There's much to like about "Imprint", and I reject criticism that it doesn't know what it wants to be. It is, in fact, a sexually charged piece of ero-gro and easily Miike's best work since "Ichi The Killer". There are strong parallels with "Ichi" here right down to the grotesque make-up on the beaten girl and the central torture sequence (needles shoved into fingernails, gums and armpits). "Imprint" is so much more, though, and is a giddy visual feast with extraordinary location lensing and exquisite production design. Weakest link, for my money, is Billy Drago, who is merely passable as an American visitor to Japan who is searching for his lost love. Drago radiates little personality and fails to breathe life into his character due to his limited emotional range. Feeling like something Hideshi Hino might have written crossed with "Hanzo 2: The Snare", this sixty minute effort is both strikingly grotesque and terribly beautiful. Meriting special mention is a parade of aborted fetuses and related visual paraphernalia that recall Fruit Chan's brilliant "Dumplings". Although final revelation is a little undercooked and unnecessary, the effects are sure-footed and Miike delivers horror that is disturbingly, gleefully stark, as it should be.
Review of Imprint
