Millennium Actress (2001) Review

Spirited Away wasn’t the only brilliant anime movie to come out of Japan in 2001 though it is the one everybody has heard of. While not as famous, this movie meant for adults is every bit the equal of anything Studio Ghibli has put out. Depicting the life of one actress from the tender age of ten to her seventies, it’s use of flashbacks that blur the line between film and reality make for a wildly inventive film. Incredibly vivid animation, a stellar score, and a terrific story make this a must see.

Most people associate animated movies with fantasy or comedic stories aimed at children. If you mention “anime” you will most likely will draw a blank look. If they have even heard of the term, the stereotype of kids using balls to summon monsters prevails. Mention something like Spirited Away and finally something positive will be said since it is the most well known anime movie in the United States. The whole concept of an anime movie telling a story aimed at adults never enters the picture.

As a result, people miss gems such as Millennium Actress rather easily. A mix of comedy, drama, and a touch of romance using the history of 20th Century Japanese filmmaking as a backdrop, this lovely movie is not for kids. No, this movie is for those who have lived long enough to have known success and heartbreak. It is also for fans of movies, period.

First impressions can be everything, especially with a movie. The film opens in somewhat surprising fashion with a scene that could have been out of 2001: A Space Odyssey. A moon base is the setting with a woman determined to launch in a spaceship for a solo voyage despite the protestations of a man. Her stubbornness is fueled by a desire to fulfill a promise to another man.

Did I wander into a science fiction story by mistake? This certainly wasn’t what I expected from the description at Netflix way back when I first rented it.

A sudden pause of the scene reveals that it is a movie being watched by a middle aged man. Genya Tachibana (Shozo Izuka) is a fan of the actress, perhaps her greatest fan. Interrupted by an earthquake, he is notified by his assistant/camera man that it is time to leave and get to work.

Flashes of one woman’s life go by, first in black and white then color, as the videotape is fast forwarded. Not only is it an artistic way to start the credits, it helps explain the unusual introduction. Tachibana is making a documentary for the 70th anniversary of Ginei Studios and a certain actress was at the heart of their productions for decades.

Chiyoko Fujiwara is long retired from the acting business and is something of a Garboesque recluse. So it’s a big deal that Tachibana was granted an interview by the aged actress though his younger assistant is unimpressed. Once a great beauty, even Chiyoko’s current appearance is a mystery to the public.

An obviously smitten Genya is stunned nearly into silence when she makes her entrance for she is an elegant and refined beauty even yet. Once he regains his composure, it is his turn to surprise the actress with a gift. It is an old fashioned key and the sight of it moves her deeply. Lost long ago, her inquiry into how Tachibana found it is met with evasion.

The mystery of the key begins and so does the story of Chiyoko’s tumultuous life.

Voiced by three different actresses (Miyoko Shoji, Mami Koyama, & Fumiko Orikasa) covering different ages, Chiyoko is shown to be a runner from an early age. Rendered in black and white with a splash of muted red, her early years begin with her birth during a devastating earthquake before progressing through the rise of fascist Japan during the 1930’s.

It’s a hint of the creativity about to be unleashed in the movie. Soon we see ten year old Chiyoko in conflict with her widowed mother over becoming a film actress. This is due to a producer who spied her and decided she was to be his next star. Genya and his assistant are on hand at the meeting to document the whole thing.

Wait… What?!

Breaking the fourth wall involves a character addressing the audience, but what do you call it when interviewers find themselves present in the past? The assistant is as confused by this turn of events and wonders how they got there.

And so the big device of the movie is introduced with the documentary duo finding themselves in the midst of the old woman’s memories. Their reactions to events add a comic touch to the story, though Tachibana’s reactions to some situations seem a bit extreme even for a devoted fan. There’s more to his story, it appears.

Layers of mystery begin to be laid upon the story starting when a mysterious artist bumps into young Chiyoko and she finds herself embroiled in a cat and mouse situation. It turns out the artist is wounded, on the run from the government, and in a world of trouble. It’s a fated meeting as the Japanese would say.

This means first love for the terribly young girl and with a much older man. As she gets to know the unnamed fugitive, it is clear she is captivated by the artist. Around his neck hangs the key which he explains in a bit of foreshadowing. A promise is made at her instigation, sealed with a pinky swear.

Since anti-fascist activists are outlawed, things become dangerous due to the scar faced policeman returning. When the investigation hits home, Chiyoko makes a desperate run to find the artist in a fantastic piece of animation. Ultimately she does not catch up to him.

