★★★★
A con man and a would-be filmmaking crew force themselves into the lives of two grief scarred young women. But nothing is as it seems.
Classification: 18
Madness.
Utterly bloody, sexually psychotic, scream your head off, burn your house down while dancing a jig madness. Sion Sono's latest film on Netflix is an utterly captivating descent into the thralls of reality-warping absurdity where the very humanity of its characters are stripped away until primal urges are all that remain. Taking inspiration from the horrendous murders committed by Japanese serial killer Futoshi Matsunaga, Sono crafts his own narrative about violence, sex and artistry with fictional characters and setups. It's a complicated tale that Sono devises and is difficult to grasp due to its erratic characters and story structure as mysterious serial killers, school girl love triangles, clamorous con men, rowdy filmmakers bombard the first thirty minutes of the film.
The film and its characters revolve around the appearance and influence of mysterious con man Joe Murata in a scene-stealing performance by Kippei Shîna. Murata may be the devil himself, a machiavellian sadomasochistic chameleon who corrupts all in his path, tearing away at their lives, dehumanising them until only a husk remains before discarding them for a fresh new mark. When he sets his sights on Mitsuko, a reclusive woman with a tragic past, the other characters filmmakers Shin, Jay, Fukami along with Mitsuko's former classmate Taeko seek to expose Murata's true nature. Taeko, bitter and promiscuous is a victim of Murata, who tore through her family leaving nothing but heartbreak, ruination and scars, she hobbles through the film with a limp as a result of attempted suicide in the wake of a tragedy. Even though The Forest of Love can be disturbing and offputting, Sono establishes these amazing character histories that watching the ramifications collide is fascinating to watch especially when the character's rationality is eroded. Mitsuko and Taeko's history is complicated as told through a series of flashbacks that dives deep into the sexual stereotypes of Japanese schoolgirls.
The imagery to The Forest of Love is evocative past the point of vulgarity, Sono's almost fantastical approach to this story has its more shocking moments ironically feel all the more real. Logic and reasoning dissipate, rational thought can not explain what is before you so only the most fundamental of concepts can make sense. It's control through violence and fear, or control through sex and love, Murata controls all through both like a malicious carrot and stick that alternates roles at the spurn of urge. What's fascinating is how Sono approaches the concepts of sex and violence before Murata's reveals himself to the characters in the film. Very quickly the film glorifies both concepts with news reports immortalising a mysterious serial killer's crimes and leading to Jay and Fukami teasing Shin for his virginity thus taking him to the provocative Taeko. Sex is trivial, So commonplace that the supposed purity of Shin and Mitsuko is mocked but at the same time glamorised as precious with flashbacks of Mitsuko and Taeko's love triangle displaying imagery of sensuous lovemaking between two women. Which is then contradicted by violent imagery of "Romeo" the woman of Mitsuko and Taeko's affection being killed which then inspires a shocking suicide pact.
It's a beautiful and disturbing contradiction of what is love and what is cruel and the lines are blurred and abused when Joe Murata sinks his claws into the characters like a twisted puppet master. The plan of the characters to save Mitsuko from Murata's plans is to make their own film exposing Murata for what he really is. Jay, Fukami, and Shin believe that Murata to be the serial killer who has been terrorising Japan on the news, for the audience this is also a logical conclusion due to Murata's ambiguity. What's shocking is how quickly Murata's influence corrupts all around him as soon Murata has the film crew working for him as he takes over production of his biopic himself. The filmmaking element of the storyline shows how Joe Murata effortlessly has control over his own reality. What the characters are "filming" is nonsensical its all in the pursuit of a grander lifestyle and soon the characters own autonomy is stripped away as Murata gains control of the camera. Whatever attempt there was to expose him vanishes and soon the feeble Shin becomes Murata's loyal servant while the confident Jay and Fukami become his whipping boys. Taeko and Mitsuko regress into Murata's concubines while their shared history creates tension between them as Murata's attention warps Mitsuko into a cruel and sexually violent slave.
Sadomasochism ruptures through The Forest of Love like a shark on a hunt for prey, it's always there lurking and striking when the audience least expects it until you're helpless against what comes next. The shocking beginning of Murata's pleasures which had Taeko be tortured with electric prods or Mitsuko branded by cigarette burns not only displayed his sickening control over people but Sono's own warped vision of sexuality. Nothing is sacred, the rules and norms used to define morality and decency are broken through by Kippei Shîna's sledgehammer of a performance. In the madness of the film, bizarrely Murata is the grounding point the only character not lost in the haze of depravity because he is the one that overlooks it, plucking what pleasure he can from the anarchy he gleefully creates. Everything about The Forest of Love is stripped away to the point where it becomes unsustainable, pure cruelty as violence and eroticism blend as the character's sanities evaporate in the psychotic fever dream of Murata's design.
The shocking content isn't dismissed as trivial or inconsequential as every performance captures the pain and suffering of the characters. Kyoko Hinami and Eri Kamataki as Taeko and Mitsuko are enrapturing on screen with their character transformations creating some of the most shocking moments in the film. Kamataki especially who portrays Mitsuko's psychotic break with such terrifying realism that she becomes an even more unnerving character than Joe Murata. A curious way Sono has this pain remain realistic is by allowing reality to seep back into the film whenever Joe Murata is away from the screen especially in the wake of the sadomasochist scenes. Scenes, where characters are violently tortured or killed, are adrenaline-fueled nightmare orgies where there is no reprieve until Murata is satisfied and leaves the reality of the horror to set in for the characters and the audience. The Forest of Love may have the most disturbing sequences of body disposal in a film as sickening detail in both production and sound design leave unforgettable images in the minds of the audience.
Strangely enough, the most disappointing portion of The Forest of Love is in its conclusion which in the case of for most of the audience would be a blessed occurrence as it means the carnage of the film is coming to an end. The way Sono concludes his demented epic both recontextualises everything he established in a surprising way but also seems out of place against what Sono appeared to be building towards. Sono builds the inescapable myth behind Murata and how sex and violence exist within modern society and then warps everything and throws the audience for another loop. Whether its to address the true events of the crimes, find sufficient conclusions to other storylines or just another attack on the audience with another unexpected development Sono's ambition for The Forest of Love is unquestionable and bizarre.
The film is a harsh, unrelenting, unforgiving assault on the senses as Sion Sono takes no prisoners in exploring the basest urges of people. In our modern age, the notion of one man tearing down civility from the most stalwart people is eerily familiar, Joe Murata's actions aren't just chilling because of his cruelty but because of how little resistance he faces in seducing everyone to his side. Beyond Murata, there is an incredibly tragic story of Taeko and Mitsuko whose victimisation through sex and violence forces them to evolve and confront who they really are. Sono takes the concept beyond Stockholm syndrome and into something far more disturbing as it shines a blinding light onto the differences between men and women. Simultaneously beautiful and horrifying, Sono captures so many ideas and emotions that the experience of surviving The Forest of Love is one you will never forget.
Director: #SionSono
Release Date: October 11th 2019
Available exclusively on Netflix
Trailer:
Written review copyright ©CoreyBullochReviews
Images and Synopsis from Netflix
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