Sion Sono
dir. Sion Sono
Japan 1992, 92’
Subtitles: Polish
Screenings
03.10.2023, 21:15
Cinema Muranów
A young, expressionless letting agent is showing a smartly dressed man around a series of rooms to let. They take public transport, and visit property after property, all of which seem suitable. But the would-be tenant immediately finds fault with every one of them. He whispers to the agent that he is looking for a room that is small, yet spacious, and with a nice view to boot. His list of requirements keeps on growing. Will they ever find the eponymous Room? And what does this mysterious man need it for?
This grainy black-and-white film opens with an enigmatic half-quote from the director: “April was the cruellest month. Farewell, 20th century!” Yet the film was only made in 1992. This curious note casts an aura of gloom over this ostensibly peaceful piece of slow cinema. Unlike many “artistic filmmakers”, however, who can drag things out, Sono wraps things up in an hour and a half, and just 61 static sequences.
Sion Sono
The breathtaking photography of Ōtsuki Yūichirō, the minimalism of the imagery, the economy of the acting and other modes of expression make The Room the most ascetic film in Sion Sono’s rich, ambiguous oeuvre, his tribute to classic gangster cinema.
In The Room the perceptive viewer will notice both Western and Japanese tropes, echoes of both well known titles and fringe flicks. This muted, though highly nuanced picture will also be appreciated by those who detest gangster movies and expect a work that subverts the standards of the genre.
Production team
director: Sion Sono
screenplay: Sion Sono
camera: Ōtsuka Yūichirō, Miki Shigenori
editor: Ukai Kanoniko
cast: Maro Akaji, Dōguchi Yoriko, Takahashi Sayoko, Sano Shirō
producer: Yasuoka Takuji
language: Japanese
colour/ BW: BW