Then it is revealed this is a movie she was in, much to consternation of the assistant. The lines between reality and fiction are blurred without warning leaving the audience to figure out what is happening. Expect more of this throughout the movie. Fortunately for us, we have a surrogate in the camera man.

Having somehow gotten permission to act, the young heroine is cast as the young heroine of a movie being shot in occupied Manchuria. The real reason for her being there is to find the artist since he had friends there, so her motivation isn’t about the art of acting but finding the man she is obsessed with. An older actress, Eiko (Shouko Tsuda), greets the girl with cool displeasure that only intensifies when the producer’s son shows an interest in Chiyoko. 

That is creepy, but Japan has a history of child brides and grown men chasing ten year old girls, unfortunately. Junichi Ootaki (Hirotaka Suzuoki) is a smarmy jerk, the kind women fall for all the time and his appearance elicits jealousy from Eiko. Yet it is the nearly murderous expression on Genya’s face upon seeing the man that draws one’s attention.

Trickery and jealousy lead to life threatening results and a further confusion between what is real and what is on reel. Shifts of settings and ages, behind the camera and in front of it, add to the feeling of watching an avant garde movie that is nearly Italian in style. Binding it all together is the passionate Chiyoko ever pining for the artist she made the promise with.

Samurai films in the vein of Kurosawa become the focus as the trip through Japanese cinema history continues. Memories of the promise aren’t the only thing haunting the actress, for a ghastly old woman from a film she made leaves an impression upon her mind she cannot shake. Then there is Tachibana inserting himself suddenly into roles culminating in an amusing scene of what’s really going on in the present.

As the different periods go by, the art design of the animation changes to reflect historic art styles of Japan. The screen capture above is from one of the movies pitting Chiyoko’s character against Eiko’s as the two become typecast. Studios used to have iron control over their actresses and so the ingénue of yesterday becomes the evil older woman of today much to her unhappiness.

A running theme through all of the movies is Chiyoko’s characters chasing after a man in an effort to save him. This leads into a joyous montage of her roles with the changing art styles I mentioned before. The words “absolutely beautiful” do not begin to do justice in describing the sequence. Film making at its best might.

The interaction between Genya and the aged actress provides some of the lighter and sweeter moments of the movie. The man is having a great time reminiscing about the old films and he knows all of Chiyoko’s movies by heart. However, it’s clear he is more than just a fan and is in fact obsessed with her.  There is something he is hiding.

Eventually things take a darker turn when the bombing of Japan during World War II destroys part of Chiyoko’s life and brings something special into the light of day. Remembering this causes the old woman to collapse much to Tachibana’s distress. For all its whimsy and humor, the undercurrent of tragedy can be felt lurking in the background.

Life goes on and so does Chiyoko’s career after the war. The further we advance through her life, the more the feeling of impending doom is felt. In the end all must be explained and the real role of Genya Tachibana be revealed.

Thoughts

Reading what I’ve written, it makes the film sound like a dizzying mess, but the film is never veers out of control and the director Satoshi Kon weaves it all together into a cohesive whole. There is nothing superficial about it though. Tremendous emotion often comes into play to balance out the humor. It is a wonderfully human movie filled with little moments that ring true.

It doesn’t hurt to have a terrific main character. Chiyoko is a fascinating and amazingly stubborn, yet sweet woman. At the heart of the film is the innocent and pure first love that she felt for the artist. It drives and defines her as she runs through the decades. There is a lot of her running in the movie – a huge amount of it. Without going into spoilers, there is a thematic reason for this so it isn’t the director being just quirky.

This movie is also a love letter to movies.  From the plot, the homages to different genres, and directing styles. A passionate love for film radiates from nearly every scene and if you know anything about Japanese cinema it will delight you greatly. Supposedly not base on any specific studio, it is pretty clear the fictional Ginei is a stand in for Toho.  Scenes lifted from Akira Kurosawa’s Ran to Ishiro Honda’s Godzilla and science fiction movies are a dead giveaway to the inspiration.

The soundtrack by Susumu Hirasawa is magical and powerful, however I find it hard to describe. It must be heard to be appreciated and you’ll never mistake if for something else. Days after watching it I find the main theme going through my head and marvel how well it fit Chiyoko.

The PG rating is is for mild language and violence in the films within the film. Little kids might get bored with it, especially since it is subtitled only and not dubbed.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone over the age of ten. Film buffs, Sinophiles, romantics, and mystery lovers will all enjoy the movie. Millennium Actress is as good as Hayao Miyazaki’s best and it deservedly shared the Japan Agency of Cultural Affairs Media Arts Festival Grand Prize in 2001 with Spirited Away.

