Product: The Mystery of Rampo (1995)
Rating: 4.0
A low-key masterpiece
This is one of the most subtle Japanese contemporary films you'll find. Despite being a live action drama, it starts with an impressive and densely symbolic animation sequence that quickly establishes the pace of the fantastic story of real-life writer Edogawa Rampo struggling with... well, you'd better find out yourselves.I think anyone interested in Japanese stylists like Kurosawa, Ichikawa Kon or Mizoguchi should see Rampo. I gave this film only 4 stars because of the transfer to DVD. I saw an older VHS edition the first time, then I bought the MGM DVD, and I was surprised to find the quality of both editions is pretty much the same. Which is really a downside for a movie with the amazing score Rampo has.Anyway, I strongly recommend this movie to anyone interested in good filmmaking.