Princess Raccoon

Japan, 2005. Director Seijun Suzuki. 111min.

Seijun Suzuki made a name for himself in the 1960s with his fast-moving gangster films, which increasingly became exercises in delirious action and colourful mise en scène. In this, his last film, he presents an unhinged fantasy in which elaborate costumes mark different levels of reality. Sachiko Itô’s dazzling costumes share the same radical mix of traditional, pop and outright surreal influences evident in the film’s plot, choreography, lighting and set design, all bathed in Suzuki’s unique spectrum of colour. They open a realm of mythology, between human and animal – a space of spectacle and confusion between two-dimensional ink painting, three-dimensional theatre and a fourth dimension of metamorphosis. In a film composed of such a synthetic (un)reality, the colours and textures of the costumes provide not only a glittering spectacle, but also an anchor for Suzuki’s unique visual style.

With Zhang Ziyi, Joe Odagiri and Hiroko Yakushimaru.
Costumes by Sachiko Itô.

Past screenings

Wearing Time: Past, Present, Future, Dream – London
Tuesday 21 March 2017, 21:00 | Curzon, Soho
With an introduction by Jane Tynan.