Review: This is a tough film to both review and watch. It's not particularly intense or gruesome or shocking in anyway, it's merely the end result of what you see. Director Tatsuya Mori manages to convince you that the cult he follows is more deserving of sympathy than the society it had attacked only a year earlier. That is one impressive reason to watch this documentary. To repeat, the Aum Shinrikyo cult was a secretive group located in Japan who released sarin gas into the Tokyo subway system. This is a fact (or at the time of the film: an accusation) that Mori does not ignore. But, unlike the majority of the media that seemingly sets up camp outside the cult's headquarters waiting to pounce, Mori merely investigates, leaving his camera on almost 24/7 as he gains footage and follows the group around. The question of this documentary is not “why would they attack a public area,” nor is it why they would join such a group in the first place, but rather how the members manage to sustain their lifestyle when their world has seemingly crashed all around them. Araki Hiroshi, the cult's spokesperson receives the most insight and his reflections reveal a cult that (for the most part) was anything but violent. Mori does ignore the violence that has been associated with the group, but he uses the interviews and lives of a few of the members to demonstrate their peacefulness, while depicting a society so enraged but the actions of a few that even the police become violent. There are several scenes of police, media and local citizens who hypocritically attack the group (verbally and physically), despite knowing very little bit about it. These scenes are powerful and the camerawork perfectly captures the incidents (how they managed to film the police harrassment is beyond me). Unfortunately, despite the countless scenes of humanity that Mori draws out in his documentary, he adds certain elements (mainly music) that impede and tarnish the naturalness of the setting. With a film edited and filmed in such a raw manner, the additional soundtrack only ran against the flow and merely annoyed me. While this is a great film to see, it is important to do a little research before hand to understand the history and ideas surrounding the cult, otherwise you'll spend a majority of the film trying to piece together the facts, rather than enjoying the emotional struggle the group endures. Be prepared to, this is a film worth watching, but it's also not a documentary you'd find in American theaters. Though it's not a film in support of the Aum Shinrikyo cult, it is certainly meant to criticize modern society as we know it today. Review by Matthew Abshire Informative: 3 - Does a great job capturing the life of the cult members after their leader is arrested, but viewers need some background information before watching this. Entertainment: 3 - Won't have you on the edge of your seat, but there are enough scenes like the confrontation between the cult and police, to keep you interested. Technical: 3 - editing is sort of rough, but the camera work does an excellent job of capturing moments most might miss. Overall: 3 - I never thought I'd be able to see a cult through the eyes of it's members, but Mori Tatsuya demonstrates the irony of society by focusing on the Aum Cult. You’ll need some background knowledge to feel comfortable, but this is an edgy and provocative film I'd recommend.
A
Format: DVD Year: 1998 Running Time: 136 Min Distributor: Facets Video Producer: Yasuoka Takaharu Director: Tatsuya Mori Date Reviewed: 4-5-2007 Story: In 1995, the Aum Shinrikyo cult released Sarin gas into Tokyo's subway system. Almost a year later, filmmaker Tatsuya Mori gains unprecedented access to the cult as they endure the trial of their leader and several members. Following the group's spokesperson (Araki Hiroshi), this documentary gains insight not only into the daily life of the cult, but also the media frenzy and societal hatred it's members are forced to endure.