This film’s most valuable player? The person in charge of the English subtitles.
People are dying. Violent, cruel deaths. Some by accident, others by their own hand, and the most unlucky among them are being brutally slaughtered by the people they love most. Or by complete strangers. Oh, and some just cough up blood and die. Ten people. Fifty. Thousands. It’s an epidemic of unexplained deaths, and the police can find only two connections between the victims. They’ve all undergone some degree of psychiatric help, and they’ve all dreamed about the same man in the hours, days, weeks before they died. Well, forget about the psychiatry angle, but the guy with the unibrow? Yeah, he’s the constant. Haunting their dreams as he hides in their bed or stands in their kitchen peeling carrots. Yeah, that man. This Man.
Art is subjective, and there’s no truer statement about movies than that. Anything any of us says about the movies we love or the films we loathe is simply an opinion. Your favorite film of all time is hated by someone else, and that movie you just shit on is held near and dear by another person. It’s one of the many beautiful things about art, about the movies, and talking about those opinions — both shared and opposing — can often lead someone to finding an appreciation that they didn’t initially feel. There’s a real joy that comes from that experience, from opening someone’s eyes to why you love a film that they just didn’t vibe with, and from helping them appreciate what they see as a “bad” movie as something good, entertaining, thought-provoking, and/or ultimately unforgettable.
I will not be able to do that for you when it comes to the new Japanese horror/thriller, This Man. I want to. Trust me, I really and truly want you to see this film and to love it as much as I do. I want to convince you that everything — from its flat performances and even flatter cinematography, to its nonsensical narrative and editing choices that see every scene go on three minutes longer than they should — that all of it is intentional, purposeful, and deserving of your praise. I want to convince you, to excite you, to encourage you to seek out this accidental masterpiece. This is my Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959), The Room (2003), and Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010). I don’t subscribe to the idea that a movie can be “so bad it’s good,” but This Man, a film that seems incompetent at nearly every level, is also among the most purely entertaining and hilarious movies of the year.
Writer/director Tomojirô Amano probably intended for his latest film to be a serious horror thriller. I say probably because I have a sneaking suspicion, despite the movie being played straight by everyone involved, that it’s actually a secret comedy. I say secret because no one else seems to be in on it, from the stone-faced cast to the cinematographer lighting every scene with the same overhead ceiling fan. While the film’s themes halfheartedly explore our collective subconscious and ineffectiveness of authority, the ugly, underlying truth it’s laying down is a near blackly comic observation that we are the most selfish and self-centered species on the planet.
People are dying by the thousands — the government has even distributed suicide pills so people can pass peacefully instead of slicing their own skin off or whatever — and we discover that this man’s “rampage” from the spirit world can be halted if just one person sacrifices themselves and descends into hell with him. Just one. But nobody bites, and the body count climbs to the tens of thousands. A young couple find out that a quick, three-minute chant can move the curse off them and onto a stranger, and they immediately say “do it!” only to realize too late that this man’s unibrow was a monkey’s paw in disguise. Two feuding shamans in disagreement over who’s the strongest, reveal that they could have stopped this man cold by simply putting aside those differences and sharing another quick chant, but they’ll share a laugh about that later. Turns out this man, the guy raising his one, caterpillar-like brow to signal every emotion, is just pointing out the truth that we all already know. We suck!
That, or my second theory is that the person tasked with creating the English subtitles went rogue. Tossed the script aside, maybe didn’t even know Japanese to begin with, and just wrote some of the funniest, most comedically deadpan dialogue to hit the screen since Mel Brooks’ one-two punch in 1974 of Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. To be clear, This Man is neither of those films. There are no obvious jokes here, no intentional punchlines or visual gags meant to elicit big laughs and happy grins, no comedically gifted performers earning laughs from their mere presence. There is no comedy in This Man.
Unless there is?
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Related Topics: Fantasia Film Festival, Horror
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Throughout the bizarre and unintentionally hilarious journey that is “This Man,” one thing is abundantly clear – the power of subtitles cannot be understated. The English subtitles for this Japanese horror/thriller movie play a pivotal role in enhancing the viewing experience, albeit unintentionally. While the film itself may not have garnered critical acclaim for its performances or cinematography, the subtitles provide a layer of entertainment that elevates the entire viewing experience.
As the story unfolds and the mystery of the titular character, This Man, unravels, the English subtitles seem to take on a life of their own. It almost feels as though the person responsible for translating the dialogue from Japanese to English went rogue, injecting a dose of deadpan comedy into an otherwise serious narrative. The result is a juxtaposition between the eerie, supernatural elements of the film and the unintentionally humorous dialogue provided by the subtitles.
Through the lens of the English subtitles, “This Man” transforms from a standard horror flick into a comedic masterpiece, albeit unintentionally. The discrepancies between the original Japanese dialogue and its English translation create a surreal and absurd viewing experience that keeps audiences engaged and entertained throughout the film’s runtime. Whether it’s a mistranslation, a misinterpretation, or simply a creative liberty taken by the subtitle creator, the end result is a film that transcends its genre and becomes a unique blend of horror and comedy.
While the technical aspects of “This Man” may fall short in some areas, such as performances and cinematography, the unexpected humor provided by the English subtitles adds a new dimension to the viewing experience. The juxtaposition of chilling visuals and dialogue that borders on the absurd creates a captivating and memorable film-watching experience that lingers long after the credits roll.
As audiences navigate the twisted narrative of “This Man,” they are met with a barrage of inexplicable deaths and supernatural occurrences that leave them questioning the true nature of the titular character. The mysterious man with a unibrow, haunting the dreams of the film’s characters, serves as a focal point for the film’s eerie atmosphere and unsettling themes. However, it is the interplay between the unsettling visuals and the unintentionally humorous subtitles that truly sets “This Man” apart from traditional horror films.
Throughout the film, viewers are treated to a bizarre and often surreal experience, thanks in part to the creative liberties taken by the individual responsible for crafting the English subtitles. The juxtaposition of dark, foreboding imagery and quirky, deadpan dialogue results in a viewing experience that is both unsettling and unexpectedly humorous. This unique blend of horror and comedy positions “This Man” as a standout film in its genre, offering audiences a refreshing and offbeat take on traditional horror tropes.
While the intended tone of “This Man” may have been one of suspense and terror, the unintended humor introduced by the English subtitles adds a new layer of complexity to the film. Audiences are invited to grapple with the conflicting emotions of fear and amusement as they watch the events of the movie unfold, creating a memorable and engaging cinematic experience that defies traditional genre conventions.
In conclusion, the English subtitles of “This Man” serve as a crucial element in transforming the film from a conventional horror thriller into a captivating and entertaining viewing experience. While the performances and cinematography may not reach the heights of critical acclaim, the unintentional humor injected by the subtitles breathes new life into the narrative, creating a unique blend of horror and comedy that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. As viewers navigate the supernatural world of “This Man,” they are immersed in a world where the line between terror and amusement is blurred, resulting in a film that is as thought-provoking as it is entertaining.
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