(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A traumatized young woman is trying to recover her memories with the help of a psychiatrist. During her hypnosis sessions, she repeats the name "Tomie" but is unable to recall where she knows it from.”
When is a Horror not a Horror?
Well, for starters that would most likely be when it contains literally no authentic Horror of any kind; and that’s my initial reaction to the 90+ minutes I spent with Tomie (1998), one of the most confusing theatrical J-Horrors I’ve had the privilege to encounter. I do have a vague impression of watching this thing sometime in the late 1990’s or early 2000’s on a U.S. home video release, and yet I can’t say for certain. I remember some confusion resulting from isn’t mildly labyrinthian plot, and I recognize an actress or two, but methinks I might be blocking it out over the fact that I was likely as befuddled then as I am today.
Mind you: it actually took me two times wading through it for the premise to make perfect sense. I also sat through it a third time – with the audio commentary playing in hopes that I could be properly educated to grasp what all of the fuss was about – and that did help to a small degree. Though I rarely comment to any great deal on commentaries, I will below because I think what I captured was relevant and might be of value to those thinking about investing in this home video upgrade as a blind buy. I wouldn’t recommend it, but – as I always say – to each his own.
Tsukiko Izumisawa (played by Mami Nakamura) is undergoing hypnotic regression therapy in an attempt to uncover some lost memories for her fairly recent past. As flashes of the past begin to emerge, the young woman realizes that she was a witness to a very dark event – one that involved the gruesome death of a schoolfriend Tomie Kawakami (Miho Kanno) – and her mind has hidden these visions for no specific reason. However, as her journey widens and she begins to understand what her role in that murder may have been, it becomes clear that something from the past is trying to reconnect in the present; and the bodies begin piling up before she can stop a ghostly presence from within from getting out once more.
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A traumatized young woman is trying to recover her memories with the help of a psychiatrist. During her hypnosis sessions, she repeats the name "Tomie" but is unable to recall where she knows it from.”
When is a Horror not a Horror?
Well, for starters that would most likely be when it contains literally no authentic Horror of any kind; and that’s my initial reaction to the 90+ minutes I spent with Tomie (1998), one of the most confusing theatrical J-Horrors I’ve had the privilege to encounter. I do have a vague impression of watching this thing sometime in the late 1990’s or early 2000’s on a U.S. home video release, and yet I can’t say for certain. I remember some confusion resulting from isn’t mildly labyrinthian plot, and I recognize an actress or two, but methinks I might be blocking it out over the fact that I was likely as befuddled then as I am today.
Mind you: it actually took me two times wading through it for the premise to make perfect sense. I also sat through it a third time – with the audio commentary playing in hopes that I could be properly educated to grasp what all of the fuss was about – and that did help to a small degree. Though I rarely comment to any great deal on commentaries, I will below because I think what I captured was relevant and might be of value to those thinking about investing in this home video upgrade as a blind buy. I wouldn’t recommend it, but – as I always say – to each his own.
Tsukiko Izumisawa (played by Mami Nakamura) is undergoing hypnotic regression therapy in an attempt to uncover some lost memories for her fairly recent past. As flashes of the past begin to emerge, the young woman realizes that she was a witness to a very dark event – one that involved the gruesome death of a schoolfriend Tomie Kawakami (Miho Kanno) – and her mind has hidden these visions for no specific reason. However, as her journey widens and she begins to understand what her role in that murder may have been, it becomes clear that something from the past is trying to reconnect in the present; and the bodies begin piling up before she can stop a ghostly presence from within from getting out once more.
Being blunt, Tomie – as a movie – is much closer to Psychological Horror than it is authentic Horror with the notable exception of the requisite bloodletting and some gory images here and there. Those going into the film expecting some of the usual tropes of J-Horror might be hard-pressed to find such similarities, though there are enough light suggestions to probably keep die-hard fans watching. But as for casual viewers? Sigh. Methinks they’re going to be somewhat disappointed as Tomie never truly amounts to a great deal of anything; it’s the kind of story that once you know what’s actually going on there’s no real way to reconcile one’s confusion over how two women – or, say, two identities – could possibly have accomplished all of this without it being noticed by anyone involved earlier.
Essentially, the plot involves a bit of broken consciousness: Tsukiko and Tomie are not so different as the audience is initially led to believe. Come to last reel, there are strong indications that they really should be considered as a single presence – linked from the ethereal world to the physical – but we’re given no plausible explanation as to how or why this worked. In other words, if I were responsible for some supernatural force being allowed into reality, then wouldn’t my health and wellbeing serve as its life force? Am I not required to exist in order for it to exist? If it truly stems from me, then how can it be without me also being? The film never convinces me that these two are tied together except for the plot’s convenience, so I’m somewhat amiss to understand some of the mechanics required to make all of this work the way it does.
