Bijitâ Q (2001) (V)

Director:

Takashi Miike

Writer:

Itaru Era (writer)

Release Date:

26 November 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

The only thing stranger than this family is... Visitor Q.

Plot:

A father, who is a failed former television reporter tries to mount a documentary about violence and sex among youths...

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Prostitute | Stranger | Television Reporter | Classmate

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Ken'ichi Endô	...	Kiyoshi Yamazaki / Father
Shungiku Uchida	...	Keiko Yamazaki / Mother
Kazushi Watanabe	...	The visitor
Jun Mutô	...	Takuya Yamazaki / Son
Fujiko	...	Miki Yamazaki / Daughter
Shôko Nakahara	...	Asako Murata
Ikko Suzuki	...	Sasaoka

Also Known As:

Love Cinema Vol. 6 (International: English title) (series title)
Visitor Q (International: English title)
Visitor Q+ (USA) (reissue title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong aberrant sexual and violent content, language and drug use.

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Japan:R-18 | New Zealand:R18 (with restriction) | France:-16 | Germany:18 | USA:R | UK:18 | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Australia:R | Singapore:(Banned)

Company:

Alphaville

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: Boom mic visible in at least 3 scenes including the mother in the bedroom when she first removes clothes and later in bedroom when crew can be seen as well in mirror.

Quotes:

Takuya Yamazaki: [to the Visitor, lying in pool of milk] From today on, I'm going to study. I have entrance exams next year.
The visitor: Is that so?
Takuya Yamazaki: Why did you really come to our home? You came here to destroy it, didn't you? I thought so all along.
[they smile at each other]
Takuya Yamazaki: Thank you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Araburu tamashii-tachi (2001)

A vile masterwork

Visitor Q is hard to deal with, but I think I'd call this a masterpiece. This is an update of Pier Paolo Pasolini's Teorema. It's often compared to Pasolini's Salò because of its shocking content, but, plot-wise, it's virtually a remake of the 1968 film, brilliantly updated and moved to modern Japan. Teorema is not Pasolini's best film, but I do consider it a great one. It is a very simple allegory. Miike expands the concept even further. A family is falling apart, and a stranger whom nobody seems to know moves into their home and starts knocking some sense into them (sometimes literally). There are some truly disturbing things in Visitor Q that few people of sound mind and body will want to sit through. Fortunately, I am not of sound mind or body. If you can take it, the film can be extremely funny, as well. And I think it actually captures something truthful not only about the decay of Japanese culture, but also the rest of the world. It just does this in the most extreme way possible. Most will probably judge that it goes too far. I thought it was amazing.