Love Exposure – Review

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17 comments Sep 2, 2011  |   Posted by in Movie Reviews

Home  \  Love Exposure – Review


This film was recommended to me when I opened my e-mail and was given an opportunity by a promoter to accept a free screener. So, in order to not waste his time, I read a little about it and it gathered that it was a four hour plus Japanese movie. Sold! First off, I feel I must give this warning for potential watchers of this film. Some of the main themes such as religion, cult and sexuality are brought in to the forefront. If you are uncomfortable with these controversial themes at all, this probably isn’t the movie for you. The director is able to create an effective commentary on religion, loneliness, Japanese society all the while mixing in a lot of body humor, up-skirt shots, and a few lesbian kissing scenes for good measure. If you’re accepting of that fact and willing to hunker down with it in theory, you’re already most of the way there.

It all starts with Yu Honda telling us in narration how he was raised: his mother died instilling in him and Honda’s father a sense of religious purpose. After she dies, Yu’s father becomes a priest, but a snafu comes with Saori forces Tetsu to start a relationship with her. He does, briefly, but then she leaves him for someone else, which turns Tetsu into a bitter pastor. Again, the film is four hours long, so this is the best summary I can give. It’s up to Yu to maintain his own faith as he travels through the underworld in order to find the third girl out and save his family from being converted into the cult. The genre-flux from rom-com to kung-fu movie to melodrama is done effortlessly and as the captive audience, I had no choice but to let the movie take me along for the emotional trip.

Goodness and perversion are the two twin themes throughout the film, just as I’ve said each character is motivated in some ways by love, but they all different definitions of what love is. These definitions are more often than not imposed by some social barrier or psychological scar from childhood. Sono definitely tries to emulate the much en vogue Tarantino Pulp Fiction style of movie and includes a lot of pop culture references, but it does seem a bit much at times and too gratuitous. Still, this 4 hour romantic shock epic is a must see for the fans of Sono’s earlier work or anyone with an adventurous taste in film. Much of the first half is very funny, much of the second half is deadly serious, but it holds the attention throughout. I enjoyed it all, especially the Final Chapter where I genuinely didn’t know how it was going to end.

The best part of this is:this is a true story. On top of the movie being a bit provocative, due to some sensual yet not too sexually explicit scenes, this movie is certainly and undeniably a masterpiece. By the time you’re half way into the film, you find yourself accepting all the sacrilege and values you were brought up to condemn and despise. Forget everything you’ve ever seen before and go on a ride you will never forget. Sion Sono has always been a great name to drop around this website, and this is a first-hand example on why he is regarded as a genius. If you’re into intelligent Japanese cinema done on a huge canvas, this is the place to go. It’s the first four hour movie I’ve ever seen that I sincerely didn’t want to end.



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  • Gecko-Martin81

    The trailer looks really good. ^^ Although, 4 hours? I don’t think I’ve ever watched a 4 hour movie. The closest I’ve ever come to a 4 hour movie was Schindler’s List.

  • http://twitter.com/yammag YAM Magazine

    the 4hrs. do seem like they fly by though,
    http://www.yam-mag.com/reviews/film-reviews/love-exposure/

  • Gecko-Martin81

    well, surprisingly enough, it is playing at a movie theater nearby (our movie theater never seems to show subtitled movies).
    So i think i will go and give it a try (doesn’t seem to be any other movies out that i haven’t seen already worth watching).

  • http://twitter.com/yammag YAM Magazine

    Lucky! Don’t get a large soda, though ;O you don’t want to have a bathroom break… though considering, there should be one somewhere xD

  • Gecko-Martin81

    Damn I didn’t think of that…meh, i’ll just bring a really large Snapple bottle. XD
    Why can’t modern day movies that are over 3 hours have intermissions?

  • http://twitter.com/yammag YAM Magazine

    fear of people sneaking in the middle of the show? Don’t take too long to watch it, it might be gone from the theater before you know it xD

  • Gecko-Martin81

    Wow! Okay, I finally went and saw it last night at a little 3-theater movie theater about 20 miles from where I live (sorta pisses me off that the great AMC will not show it or Shaolin or Detective Dee but a crummy little, falling apart movie theater that only has 3 theaters inside will show it). But it was beyond worth it!

