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Millennium Actress Review

The story of the film is done in the style of a "play within a play." Genya Tachibana is working on a documentary about a famous actress named Chiyoko Fujiwara. Chiyoko is an elderly actress who has withdrawn from public life. As Genya talks with Chiyoko, we see the story of her life from her teenage years to being a middle aged superstar. The flashbacks that appear are interspersed with segments from Chiyoko's films. While Chiyoko's life takes place surrounding World War II, the characters in her films span from the Sengoku period to a futuristic space age.

One of the big elements of the story has to do with a dissident artist that Chiyoko helped to escape from the military. She became attracted to him, but he had to flee. However, he left behind a key to his suitcase, and Chiyoko wants to find him. She initially became an actress in order to have the opportunities to travel and to try to find him. Over the course of the story, we learn that Genya was actually part of Chiyoko's past, although she doesn't realize it right at first.

The execution of the story is very well-done, although there are a lot of layers to the storytelling. You really have to watch it more than once in order to pick up on details that you may have missed the first time you watch it. While there's nothing visually that would be unacceptable to younger viewers, I think the execution of the storytelling of the film would be rather confusing to them. I would personally recommend this film to anime viewers who are fifteen or sixteen years of age and older.

There are two special features on the DVD. The first is a forty minute documentary about the making of Millennium Actress. The documentary is in Japanese with English subtitles. The narration is done by the voice actor for Genya. Over the course of the documentary, interviews are included from Satoshi Kon, several members of the production team, and all three voice actresses for Chiyoko. The other extra is a trailer for Millennium Actress that is slightly over a minute long. This trailer is in English to promote Dreamworks' release of the film.

Millennium Actress is a very well-done anime film, and it has become a classic. I would personally recommend this DVD for anyone who considers themselves as a fan of Satoshi Kon's work or as a fan of anime in general.

I wrote this review after watching a copy of this DVD that my husband purchased for me as a gift.

Millennium Actress Overview

A movie studio is being torn down. Tv interviewer genya tachibana has tracked down its most famous star Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 05/01/2007 Starring: Miyoko Shji Fumiko Orikasa Run time: 87 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Satoshi Kon

Millennium Actress Specifications

The second film by director Satoshi Kon and screenwriter Sadayuki Murai recalls Perfect Blue, but Millennium Actress is a more complex, subtle, and sophisticated work that evokes the history of Japanese cinema. After nearly 30 years of living in strict seclusion, the aged film star Chioyoko Fujiwara grants an interview to journalist Genya Tachibana. As their conversation begins, Kan intercuts scenes from Chioyoko's films with her memories of pursuing the mysterious artist she met as a young girl. Accompanied by his blasé cameraman, Tashibana finds himself within Chioyoko's memories and films, alternately observing and aiding the woman he adores. Kon's skillful direction and subtle use of color strengthen the intriguing story: Chioyoko's memories are rendered in shades of gray, with hints of muted color highlighting the overall composition. American viewers will find their appreciation of this shimmering, spiral narrative deepens with repeated viewings. (Rated PG: violence, mature themes) --Charles Solomon

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Customer Reviews

Another Anime Classic - AngelDove - Long Island, NY
Satoshi Kon is synonynmous with great anime, compelling storylines and well-drawn characters. Millennium Actress is no exception in following the life story of a famous actress over time and her secret-heart's desire. I won't spoil it for you, but if you enjoy great artwork and good storytelling, this one is for you.

The Citizen Kane of anime - Keris Nine -
Narratively and emotionally complex, Millennium Actress is nevertheless wonderfully accessible - a supreme example of how an artist can harness the qualities made available through film and animation and make something beautiful and meaningful out them.

The story is simple and at the same time ambitious. A documentary filmmaker interviews the legendary Japanese actress Chiyoko Fujiwara. Now a 70 year old lady, Chiyoko's career has nevertheless spanned a millennium from period drama to science-fiction drama - but it's a single incident from her childhood that serves as a common thread through all her films and is also the key (literally as well as figuratively) inspiration that makes those performances so great.

The animation then is fully put to the service of the story, Chiyoko's real-life and the documentary filmmakers all coming together into the landscape of her filmmaking career, the animation fluidly blending between them all, serving to add subtle emotional resonances - and sometimes not quite so subtle it must be admitted, but perfectly in tune nonetheless with the dramatic nature of the subject. In this way, Millennium Actress becomes a tribute not only to Japanese cinema, but to the nature of cinema as a whole, to the necessity of drama and the creation of fiction to make lives all the more vivid and meaningful. Magnificent.

Christmas Gift Success - Justin Ramos - New York
Bought this item along with Tokyo Godfathers as a Christmas gift for my girlfriend. Shes a huge fan of the director. Couldnt be happier. Got this DVD on time (during the holiday season no less) and she flipped out.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 12, 2010 10:35:09

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Thursday, August 12, 2010