Technical

My copy of Millennium Actress is the DreamWorks Home Entertainment single disk DVD issue. Out of print, new copies fetch prices of $48 to $120 at the time of writing this review. Used is much cheaper, ranging from $11 to $40 in very good to like new condition. That should give you an indication of what regard the film is held in. I consider myself very lucky that I found a cheap used one in very good condition at Amazon.

Video is anamorphic 1.78:1 (16:9 HDTV) ratio and color is very good but not excellent due to some contrast issues. It is sharp for a DVD and clean of most artifacts, blemishes, and scratches. This astoundingly beautiful movie really deserves a Blu-ray edition in the States.

Audio is presented in Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 surround sound with excellent use of all speakers. Subtitles are available in English, English CC, and French.

There are only two extras, the U.S. trailer and a documentary. Both are in 4:3 format and are not as high quality as the film itself.

The Making of Millennium Actress – This documentary is great fun, even opening and closing with Genya narrating about his pursuit of Chiyoko. Interviews with director Kon and others cover the entire production from beginning to end.

The makers of the movie went to great lengths to research the costumes and settings for all the films within the film. Of course that served as an opportunity for Kon to don authentic replica Samurai armor too.

It’s a good look at how decisions are made in making a theatrical anime and shows how much real world work goes into such a production. One fascinating tidbit is a glimpse of the designs for Chiyoko in her seventies. As you can see from the above image, they had some very different ideas initially.

How they worked out animating all the running by Chiyoko reveals some amusing moments and yes, a lot of running by a young woman. People might think animation come straight from the imagination, but there is a lot of research involved.

Given how dialogue heavy the script is, the voice acting had to be top notch to sell the story to the audience. This is one of those rare productions where the cast actually worked next to each other and like Summer Wars it added a great deal to the performances.

Chiyoko’s role was so large it took three voice actresses to fill it and all did admirable jobs. They all have their personal take on the character and show much affection for her. The behind the scenes look shows that the production was a work of love by all involved and that makes the documentary all the more entertaining to watch.

BEWARE! HERE BE SPOILERS!!!

 

 

 

 

When it is revealed that Tachibana was an assistant at the movie studio during the latter years of Chiyoko’s career it explains a great deal. He isn’t just an obsessed fan crushing on an actress, he had been around her in real life. Suddenly he becomes as much a protagonist as Chiyoko and it is through him the mysteries will be solved.

Ootaki eventually manages to wear down Chiyoko and get her to marry him after the convenient loss of her beloved key. It had prevented him from getting so much as a kiss from her. He is very unsympathetic character and Genya’s hatred for him is well founded.

The discovery of the hidden key leads to a confrontation that is interrupted in turn by a ghost from the distant past. Not the vengeful old woman, but the scarred policeman with a letter kept for decades. The contents of it send Chiyoko off running in the rain again, but this time it is no movie scene and that adds to the emotional impact.

In the midst of this, Genya flashes back to her career and we get to see a Godzilla knockoff complete with lightning throwing cannons. What look at Japanese cinema be complete without the kaiju (giant monster) genre?

Chiyoko’s final run to where the artist liked to paint is her most desperate of the movie with her physical exhaustion mirroring her emotional exhaustion. She’s hit her limits in her last attempt to find the man she met so many years before. Once again, reality and film blur together and we are back to the science fiction setting of the moon.

There she finds the painting and the artist himself in it. His wave and fade into oblivion is the end of her lifelong quest. We never got to see his face clearly and  present day Chiyoko is horrified to find she can’t remember it.

Earthquakes are a running theme in Chiyoko’s life, defining the biggest moments within it. She was born during one and it is another that ends her career as an actress. It is also when she finally loses the key and discovers the true identity of the old woman.

Just like then, as the interview continues an earthquake strikes and Genya again protects her with his body. That’s how he came by the key though she didn’t remember he was her savior back then. But her time is nearly up.

On the way to the hospital, Genya reveals the full confession by the policeman and the fate of the artist. It is something he’s afraid to reveal to his idol due to her frailty. In a way, he has been protecting her heart for many years.

Dying in the hospital, Chiyoko has something of a confession to make herself: maybe it wasn’t the artist she loved but the chasing after him. As she passes away, the movie fades into the female astronaut that was her last role. That character was chasing after a man due to a promise. The rocket lifts off and the star begin to streak by…

Chiyoko goes into the light. It’s a beautiful and bittersweet ending as she continues the chase into the heavens.