    I am in awe that this is the same director that made Suicide Circle, Exte Hair Extensions, and Cold Fish (which I still have not seen). It’s just such a different direction for a guy who focuses on bizarre, horror films about serial killing fish store owners and suicidal high school girls. I never thought i’d see a so called ‘rom com’ from him. 0_0

    And convincing my friend to go with me to see it (with the almost 4 hour running time and subtitles) was not easy. the conversation went something like this:
    him: ‘are their elves and orcs in it?’
    me: ‘no.’
    him: ‘is it by christopher nolan?’
    me: ‘no.’
    him: ‘hmm, i don’t know.’
    me: ‘i’ll buy all the snacks.’
    him: ‘done.’

    I won’t go and review the whole thing because Marcello has already summed it up perfectly. But for other people going to see this movie, the almost 4 hours goes by so fast! Even my friend (who could barely sit still through Inception) was so caught up in the movie. At first I kept looking at my watch and whispering to him ’1 hour in’ or ‘only 3 hours left’ but then we both sorta forgot all about timing it. it’s THAT good. And i did get a soda and i did have to go quite badly at the 3 hour mark but I stayed it out because i really didnt want to miss a thing (okay, if a movie is so good that you will cause harm to your bladder by staying and watching it even though you really have to go is the sign of a fantastic movie IMO).

    And you really connect and feel for the characters, especially Yu, as things take a turn for the darker, more serious turns. but it’s not an awkward turn (like, it doesn’t go from teeny comedy and then wham! depressing angst) It’s a very gradual and effortless. and sometimes it’s hilarious, laugh out loud moments and sometimes it has very bleak moments that even I found myself nodding and thinking to myself ‘i’ve been there.’

    it is definitely THE film you want to see if you can only see 1 film this year. it truly is a beautiful, twisted, odd film. this coming from a 24 year old boy and his 23 year old friend who mostly watch action packed, twisted thriller, horror movies. it has definitely left a mark on me.

  • http://www.melikesart.com Will

    There is actually a six-hour version but it never saw a wider release. This is one of the most fun I’ve had while watching a film of this length,

  • http://japancinema.net Marcello

    My heart goes out to you. All my friends are the same way, if it doesn’t have Bruce Willis blowing stuff up they have no intention of watching it, and it is a shame more people do not give epics like this a chance. I am so glad you found the trip worth it!

  • http://japancinema.net Marcello

    My heart goes out to you. All my friends are the same way, if it doesn’t have Bruce Willis blowing stuff up they have no intention of watching it, and it is a shame more people do not give epics like this a chance. I am so glad you found the trip worth it!

  • Olivia

    …….it seems a teensy bit teeny bopper…is it?……would be hard to get through 4 hours of perfectly disheveled scissor hair.

  • juno18

    I think that’s a bit stupid, Olivia. Asian movies aren’t the only ones guilty of ‘perfect hair’. I can’t tell you how many american movies (especially action and horror) have women running around, getting chased by serial killers, flying in helicopters, jumping out of cars, swimming through grimy lakes, or just plain waking up in bed and they’ve already got perfect makeup applied and hair that looks flat-ironed to death.

    Sure it’s not realistic for ‘perfectly disheveled’, but that is no basis for whether or not to see a movie. That’s like saying you wouldn’t go see Lord of the Rings because Legolas’ blonde hair doesn’t get a single strand out of place even though he’s running all over middle earth.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=847134853 Donna White

    There was so much buzz about this movie when it first came out at the end of 2009, I NEEDED to see it (so badly that I sat through a ridiculous amount of 10-minute fansubbed segments). In spite of the less than ideal viewing situation, I was floored by this film, easily one of my favorite films of all time. 

    You don’t need to get the pop culture references to enjoy the film, but it does make it more fun. One of the best involves Yu’s female alter ego, Miss Scorpio, who is based on the lead character from the Female Prisoner Scorpion film series of the early ’70s.  The seriously badass Scorpion is played by cult siren, Meiko Kaji of Lady Snowblood fame. 

  • http://twitter.com/yammag YAM Magazine

    it’s all about the wind machine, I tell you.

  • Kevin Clark57

    one off the cools movies i have seen,tounge in cheek,so subreal teen rebelon
    hows is k.k.snaps,it may be owen chapman 
    check out the group the chapman family

  • tgooderson

    I absolutley loved this film. It was so unusual and the four hours flew by!

  • http://www.datesofasia.com/ asian love

    very good film and good review




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