Common Sense Note
Parents should know that AUDITION is rampant with bizarre sadomasochistic gore and violence. Fingers and tongues are chopped off. A man's eyes are stabbed with acupuncture needles. A little girl is tortured and burned with an iron, a man is horribly disfigured, trapped in a bag, and fed vomit, a woman tortures a man by cutting off his feet, puncturing his eyes with needles; various graphic and grisly S&M sequences. Girls undress for men during an audition, a father has explicit fantasies involving a co-worker and his son's teenage girlfriend, a ballet teacher tortures and molests his student. Themes of incest and trauma are also present.
Families can discuss the different social traditions of other cultures, how to cope with abuse and loss, the effects our dreams can have on us, and finding productive ways of dealing with our emotions when we're hurt by others.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: S. Jordan Mattos
Shaken by the death of his wife, Shigeharu (Ryo Ishibashi), a TV executive, forms a strong fatherly bond with his young son. Together, they share meals, jokes -- even dating tips. It's one of these harmless teenage suggestions from his son that puts AUDITION's gears in motion. Prodded along by a concerned business partner, Shigeharu holds a taped live casting call for the most beautiful, educated women of Japan. The show is a cover-up; what Shigeharu really wants is a new wife. Enter Asami Yamazaki (Elhi Shiina), a demure, "obedient" girl in her early twenties. She's everything Shigeharu hoped for -- meek, shy, talented, and stunningly beautiful. After breaking the news that the company is no longer going forward with the show, Shigeharu begins a cat and mouse game to land her affections. After a few customary dates, she accepts his offer to marry. It's at this point that AUDITION self-destructs. Asami drugs and attacks Shigeharu in his own home, torturing him for the lies he's told her. Cutting off his foot and puncturing his eyes, she wants to educate him in the laws of pain. The ghost of a former boss surfaces -- a hideously deformed creature unable to move or speak. She has kept him trapped in a bag, cut off his feet and tongue, and fed him a bowl of her own vomit. In AUDITION, the abused abuse others. The cycle continues, until the social order itself it is altered.
As a morality tale on the power dynamic between men and women in society, AUDITION works. Filmmaker Takashi Miike uses a traditional outlook to shock and trick us. By accepting the rules, we expect Shigeharu to marry the woman of his dreams. In effect, we disregard the fact that she, and countless other women in the film, have been deceived and treated like cattle. We still expect a happy ending -- and for that, we're punished severely.
Teens who have already heard about the film's genre switch may watch for thrills, but only a handful will actually be able to sit through the hideous, sickening torture sequences. Those who go in to the film blindly will not enjoy feeling tricked and penalized. This movie is definitely NOT for kids.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentExplicit. |
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ViolenceBody parts are sliced, diced, and completely dismembered. |
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LanguageGirls are referred to as "stupid" and "bitch". |
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Social BehaviorThough rules of etiquette are strictly adhered to, arranged marriages are the norm, and women are constantly objectified and confused with material possessions ("don't mix cars and women"). |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoDrinking at bars and lounges, smoking, the protagonist's drink is drugged with a paralyzing substance. |
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