Some of my resulting confusion might be tied to the fact that Tsukiko is clearly a flawed central narrator. (Again, once you know, you know …) Because I was raised to always question the perspective of the flawed central narrator, I kept wondering how much of what I was seeing from her point of view was trustworthy and what might’ve been ‘just for show.’ In a world wherein recovered memories could and should be subject to further interrogation, how am I to take at face value what she believes she sees was, in fact, seen? This juxtaposition of the literal and the potentially extraordinary kept me at a loss from accepting nearly anything learned along the way, and I think this chiefly caused a great deal of my confusion.
Now, precisely why Tsukiko is getting therapy is never sufficiently explained. The script from writer/director Ataru Oikawa lacks any meaningful depth whatsoever as most of the men and women in here are little more than a screenwriter’s pawns, milking whatever scenes they’re given until the point that the become the next victim of this spectral slayer whose goal it would seem to be to titillate males until the point wherein they need to act on the seduction only then suffer the wrath of the woman who neither wants to be touched now apparently needs it. While I’ve read some commentary and criticism online about how this is some bold statement in defense of feminism, I’ll admit to some uncertainty in that domain as it was my impression that Tomie served as both the cause and effect in this, and – if there was a narrative defense – I guess I missed out on the cultural enlightenment. Taunting men to behave inappropriately seems to be the textual defense; so – again – I’d rather not venture into such waters without a paddle because I saw this tale differently than did so many.
Essentially, the plot involves a bit of broken consciousness: Tsukiko and Tomie are not so different as the audience is initially led to believe. Come to last reel, there are strong indications that they really should be considered as a single presence – linked from the ethereal world to the physical – but we’re given no plausible explanation as to how or why this worked. In other words, if I were responsible for some supernatural force being allowed into reality, then wouldn’t my health and wellbeing serve as its life force? Am I not required to exist in order for it to exist? If it truly stems from me, then how can it be without me also being? The film never convinces me that these two are tied together except for the plot’s convenience, so I’m somewhat amiss to understand some of the mechanics required to make all of this work the way it does.
Some of my resulting confusion might be tied to the fact that Tsukiko is clearly a flawed central narrator. (Again, once you know, you know …) Because I was raised to always question the perspective of the flawed central narrator, I kept wondering how much of what I was seeing from her point of view was trustworthy and what might’ve been ‘just for show.’ In a world wherein recovered memories could and should be subject to further interrogation, how am I to take at face value what she believes she sees was, in fact, seen? This juxtaposition of the literal and the potentially extraordinary kept me at a loss from accepting nearly anything learned along the way, and I think this chiefly caused a great deal of my confusion.
Now, precisely why Tsukiko is getting therapy is never sufficiently explained. The script from writer/director Ataru Oikawa lacks any meaningful depth whatsoever as most of the men and women in here are little more than a screenwriter’s pawns, milking whatever scenes they’re given until the point that the become the next victim of this spectral slayer whose goal it would seem to be to titillate males until the point wherein they need to act on the seduction only then suffer the wrath of the woman who neither wants to be touched now apparently needs it. While I’ve read some commentary and criticism online about how this is some bold statement in defense of feminism, I’ll admit to some uncertainty in that domain as it was my impression that Tomie served as both the cause and effect in this, and – if there was a narrative defense – I guess I missed out on the cultural enlightenment. Taunting men to behave inappropriately seems to be the textual defense; so – again – I’d rather not venture into such waters without a paddle because I saw this tale differently than did so many.
My point in discussing the character of Tsukiko’s mental state is that from my limited experience with that field of medicine no one enters into such a psychological invasion treatment without sufficient reasoning. Something in the sufferer’s life is amiss is some discernible way, and that just doesn’t appear to be the case here. In fact, it’s almost as if the therapy is the construct around which the screenwriter built the whole journey – without spoiling it, there is only one serious reason and that would be because these two personalities are intrinsically tied together – and, sadly, it feels entirely constructed and not a faithful experience. When everything – including the eventually police investigations that get wrapped around the whole shebang – is tied to Tsukiko’s rehabilitation efforts, her story ceases to be organic and starts to feel very much like it was built to be this singular flick, lessening the possibility of anything in here seeming true-to-life.
