Based on a novel by Edogawa Rampo, a Japanese author whose name transliterates to "Edgar Allen Poe". This story is very Poe-like, covering the subject of doppelgängers much like "William Wilson". Gemini is somewhat confusing, but overall it is a haunting film that actually generates fear and a deeper feeling of uneasiness. A rich doctor marries an amnesiac whose origins are unknown. Soon, her former lover who happens to be the doctor's twin brother who was abandoned and then raised in the slums comes back to claim what is his. The doppelgänger throws the doctor into a well and tries to win back his former wife. Soon, the twins begin to exchange personalities until, by the end, it's not entirely clear which one is the victor or even if the final version of the man doesn't share the minds of both brothers. The film is slow to start, but it climbs to a high level. The technical aspects are especially amazing here. The makeup, the sound, the editing everything is top notch. The acting is also great. Masahiro Motoki whose other starring roles include Miike's exceptional The Bird People of China as well as a tryptich of Rampo adaptations named after the author plays the doctor and his evil twin. A woman simply known as Ryo plays the doctor's wife. She's got a particularly intriguing face. She also starred in Ryuhei Kitamura's Alive. Gemini is not an easy picture, nor is it entirely satisfying. But it is great.
