Films › Ryūsuke Hamaguchi

Asako I & II (2018)

Film

DirectorRyūsuke Hamaguchi

Meta takes3

Figures

Form & technique

The 3/11 Tōhoku earthquake photo exhibition scene

Tropes

The Baku/Ryohei double → The Uncanny
Asako's abrupt decision to leave with Baku
Asako's inscrutable characterization
The "choice between two lovers" trope
The theatrical rehearsal scenes → The Alienation Effect
The contrast between Osaka (Part I) and Tokyo (Part II) → Cinematic Psychogeography
Masahiro Higashide's dual performance

Films most connected to Asako I & II

The Ballad of Narayama (1983) — via The Uncanny, The Alienation Effect
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) — via The Alienation Effect
A Touch of Sin (2013) — via The Alienation Effect
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) — via The Alienation Effect
Kinds of Kindness (2024) — via The Alienation Effect
Code Unknown (2000) — via The Alienation Effect
Funny Games (1997) — via The Alienation Effect
Dogville (2003) — via The Alienation Effect