What I will say is that – in my perspective – Tomie needed to have a stronger origins story in order for me to accept her as anything greater than some supernatural succubus with a mission bigger and bolder than eradicating mankind. I say this not to argue that one gender is greater than the other; instead, I think that introducing a spectral entity that allegedly has been around for decades if not centuries might’ve been better served had there been a stronger foundation with which to evaluate whatever life mission she was intended to serve. Here, it would seem that Tomie has a historical axe to grind with men; and, yet, the script gives a free pass to even the potential for any of its women being either guilty or complicit in affairs of their own. Even though one of the ladies in here engages in an appropriate relationship, her poor moral choice never quite evokes the same punishment (to a degree); and I’m left with wondering “Why not?” If it’s because she’s female, then isn’t that just a wrong as decisions made my men because they’re men?
From what I’ve read online, Tomie is based on a long-running and popular manga; and I can’t help but wonder how much of an audience’s appreciation of what takes place in the film relies heavily on familiarity with the source material. In fact, the audio commentary on the disc mentions in several different places how some of the scenes appear tied to ideas and/or sequences that are reminiscent of what was done in print form. Adapting something that may or may not be intellectually complex is always a risky proposition; and I can’t help but feel like I really missed the point of this whole mildly bloody affair when it all faded to black and the credits rolled. It’s last scene is indicative of a late-breaking twist … but – ahem – we already knew the fact is established, so what was it supposed to mean other than the fact that despite anyone’s best efforts Tomie survives?
What I will say is that – in my perspective – Tomie needed to have a stronger origins story in order for me to accept her as anything greater than some supernatural succubus with a mission bigger and bolder than eradicating mankind. I say this not to argue that one gender is greater than the other; instead, I think that introducing a spectral entity that allegedly has been around for decades if not centuries might’ve been better served had there been a stronger foundation with which to evaluate whatever life mission she was intended to serve. Here, it would seem that Tomie has a historical axe to grind with men; and, yet, the script gives a free pass to even the potential for any of its women being either guilty or complicit in affairs of their own. Even though one of the ladies in here engages in an appropriate relationship, her poor moral choice never quite evokes the same punishment (to a degree); and I’m left with wondering “Why not?” If it’s because she’s female, then isn’t that just a wrong as decisions made my men because they’re men?
From what I’ve read online, Tomie is based on a long-running and popular manga; and I can’t help but wonder how much of an audience’s appreciation of what takes place in the film relies heavily on familiarity with the source material. In fact, the audio commentary on the disc mentions in several different places how some of the scenes appear tied to ideas and/or sequences that are reminiscent of what was done in print form. Adapting something that may or may not be intellectually complex is always a risky proposition; and I can’t help but feel like I really missed the point of this whole mildly bloody affair when it all faded to black and the credits rolled. It’s last scene is indicative of a late-breaking twist … but – ahem – we already knew the fact is established, so what was it supposed to mean other than the fact that despite anyone’s best efforts Tomie survives?
Tomie (1998) was produced by Art Port and Daiei Studios. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Arrow Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be quite good across the running time of the picture. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? This is one of those rare occasions where I can fully say that my appreciation for the picture was enhanced – albeit mildly – from watching the extras. Amber T. provides a somewhat minimalist audio commentary – there’s an awful lot of empty space on here – but she rather effectively bridges the gap between the literary incarnation of the franchise and the films; and the end result is that I found it helpful only up to a point. A few other newly produced shorts do a respectable deep dive on the film and its central ideas; and yet there’s nothing that truly made me do a full 180 on my impressions above … so consider yourself warned.
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
Occasionally, Tomie (1998) feels like it was trying to establish a bigger and broader canvas upon which this dark story was meant to take place; but I left the film never quite grasping what it was all about except for a few bloody sequences of bad people making bad decisions that our chief executioner was going to have them pay for. While that’s all well and good, there’s still a vastness in here that’s muddled and dry, never quite establishing a central voice one could root for in all of this madness. Lacking that connection, I became bored and almost despondent, and that’s never a good place for a critical mind to be. Though the film broke ground for an all-new “Horror” franchise, I’m entirely at a loss to see how and why. A rare misfire of an experience.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with an industry Blu-ray copy of Tomie (1998) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Alas … only Mildly Recommended.
Occasionally, Tomie (1998) feels like it was trying to establish a bigger and broader canvas upon which this dark story was meant to take place; but I left the film never quite grasping what it was all about except for a few bloody sequences of bad people making bad decisions that our chief executioner was going to have them pay for. While that’s all well and good, there’s still a vastness in here that’s muddled and dry, never quite establishing a central voice one could root for in all of this madness. Lacking that connection, I became bored and almost despondent, and that’s never a good place for a critical mind to be. Though the film broke ground for an all-new “Horror” franchise, I’m entirely at a loss to see how and why. A rare misfire of an experience.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with an industry Blu-ray copy of Tomie (1998) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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