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Surprise, surprise. A new film by Toshiaki Toyoda to mark our film calendar! Unlike some who enjoyed international fame, only to be forgotten later, I have been a Toshiaki Toyoda fan since the start. Toyoda has had an up-and-down career so I found myself worried after these brief highlights in his career. In my opinion, I believed that there had been severe neglect towards his creative spirit and, quite literally, here he is with The Day of Destruction [Hakai no Hi], which is hot off the press. It is a film that is bound to attract fans of the latter portion of Toyoda. Be ready for it.
The Day of Destruction is a film that caught the eye of many because of the unconventional manner of its release at the Japan Cuts film festival. The film was showcased at the festival as a one-time offer in tandem with the Japanese theatrical release. The film was completely finished just a few days before its release. The film was definitely an astonishing scoop. But for me, these festivals meant nothing until pre-covid. Now, many festivals are making progress to go digital (not all of them are allowing global access, but that is a different story), which means I have a chance to indulge in some eagerly anticipated feats. Like many others, I truly grabbed the opportunity with both hands because it isn’t certain how the regular distribution channels would reach the West, if at all.
To begin with, The Day Of Destruction was supposed to be released around the time of the Tokyo Olympics Summer Games. We are all aware of how Covid-19 derailed this plan. At least it threw off the schedule for the Olympics since the pandemic was positively topical and went along with the rest of the film and was so seamlessly integrated that it feels like this movie was a Covid 19 movie all along. Toyoda utilized the situation splendidly and incorporated the current pandemic directly into his movie dealing with the ethos of humanity’s greed and self-interest.
It all begins with a demon who bursts forth at the bottom of a mine shaft that resides in an isolated village. This demon will not remain trapped for much longer even as villagers offer prayers at a local shrine, hoping to keep it under control. The demon however only requires a vessel, which he finds in a man who has no idea his sister is afflicted by an unknown disease. Toyoda is not the most generous with explanations and would rather have the audience connect the dots on their own, but do not80 worry too much as these gaps mostly lie in the mood. The intent of Toyoda is simple enough.
Each of Toyoda’s films have maintained a certain flair and the Day of Destruction is no different. Starting from the elegantly crafted black and white opening to any exquisitely captured scenes later, Toyoda makes sure every shot makes an impact. The camera work is impeccable, use of color and artificial lighting is superb, and again, Toyoda makes perfect use of the rural setting. There are one to two visual effects that seemed slightly off (such as the initial explosion) but those are quickly forgotten as they undoubted stem from the limited budget that the film has.
And then there is the soundtrack. In this regard, Toyoda has an exceptional track record and once again has outdone himself. The opening and closing credits are at the top range and set the tone, but it is the harsh and distorted sounds, stark rhythms, and minute timing further that truly captured me. Other directors should take notes because, this is what an actual cinematic masterpiece looks like, an area you can effortlessly escape yourself in.
Toyoda might have faced some financial constraints, but he surely has the respect of other people within the industry and attracting a great cast isn’t an issue for him at all. People like Issei Ogata, Yôsuke Kubozuka, and Ryûhei Matsuda are part of the team, so the level of performance doesn’t need to be a worrying factor. But the lead role is reserved for Mahi To The People, who is also the frontman of Gezan (an alternative rock band that composed some of the songs for the movie). He puts in an excellent performance as the tormented human shell of the demon. Quite a way to begin the acting career.
The Day of Removal is both a controversial and an emotional film. In fact, a lot of the emotions are undocumented. I think their argument for this within the movie operates around the idea of ‘breaking free.’ During the second half, things start to clear up, but it isn’t until the finale that everything finally fits together, and you can begin retrofitting earlier scenes. Even though the final scene might be different from how one would expect it, I am doing the viewer a favor by being honest. Parts of its gnarled nature might be filled with baffling but its unveiling nature shall be a treat for the audience.
For me, seeing Toyoda return to his more intense, almost punkish persona is awesome. The Day of Destruction was very reminiscent of Toyoda’s Blood of Rebirth and i can see them being perfect for a double feature. The film is most likely somewhat niche and is not really going to attract the same audience as Blue Spring did, but real fans of Toyoda will enjoy it. It is pure, primitive, unfiltered emotion, an audiovisual roller coaster that captured my attention right at the start and didn’t let go until the last credit faded away. This is the type of cinema I enjoy.
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