Takashi Miike  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

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Takashi Miike (born August 24, 1960) is a highly prolific and Japanese filmmaker. He is the director of Audition (1999).

Themes of his work

Miike has garnered international notoriety for depicting shocking scenes of extreme violence and bizarre sexual perversions. Many of his films contain graphic and lurid bloodshed, often portrayed in an over-the-top, cartoonish manner. Much of his work depicts the activities of criminals (especially yakuza) or concern themselves with non-Japanese living in Japan. He is known for his black sense of humor and for pushing the boundaries of censorship as far as they will go.

It should be noted that, despite his somewhat notorious reputation, Miike has also proven himself to be capable of directing lighthearted children's films and subdued touching period pieces. His dabbling in every sort of genre and emotional range is a testament to his versatility as a director, though a lot of his output is genre-defying.

Critics have sometimes noted the puzzling discrepancy of Miike's artistic development noting that he appears to be simultaneously becoming more radical and more mainstream a director. His most commercial works are thus contrasted to those less accessible which target arthouse audiences and fans of extreme cinema. American academics have recognized Miike as an auteur, noting much depth as well as stylistic and thematic consistency in his body of work. Most of his films are highly philosophical beneath their violent, taboo-laden exterior. This mingled with his imaginative and often idiosyncratic cinematography makes his work instantly recognizable regardless of the genre he works in.

Filmography

Director

Actor

• Agitator (2001), as Shinozaki
• Graveyard of Honor (2001), as Restaurant gunman
• Ichi the Killer: Episode Zero (2002), Kakihara (voice)
• Last Life in the Universe (2003), as Yakuza
• Neighbour No. 13 (2005), as Kaneda
• Hostel (2006), as Miike Takashi
• Dōbutsu no Mori (2006), as Rokusuke/Pascal (voice)
• Tenchijin (2009), as Hyogo Kariyasu
• No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle (2010), as himself, a friend of Bishop (voice)

Producer

• The Making of 'Gemini' (2000)
• Ryu ga Gotoku (2006)