Paprika
Satoshi Kon has truly surpassed himself with the psychedelic adventure that is Paprika. It has been compared to Miyazaki’s finest works, but with a decidedly sinister edge to it; and indeed the comparison is far from undue. Kon takes the quintessentially Japanese cuteness that is so common in Studio Ghibli titles, paints it in gloriously vivid colours, and then twists it with a disorientating brand of horror that only dreams can produce. Like Akira, it is not the sort of film you can simply watch once and comprehend; it is a highly intricate creation with a multitude of layers to be unravelled on each viewing. However, Paprika does not need to be understood in order to be appreciated: it is, even at face value, a visually stunning and thought provoking delve into the workings of the inner mind.
The plot is adapted from a novel of the same name by Yasutaka Tsutsui: an experimental device has been produced that allows therapists to enter the dreams of their patients. Dr Atsuko Chiba, leader of the development team for the device (known as the DC Mini) uses it, despite its incompleteness, to explore the subconscious of her patients. When she enters the dream world, she adopts a body and a personality that is the absolute antithesis of her waking self: courageous, radiant, carefree and instinctual – Paprika. It is soon revealed that the DC Minis have been stolen and are being abused to such an extent that the world of dreams and reality are blurring into a single terrifying plane of existence. She proceeds to investigate the malicious theft as both her waking self and her dream self.
Phrased like this, the storyline sounds incredibly clear. In reality, it’s not.
Just as the characters lose their ability to distinguish between the real world and that of dreams, the same effect is achieved on the viewer. It quickly becomes difficult to tell precisely whose dream is being represented, whose personality is manifested in whose physical body, or what on Earth is going on in general. Viewers who are looking for a conceptually ‘easy watch’ should probably avoid Paprika for this reason (though I loathe to recommend that anyone avoid such a sensationally creative production); however, those who are willing to invest some time and concentration into deciphering the film will be lavishly rewarded. Amongst many others, questions of perception, personal identity, sexuality, and morality in scientific research are all considered in a highly sophisticated manner. Anyone who has written off anime as a frivolously childish medium absolutely must see this film as the refined style and subject matter ought to dispel disregard for anime as an artistic form.
The most immediate appeal of the film, however, is it’s visual majesty. All the vivacity of a deep, fervent dream is captured by the carnival of bright colours and the fluidity of the animation itself. An array of dazzling imagery permeates Paprika, be it men dissolving into butterflies, rooms twisting and bending like elastic, or electrical appliances merrily frolicking down the street. There is also a great deal of variation in the character design, much of it significant to the story, which relieves another common misconception about anime: that all the characters are homogenous in appearance. For example, Paprika is unconventional in appearance, painted in brights, while her alter-ego is painted in cold colours, the physical embodiment of a typically attractive Japanese woman. In this respect we are seeing the opposition of an individual and her ideal for herself, not just being provided with some refreshing variety. No less should be expected of such a visually accomplished piece of cinema.
As usual, I personally favour the subtitled Japanese version over the English dub – I feel that the retention of character is much stronger with the original voice actors and actresses. This applies particularly to the voice of Paprika, which, in the Japanese version, is relatively high-pitched with a sing-song quality to it in accordance with the Japanese notion of what is cute or attractive; this quality does not carry over well to the dub, which attempts to retain it. It sounds unnatural in English and comes across as mildly irritating as opposed to attractive, which is unfortunate since the majority of the rest of the dub is fairly passable.
Paprika is easy on the eye but not on the brain. It is not a conceptually simple film; it is, however, a veritable explosion of colour and motion. Obviously this film is not suitable for children, containing various scenes of sex and violence; otherwise I would recommend it to everyone. Not everyone will like it because of the complicated premise, but Paprika is too innovative to just pass over.