Takeshi Kitano
Dolls tells the tender and honest tale of three unfulfilled loved stories. The film begins with the historic Japanese art of Bunraku theatre, followed by a couple aimlessly strolling through a park, dragging a red rope which holds them together. This was inspired by two beggars who wandered three suburbs of Tokyo in a similar fashion. Kitano aims to tell the love story that followed them.
The three stories are almost intertwined. The only notion of time present in the film is silently portrayed by the couple walking through seasons during intervals.
Kitano’s long-running collaboration with designer Yohji Yamamato was also pleasantly present. Lovers wear minimalist garments in muted colours, often with splashes of red which are characteristics synonymous with the designer.
What makes these stories even more beautiful to watch is the directors relationship with colour. Each scene has a perfect colour palette, all complementing each other, often evoking emotion and adding to the narrative.
Dolls
director TAKESHI KITANO
year 2002
director of photography KATSUMI YANAGISHIMA
cast MIHO KANNO, HIDETOSHI NISHIJIMA, TATSUYA MIHASHI, CHIEKO MATSUBARA and KYŌKO FUKADA
words PRIYESH PATEL
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