The most remarkable thing about Miike Takashi — whose filmography spans well over a hundred features in a smorgasbord of different genres and styles — is that he has never made a documentary. But now he’s at Venice with doc “Shumei: The Living Legacy of Kabuki.” The films screen out of competition.
\n\n“I take on a variety of work,” reflects Miike. “It’s all film — I don’t really differentiate between modes. I wasn’t particularly conscious of taking on documentary film, but I would say it’s a natural progression. [Kabuki artist] Danjūrō turned up in front of me eight years ago and gave me the opportunity to film him. There’s no way I could say no to that kind of opportunity.”
\n\n”Shumei” follows the 2022 succession ceremony of the Thirteenth Ichikawa Danjūrō Hakuen, in which the storied kabuki performer takes on his new, prestigious stage name. Ichikawa Danjūrō XIII had previously appeared in Miike’s “Hara-Kiri“ and “Blade of the Immortal.“ “Danjūrō and I go way back,” says Miike. “But our relationship has always been purely actor and director. I view him as a monster, in a way. He has a singular energy, a certain aura, and on top of that, there’s…
Original source: https://variety.com/