Love Exposure has crosses to bear and crotches to bare

In Exte (which made Hour's 2007 Fantasia cover with a set of hair extensions that haunt the head that wears them), the auteur sharpened his zany and oddly flippant sense of humour, bringing us an original, hilarious and utterly strange take on film art that felt entirely appropriate to the blasé yet ravenous audiences that gobble up all the Fantasia weirdness.

It's safe to say, though, that Love Exposure, Sion Sono's four-hour opus of blood, guts, religion, crotch shots, real and fake lesbianism, real and fake incest and creepy Japanese do-gooder cults, is one of the most particular movies the festival has ever opened.

(Though it should be mentioned here that another movie in the Flirting With Chaos section, the German film Must Love Death, may well take away an award for most poignant scenes of torture ever screened at the festival - which is saying a lot.)

Love Exposure has raised Sion Sono's profile by winning two major prizes at the Berlin Film Festival, where it premiered, though Fantasia audiences might be less floored by what he's got going on. In that case, a teaser: one of the best, most tastefully done incest/castration scenes ever.

Yes, Love Exposure is a romantic comedy/horror movie unlike any other (did I mention it's four hours long?). It follows young Yu, son of a priest, through his voyage towards the glory of original sin, and the ultimate stealth panty shot (Yu is a master). But it's also a sweet coming-of-age love story between young Yu and his very own Virgin Mary, the young Yoko, queenpin of a girl gang that hates men, in a romance whose themes are best expressed by the climactic use of a Bible passage, 1 Corinthians 13 (faith, hope and charity), during its defining moment.

Hour caught up with Sion Sono on the eve of his preproduction period for Lords of Chaos, his first English-language film, to send up Love Exposure's premiere at Fantasia.

Hour I just got married last weekend and at my wedding ceremony, Corinthians 13 was read! I thought it was quite a coincidence. Can you tell me a bit about your relationship with this Bible passage?

Sion Sono I used Corinthians 13 because all the important elements of this film, both inside and outside, core and profile, are written in there.

I am a big fan of Jesus Christ. If he had a fan club, I would be the first member of the club for sure! For me, the Bible is like a legend of a rock star. Jesus is like a king or a star like John Lennon.

Hour There are a few interludes of very comical blood-spatter - these serve, I think, to punctuate the action and rhythm of your film. Can you please explain your thoughts on the usefulness of gore in a love story?

Sono In normal love stories, I believe there is no need to use gore, but when I express the real and extreme love story, then gore plays an important role.

Hour Your film says this is "based on real events." How close to the true story is your film, and what true events is it based on?

Sono This is a story of a friend of mine whose hobby is spy photography. His sister got into a cult and he took her back with his perverted power! That is the 20 per cent of the story. The rest is my creation.

Hour We can see from Love Exposure that you're still working with the erotic grotesque to some extent. Do you think this will always be the case? Does the erotic grotesque make it into Lords of Chaos?

Sono I don't intend to make it erotic grotesque, but I always end up making films with it there. In Lords of Chaos, I try not to put in any element of erotic grotesque. I want to make it as fresh as Beverly Hills 90210 was.

Hour Your film has a very conventional ending for a totally unconventional film. Was it important to you to see your characters live "happily ever after?" If so, why?

Sono Love Exposure had to have a happy ending. It is their destiny. The core of this film is typical pure love story. I developed from this core and made it very complicated and extreme. If I made this film with an unhappy ending, it would have become like American New Wave. I wanted to make it extraordinary so I made it a happy ending.

Love Exposure
At the Fantasia Film Festival, July 11-12

 
 

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Four hours? More like two.     I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed this film. There was action, comedy, friendship, school girls, lesbians, incest, religion, gangs, love, crossdressing, etc. I really don't see how one of those words wouldn't interest someone out there who partakes in movie watching. But this was beyond watching movies. This was experiencing life to the fullest through a young man named Yu. If you've ever wanted to become a rebel or ever wanted to be a 'good' person, he lives both of those things for you and you see the results they bring. Girls in this movie are no joke; they are tough and proud and can bring men to their knees. I must say I was proud of the female characters, even the most cynical one had her reasons to be that way. I really don't see any reason to not enjoy this film unless you're sitting in an uncomfortable place. Otherwise, it's nonstop entertainment and you get sucked into the black hole that is Japan and all its wonders. Don't miss out on this film, or you'll miss out on life.
Yasmina Crichlow		July 16th, 2009
~Fantasia 2009: II~     Sion Sono's latest opus, Love Exposure, runs at an insane running time of 237 minutes but believe me when I tell you that you won't feel it. I'm sure that there are shorter films out there that feel much longer than their official running time but the beauty and magic of Love Exposure is that it smartly and sly plays with genres and story conventions so that by the end of the film you are no longer watching the same one that you started out with...but you won't care because the mad ride was glorious and entertaining. Sion Sono's pacing and storytelling here are on a level that few achieve. The acting is equally heartfelt and ridiculous and there are so many themes and archetypes slipped in there that you cannot help but marvel at how he managed to balance it all without it collapsing from its own weight. Worth watching. Worth owning on DVD. One of this year's standout hits.
Pedro Eggers		July 17th, 2009

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