Uzumaki (2000)

"Uzumaki" or "Spiral", is easily one of the most confusing and yet entertaining films I've ever seen. I was first introduced to this amazing piece of work when it was showcased as one of the major films at the H.P Lovecraft film festival in Portland, Oregon one year. It was a perfect addition to the line up just because it's so odd and other worldly. It was adapted from a popular manga of the same name and includes several of the story lines into the film. It's because the movie touches on several story lines that there isn't one completely clear focus. The other issue that most people have is the weird ending that doesn't make any sense; like most cartoons or movies adapted from a manga, the manga wasn't yet finished and the ending was left up to the director and his creative team to figure out what would work for the film. If anything, this approach makes me want to read the manga that much more and see what the real ending could have been. What I really appreciate are the translated, subtitled director comments that you can turn on if you have the DVD. These comments help fill in some gaps that are missing in the film.


Kirie is a high school student whose small town develops an unhealthy obsession with spirals. Spirals are seen all over and have different effects on the various characters that are introduced. Shuichi, Kirie's boyfriend, is the first to notice something is odd when his dad begins filming snails and collects any and all objects with a spiral on them. Shuchci's father eventually kills himself when he tries to record from inside a washing machine. Kirie's classmates begin to be influenced by the spirals as some turn into giant snails while the "popular" girl in school is turned into a medusa-like host for her wild, spiraling hair. As Kirie and Shuichi try to figure out what is going on, their loved ones and friends continue to fall under the mystical influence, that has something to do with the nearby pond, and even Shuichi himself will find it hard to resist for long!


Favorite moment - I love how the director and crew try to add as many moments and screen shots with a spiral throughout the film.