be the same. But it wasnt the case and it ended in something very different. I wonder how you can modify the basis of a famous story like this and...
ReplyDeleteI'm very anxious to see this.
ReplyDeleteI quite liked Sato's version in 'Rampo Noir', and look forward to Wakamatsu's interpretation.
The written story is always a separate beast from the film.
I have great faith in Wakamatsu; he's made at least half a dozen exceptional movies and others of merit.