Audition (Uncut Special Edition) [DVD]

The movie may be a bit slow but be patient it builds up a very good story then for a lot of people it will become disturbing and hard to watch. If you handle watching someone get badly tortured then you're good. It's a very good movie and I definitely recommend it to all you horror fans. It's a foreign film so you'll have to be patient reading subtitles. Don't ever watch a foreign film dubbed imo it ruins a good foreign film. But this movie is a must see

To simply reiterate the storyline of AUDITION would be an injustice ... This is a film that challenges and excites so many different emotions in the viewer, it really should be seen ... a few times .... The plot follows a good-natured but lonely widower ( Ryo Isibashi ), and his search to remarry .... He has a good job ( he works in the film industry), and a very good relationship with his son ( and dog :), yet the seven years that have passed since the death of his wife have left him alone and empty ... At the suggestion of a coworker / friend, he stages an "audition" for a new film project ... What none of the applicants realize is that the "new" film project is actually an old rejected script that is being used as a vehicle for our lonely widower to meet a perspective wife ..... What makes AUDITION a little difficult to reveiw is the fact that, more than with most films, too much info and knowledge of the plot will take away from the fun ... But that's not to say that this film isn't worth seeing many times: it IS ... I have seen it 3 times now, and I look forward to seeing it a fourth ... ok, back to the film ...Eihi Shiina is applicant #28, an extremely beautiful and shy 24 year woman ... Did I mention beautiful ??? How about mysterious ??? ... Above all, she is intelligent, with a very impressive screen presence ... And much to the delight of both Ryo and Eili, they hit it off ... So much so that our long suffering widower's flame for life is rekindled in such a way, his verve for dating and happiness outshines even his teenage son's ... At his point in the film, the story and tone turn 180 degrees ... .... What follows is so harrowing and so disturbing, and with each passing scene we the viewer think back to the set-up audition and inital giddiness of our happy couple as almost an entirely different film ... But it WORKS ... Not only that, but the way the film spins out of control only adds to it's overall impact, and leaves us feeling THAT MUCH MORE horrified .... At this point I will mention the film debut of actress Eihi Shiina, who give a performance nothing short of stunning and unforgettable ... It is very rare that an individual can induce feelings of such horror, yet leave the viewer feeling saddness and pity to the point of tears ... I can't say enough about this brilliant young actress ... While I highly recommend this film, I must say that if child abuse, amputation, or sadism and torture might leave you feeling offended or queasy, do not see this film ... But if you prefer an experience to a "movie", I can't recommend AUDITION enough ... It might have taken 40 years, but I think we've found someone who can give Norman Bates a run for his money :) ...

This is Miike Takashi's magnum opus. Both beautiful and honest.Audition is a languorous film. It slowly pulls the audience into a lonely widower's world ...Years after the death of his wife, Shigeharu Aoyama begins seeking a new companion but to little avail. Both he and his friend lament the disappearance of the traditional Japanese woman: one who is trained in the arts, is demure, and graceful. Aoyama's friend is involved in film-casting and arranges an "audition" for Aoyama's potential mate: only the women do not know they are being auditioned for the role of "girlfriend." It is here where Aoyama meets his perfect woman . . . or is she?What is important to know: the film is deliciously slow. It reads like a drama. And, a compelling one at that! Then ... the last twenty minutes are like successive punches to the face. They are ABSOLUTELY shocking ... nearly unbearable! But, if you require immediate gratification, this film is not for you. It is a film about human drama ... the build-up to the grand finale is very long, very deliberate. (And, it is this exact reason why the film is so very startling!!)The cinematography is gorgeous. The soundtrack is thoughtful. The acting is impeccable. The audience genuinely cares for these characters (even Asumi). And while Aoyama may have approached finding a new love in a dishonest manner, he certainly does not deserve the grotesque, unspeakable, impending violence. Our sympathies lie with him. And, even in the final scene (without giving away ANYTHING!), Miike Takashi explains that Aoyama looks to Asami with forgiveness and tenderness (found in director's commentary).What is most startling is that Miike Takashi HIMSELF has explained that the young woman who plays Asami Yamazaki is a method actress, so the vomit scene is REAL!! (Listen to the director's commentary for details!!) Just thought you should know;)This film is a cautionary tale both about the pitfalls of adhering to "tradition" at all costs.Suggested reading: Hantke, Steffen. "Japanese Horror Under Western Eyes: Social Class and Global Culture in Miike Takashi's Audition." Japanese Horror Cinema. Ed. Jay McRoy. Honolulu: U Hawaii P, 2005. 54-65.