The Forest of Love | Sion Sono

[Cremildo]

The Forest of Love 2019 Official Trailer - YouTube

Originally Posted by Brian Tallerico

Netflix is developing a reputation for funding passion projects that distill entire filmmaker’s careers into one epic work. Consider how much “Roma” reflects the life and work of Alfonso Cuaron. The same appears to be true about Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman.” A fraction of the people who watch those two films will stumble upon Sion Sono’s “The Forest of Love,” but it too feels like an internationally admired filmmaker being handed a blank check and told to run rampant in his own passions.

Loosely based on true events, “The Forest of Love” will be recognizable as a Sono film to anyone who knows his work. There’s an obsession with teen girls in uniforms, a suicide pact, characters who are wannabe filmmakers, playfulness with chronology, and, of course, enough gore to turn off most people who aren’t familiar with the director of “Tokyo Tribe,” “Tag,” and “Why Don’t You Play in Hell?” It is a movie that wallows in its excess, undeniably long and repetitive and somewhat nonsensical, but never boring. There’s too much filmmaking craft on display to care that this movie seems to go on forever. Hardcore Sono fans may wish it was longer. [SOURCE]

[Cremildo]

[vertigop1ayer]

I wonder if a brand like Arrow would pick this up for disc.

[vertigop1ayer]

Worth pointing out this got the Hateful Eight treatment (originally a movie and later getting a lengthened mini-series version), so that's an interesting concept that seems to be picking up steam (even Justice League is kinda doing it I guess - but that's a different situation).

Anyway, this is a well made film, but it's absolutely not a mainstream movie. I anticipate a lot of people won't really care for it. I've only seen the original movie cut and can't comment on which is better. That said, the 2.5 hour movie is more than long enough and arguably overlong as it is, so I am not yet convinced another two hours is going to help the story, but you never know.

[pikeman1]

after watching this, I thought the movie is pretty weird, but then I saw that it's directed by Sion Sono, "oh well, it's not weird enough then."

[vertigop1ayer]

I figured while the movie was fresh enough in my memory I should go back and see the Deep Cut. I have to walk back what I said prior and say this is probably the better version of the story. A little more context and it benefits things, but the question I still have is whether or not it's "worth it" given that it's not all that far off of double the length of the movie version.

Since the Deep Cut was dropped months after the movie, my guess is the focus was for the movie originally, but somehow it wouldn't shock me if the movie was actually secondary to the series. It feels a bit more "cut" versus the mini-series feeling more like an extended edition like The Hateful Eight.

[Grethiwha]

The original plan was to release it as a miniseries, but it got scaled back due to circumstances relating to Sion Sono's heart attack last year. The Deep Cut is, from what I understand, how The Forest of Love was meant to be seen. I watched the movie version when it dropped last year, and even though Sono is my favourite filmmaker, I wasn't all that impressed by it. Felt kind of like a knock-off of Sono's own 'greatest hits'.

I loved Deep Cut though. Felt more fleshed out, more it's own thing. I'd forgotten most of the movie cut by this point, but the miniseries cut felt like it made more sense. I definitely think it's the way to watch this. I would love to see it on blu-ray, but given it's a Netflix film, and not exactly Criterion-bait, it seems like a slim chance.


Interestingly, it's not the only Sono flick with both a movie and a miniseries cut. Love Exposure got released as a miniseries, adding back in some deleted scenes (most of which were on the Third Window blu-ray as special features). I definitely don't think it added much, and just pointlessly broke everything up. I recommend the theatrical cut.

Also, Sono's Amazon original miniseries Tokyo Vampire Hotel was later released as a movie. I haven't seen the movie version yet, but can't imagine it's as good as the series, after cutting away so much. The miniseries is amazing, better than Forest of Love, and I highly recommend it...

[vertigop1ayer]

Very good context! That makes a lot of sense. I can't speak to whether or not I too felt it was excessively similar to what he's done before, as I've only seen his maybe less popular movies like Cold Fish and Himizu. So for better or worse, I thought it felt fresh enough.

[Grethiwha]

Originally Posted by vertigop1ayer

Very good context! That makes a lot of sense. I can't speak to whether or not I too felt it was excessively similar to what he's done before, as I've only seen his maybe less popular movies like Cold Fish and Himizu. So for better or worse, I thought it felt fresh enough.

Cold Fish and Why Don't You Play in Hell are the two films I most felt it was treading familiar ground over. But I didn't really feel that so much on my second viewing, maybe because it was the Deep Cut and felt more coherent and fleshed out, or maybe just because it was my second viewing.

I do really really like it now. The Joe Murata character/performance is incredible.