Karisuma (1999)

Karisuma: Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa. With Kôji Yakusho, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Ren Ôsugi, Yoriko Dôguchi. A seasoned detective is called in to rescue a politician held hostage by a lunatic. In a brief moment of uncertainty, he misses the chance for action. Leaving his job and family without explanation, he makes his way to a mountain forest, where there is a peculiar tree called charisma. Should it be destroyed or protected? People stand divided over this one tree.

“Charisma shows another side of Kiyoshi Kurosawau0026#39;s talent. The forest contrasts deeply with the industrial environment of License to Live, yet Charismau0026#39;s symbolic analysis of the Japanese societyu0026#39;s fears and latent insanity is much more acute. This movie is also one of the few which show the collapse of both individuals and society so intimately. It takes even more sense in the perspective of the Millennium Fear, even if this theme is not explicitly named in the movie. All in all, Charisma is certainly a movie to discover.”