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MILLENNIUM ACTRESS Film by Satoshi Kon
One of only four feature films by legend- I recommend Millenium Actress to anyone ary animator and director Satoshi Kon, interested in Japanese history or Japanese Millenium Actress begins with two docu- films. Following Chiyoko’s personal life, mentary filmmakers’ visit to a retired we can see Japan during its turbulent movie star named Chiyoko Fujiwara. As modern history. Millenium Actress is an she tells them the story of her life, the ode to classic post-World War II Japanese three are plunged into her memories and films, paying homage to the great samu- filmography. The line between story, real- rai epics of Akira Kurosawa, domestic ity, memory and movie becomes blurred dramas of Yasujiro Ozu and even Godzil- as events in Chiyoko’s personal life are la. The movie is also partly based on the interwoven with scenes from her movies, life of real-life actress Setsuko Hara. As dragging the two confused and comedic Chiyoko’s movies span over the various Titles: Millennium Actress filmmakers along. time periods of Japanese history, we can Author: Satoshi Kon I really love Satoshi Kon’s iconic surreal- also see the inspiration from traditional ism and fluidity. In Millennium Actress, Japanese art in the background, making Publisher: Dreamworks we travel along Chiyoko’s memories this a truly beautiful film. Year: 2001 while wondering how much of what we Against this great span of time and set, Run-time: 87 min. see is “real” – is she remembering events Chiyoko ‘s goal in life driving the plot accurately or is she dramatizing her own seems comparably overly simplistic and Call no. DVD ANI KON 2001 life to the movies she has starred? one-dimensional. But at the end of the Item no. 00012994
Thrown into this mix are the memories of movie, we see that the exact opposite is Original Japanese: one of the filmmakers – an avid fan of what Satoshi Kon is trying to relay with Sennen joyu Chiyoko who changes from mere observ- this movie. In life, we often focus on the 千年女優 er to crucial player in her stories – making final product or the end goal. But follow- Mad House, 2002. viewers question if what they are seeing ing Chiyoko’s story, we can see that it’s on screen is subjective imagination (and the chase – the journey towards the goal of whose) or objective reality. – that can be more meaningful. — Caroline G. about director June, 2020
Satoshi Kon (今 敏) was born in 1963. He studied at the Musashino College of the Arts. He is best known for his anime films Perfect Blue (1997), Millennium Actress (2001), Tokyo Godfathers (2003), and Paprika (2006). — from imdb.com