Scarlet
When we meet Scarlet (Mana Ashida), the medieval princess is already in the Otherworld following her failed attempt to avenge the death of her father, killed by and supplanted her uncle. Now in a realm where time is irrelevant, she's given a second chance to kill Claudius (Kôji Yakusho) who seeks to rule the netherworld just as he sought his brother's kingdom, and use that power to transcend into what lays beyond.
Scarlet's unlikely companion across the vast waste of the realm is the nurse (Masaki Okada) of the modern world. Born hundreds of years after Scarlet, and with a strong moral compass towards helping and healing, Hijiri attempts to show Scarlet another way and break the cycle of vengeance and death before it takes anything more from her.
Inspired by Hamlet, writer/director Mamoru Hosoda's animated fantasy tackles grief, revenge, obsession, greed, the meaning of life, compassion, and love. Choosing a distinct style over either classic 2D or CG animation, the Japanese film took four years to produce. The result is certainly striking, although I think some aspects of the story (including its ending) translate better than others. Scarlet has been released in both Japanese with English subtitles (the version I viewed, and would recommend) as well as a version dubbed in English (for those with an aversion to subtitles).
The animation hits best during the film's emotional sequences, and Scarlet is about as far as you can get from more high-spirited anime and manga. The struggle our protagonist wrestles with follows her beyond the grave while at the same time the film questions the morality and ethics of Scarlet's righteous anger through the use of both Hijiri and an unspoken final message from her father. It's an ambitious film that may not hit all of its marks, but with in its heart in the right place, and style to spare, Scarlet is certainly a memorable experience.
- Title: Scarlet
- IMDb: link
