Haze (Shinya Tsukamoto, 2005)

Haze (Shinya Tsukamoto, 2005)
Rating: 9.6

J-horror and Shinya Tsukamoto puts the American horror genre to shame once again, as we are reminded that the most terrifying thing of all is the human psyche. Haze is only about 50 minutes in length, but remains incessantly relentless. The film begins with a man (Tsukamoto) who has awaken to find himself trapped in a small, confined space and completely oblivious as to how he got into this predicament. As he attempts to frantically escape, he discovers a maze of dead ends, traps, and mutilated body parts. Tsukamoto creates an amazing sense of claustrophobia through the use of very low-key lighting and rapid soviet montage style editing, as well as frequent close-ups and extreme close-ups. The soundscape also plays a crucial role in intensifying the atmosphere. In one excrutiating scene, we see Tsukamoto's teeth clamped down on and scraping against a rusty pipe. While attempting his escape, the man meets a woman. They have a brief conversation about the need to escape and not give up, even though imprisonment isn't much more glamorous than the life they led before. The final minutes of the film reveal the man and the woman lying on a kitchen floor bleeding from stab wounds; seemingly a failed double suicide attempt. The prison becomes better understood as a representation of their internal battle with depression, or perhaps even purgatory. They agree to go on living and escape the metaphorical prison, while simultaneously regaining consciousness. The film concludes with a sequence of shots showing the couple growing old and living a full life together.