Celebrating Satoshi Kon

johnny_ultimate

I’m a big anime fan, but there’s only a handful of examples of Japanese animators that deserve to be ranked amongst the best film-makers of the moment. The obvious ones are Miyazaki and Takahata, the two most prominent Studio Ghibli animators. You have the likes of Otomo (Akira) and Oshii (Ghost in the Shell). Recently, you have Mamoru Hosoda (Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars) and Makoto Shinkai (The Place Promised in our Early Days, 5 Centimetres Per Second) deservedly rising up the ranks and becoming internationally recognised. However, one of the most talented of the contemporary anime directors was a man named Satoshi Kon, responsible for the some of the most original and inventive films of the last decade or so. Not only did he produce wonderful anime – which they most certainly are – but Kon was a genuinely brilliant film-maker. Kon’s films are the ones that deserved to be shown alongside the best of world cinema, not limited to the niche anime market.

Perhaps you’ve noticed the use of the past tense above. Satoshi Kon died last week, at the age of 47. I only found out last night, and to be honest I was pretty devastated. It’s always sad when a talented film-maker dies, but Kon is particularly surprising due to his young age. Here is a man whose films were getting progressively more mature and ambitious as time went along. His last film was in 2006, the stunningly beautiful Paprika, an unusual film in which a girl explored dreams. Many obituaries have pointed out that this was almost Inception before Inception, although the similarities are fleeting. No, Paprika was the work of an auteur, particularly confident when bringing to life a strange, bizarre world full of dream parades and other surreal imagery. The story may have been confusing, but it didn’t matter: Paprika works because it is pure animation, capturing the imagination of a talented director and creating a film that exists in a glorious hyper-reality.

Paprika was Kon’s fifth major work. His first was an extremely dark and gritty blend of Hitchcock and Lynch called Perfect Blue. It deconstructed the world of a pop idol being stalked: skewering Japanese pop culture was to be a major theme of Kon’s films over the years. It’s grim viewing and only for mature audiences (thankfully not meaning what often passes for ‘mature’ in anime), and shows an already confident director. It was followed by what is probably my favourite of Kon’s films, the beautiful Millenium Actress. Telling the story of an elderly Japanese movie star, it shows her through different stages of her career. A celebration and criticism of the Japanese film industry, it is also a very moving film in which you genuinely feel for the characters. Again, it is Kon’s boundless imagination that carries the film: one montage of Japanese historical eras particularly is a masterpiece of editing and animation.

Kon followed Millennium Actress with two very different works. Tokyo Godfathers – my introduction to the man – was A Wonderful Life with three middle aged Tokyo homeless men. As they look after an abandoned baby, the film is once again deeply involving, full of warmth (despite the harsh winter setting) and inventive set pieces. Next was Paranoia Agent, a one series TV show which many will surely see as his magnum opus. Each episode follows a victim (literal or otherwise) of Shōnen Bat, a rollerblading boy seemingly attacking random individuals. It’s a mind****, but of the good kind. It’s a stylistically brave project, and one which once again deconstructs pop culture: from the cute pink mascot that has far more sinister undertones as the show progresses, to an episode played out entirely through the generic anime inspired dreams of Shōnen Bat himself. It’s a stunning achievement: intelligent, funny, pitch black and thought-provoking.

Then came Paprika, which distressingly will become his final completed film. There is another film in production, The Dream Machine, and hopefully it will be finished by his chosen production company Madhouse. Those five films, though, and some smaller works (such as a writing credit for the wonderful Magnetic Rose section of anime anthology Memories) are what will ultimately amount to Kon’s entire filmography. It’s a brilliant collection of film, that’s for sure, not a dud amongst them. But what is particularly sad is that here is a man who was constantly honing his style. He was only 47, and surely had many more great works ahead of him. As one blogger pointed out, Miyazaki hadn’t even made My Neighbour Totoro at that age. The best was possibly still ahead of Kon, although we were lucky to at least get a few glimpses into his imagination and dreams!

I’m sure many of you are familiar with his work, but if you’re not I’d strongly recommend checking out some of the films mentioned here. As I said earlier, Satoshi Kon was one of a handful of anime auteurs, and his presence on the scene will be sorely missed. RIP Satoshi Kon, a truly great director.

Pugsley

Only film of his I've seen is Paprika, but it was absolutely fantasic, I would have liked to see what he came out with later in his career.

e_e

One of the directors to get me into both anime and cinema. Paranoia Agent was especially incredible.

The only anime directors I'd place on the same level are Hideaki Anno and Hayao Miyazaki. He will be missed.

johnny_ultimate

Pugsley wrote: »

Only film of his I've seen is Paprika, but it was absolutely fantasic, I would have liked to see what he came out with later in his career.

Definitely check out his early stuff, well worth a watch as well. Definitely a shame we won't find out where his imagination would lead him next!

e_e wrote: »

One of the directors to get me into both anime and cinema. Paranoia Agent was especially incredible.

The only anime directors I'd place on the same level are Hideaki Anno and Hayao Miyazaki. He will be missed.

Yeah Anno is another whose work feels like a response to the generic styles and ideals of anime. Himself and Kon both have subverted and reinvented many common tropes, and their work is particularly memorable as a result.