Review: Millennium Actress (2001)

A deeply moving and intimate protrait/love letter to both Japanese cinema and history, Millennium Actress was Satoshi Kon's remarkbly gentle followup to his raw and disturbing feature debut, Perfect Blue.

Following up Perfect Blue's psychological horror with Millennium Actress' gentle, almost Miyazaki-like magical realism, would, on paper, seem like a disaster waiting to happen. Yet, Kon is able to mold his unique style of editing and storytelling to the narrative seamlessly, while also filling the film with an intense emotional undercurrent that is simultaneously deeply nostalgic and melancholic, yet life affirming.

Chronicling the life of a fictional Japanese actress as a metaphor for Japanese history, Kon tells the story of Chiyoko Fujiwara, a (fictional) Japanese actress, who, 30 years prior to the beginning of the film, went to seclusion, and only now is speaking with a humble TV interviewer, who turns out to be a tremendous fan of her work. What follows is a dreamlike study of her life, with key moments reconfigured to resemble various films she starred in, from sweeping Kurosawa-styled period dramas, to low-key slice of life present day dramas, Kiju films, and lastly, a science fiction film. Over the course of her life, we follow Chiyoko as she tries to find the man who gave her a key, and the love of her life. As we watch her, we not only see her grow as a person and live life, but we also see Japan shift and morph around her.

Kon's brilliant use of editing to bend both time and story is amazing, as he leaps through time periods and cinematic styles seamlessly, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, while still enabling us to follow along and not be completely lost. The English dub cast is quite good as well, and they all do an incredible job translating Kon's Japanese script into English.

If there was a complaint to be had, it's that, sadly, Chiyoko never is able to meet her lost love again, but, on her death bed, admits that she loves 'The Chase' as she puts it, and will continue to search for him in the afterlife (it turns out he died during World War 2, having been captured by the Japanese army and killed). As a super romantic, I was always hoping that, once she passed onto the next life, and finally met him there. Perhaps a shot of them finally embracing, or some other visual affirmation would have helped make the ending a little less melancholic, but the film is by no means depressing, and Chiyoko lived a full life, and not only leaves behind a legacy of films to her name, but with the in-universe documentary, her memory will live on. And, she dies with a smile on her face, happy to know that, at some point, she'll see her love again.

Ultimately, Millennium Actress is deeply moving, and filled with a love for life, and a gentle humor to it. Coupled with absolutely beautiful animation from Studio Madhouse, and a deeply moving score, and it's one of the most unique and moving animated films I've had the blessing to watch.

5 out of 5 stars.