Review: Sogo Ishii was one of the premiere underground directors in the back in the 1970s and 1980s. He was widely renown for his leave-you-breathless editing skills and punk-rock sagas. If there was only one director that can catch raw human chaos, that man is Sogo Ishii. He took a ten year hiatus after making The “Crazy Family” and returned with “Angel Dust.” The critics were baffled. A director known for his crazy and energetic films has re-emerged after a decade with a psychological thriller. The rough and wild camera works were replaced with smooth and steady motions. The bizarre and whacky characters were replaced with serene and composed characters. Was this a bad thing? Had we lost a cult director to the traditional ways of film-making?

Of course not. I say we gained something even more.

Sogo would later return to his trademark style of film-making with Electric Dragon 80,000 V. But for now, he had indulged himself into a new pastoral style of film-making. Angel Dust’s is saturated with beautiful colors, accompanied with tactful camera works, and filled with stunning shots. Everything had a poetic undertone in this movie. Every little event symbolized something. Although some traces of his trademark style were thrown in here and there, this film is both visually stunning and horrifying at the same time. The aura of mystery is maintained through the film as each scene progresses. Sogo has shown the world that he is truly a master craftsman. He had re-invented himself while retaining the ability to touch each and every member of the audience with his radiant energy and enigmatic style. The directing of this film was flawless in carrying the mystery and thrills throughout the film, but what about the cast?

Dr. Suma’s transition from composed professional to on-the-verge-of-a-break-down heroine was a steady and fluid change. You watch her unravel into this paranoid detective whom associates herself with the serial killer. The spiral that she has descended has given her no mercy, and her ex-lover, Aku, doesn’t help much either. He acts as a foil to Suma. Starting off as a mysterious entity while Suma was still a power figure in the murder cases. He slowly begins to hold control of Suma when she begins to “merge” with the killer’s psyche. The deeper she is consumed by her fears, the more she succumbs to Aku. Suma’s husband also plays a role that contrast greatly with the other two. He’s the piece of Suma’s life that keeps her from turning into a twisted soul. Her health is maintained by her husband. When not even her husband can help her, who can? The core characters of this film are dynamic and well played. As the movie progresses, you indulge yourself into their situation.

This movie calls for you undivided attention. If you aren’t up for deep thinking in a film, you won’t be able to fully digest what this movie is conveying. Miss one bit and you might’ve missed the movie. Aside from that, the only other area of trouble was the ending. The mystery that Sogo had maintained throughout the film was crushed when every little plot line was solved. It felt out of place and somewhat rushed. This film left nothing to be desired when it ended. The journey to get to the end, however, was impeccable.