Takashi Miike is a master of brutal horror.
The director’s 1999 adaptation of Ryu Murakami’s novel Audition has been frequently cited as one of the most disturbing movies of all time, due in part to Miike’s strategic placement of the film’s more shockingly violent moments.
Speaking to SyFy in 2019, the legendary Japanese filmmaker said that in order for the film to work, he had to be careful to not scare audiences out of the theater by placing the gruesome violence too early on.
Contrasted with the back half of the film’s brutal violence, Audition begins not unlike a cheesy rom-com, with widower Aoyama posing as a movie producer in order to hold auditions for a new partner. Seemingly successful when he meets the sweet Asami, Aoyama soon finds out that there’s something far more deranged about her than meets the eye.
The jarring juxtaposition between Asami’s public and private life allows the film to spiral into madness that cements Audition in cinematic history.
Miike Says His Portrayals of Violence Naturally Produce Laughter: ‘I Kind of Feel Like That’s One of My Flaws’
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Though Miike is an intense filmmaker when it comes to horror, his bloody films are cut with moments that blend humor and violence.
When asked how he manages to walk the fine line between the two, the director said that creating humor isn’t something that sits at the forefront of his mind. In fact, he sees doing it unintentionally as a flaw.
“That was not something I was particularly conscious of while making the film,” he said of making the similarly-brutal Ichi the Killer. “…But you have these contrasting elements; laughter and pain, love and violence. Then you have these fascinating characters. They’re foolish, but they’re also very honest, so you end up laughing at them. It was not my intention to mix these juxtaposing elements, but just the way I naturally depict violence I feel like it naturally produces laughter. Honestly, I kind of feel like that’s one of my flaws.”
