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Paprika (2006 film)

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Paprika
File:Paprika (2006 film).jpg
Directed bySatoshi Kon
Written bySeishi Minakami
Satoshi Kon
Produced byMasao Takiyama
Jungo Maruta
StarringMegumi Hayashibara
Akio Ohtsuka
Koichi Yamadera
Tohru Furuya
Toru Emori
Edited byTakeshi Seyama
Music bySusumu Hirasawa
Distributed bySony Pictures Entertainment
Release datesItaly Sept. 2, 2006
Japan Nov. 25, 2006 (wide)
France Dec. 6, 2006
United States May 25, 2007
Running time90 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese
This article is for the 2006 film Paprika. For the 1991 film Paprika, see Paprika (1991 film)

Paprika (パプリカ, Papurika) is a Japanese animated science fiction film, based on Yasutaka Tsutsui's 1993 novel Paprika, about a female research psychologist involved in a project to develop a device that will permit therapists to help patients by entering their dreams.

The film was directed by Satoshi Kon, animated by Madhouse Studios and produced and distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment. The music was composed by Susumu Hirasawa, who also composed the soundtrack for Kon's award-winning film, Millennium Actress, and equally lauded television series, Paranoia Agent.

Its world premiere took place at the 63rd Venice International Film Festival on September 2, 2006. It also competed at the 19th Tokyo International Film Festival from October 21—29, 2006 as the opening screening for the 2006 TIFF Animation CG Festival.. It was also shown at the 2007 National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, DC, as the closing film of the Anime Marathon at the Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian. It was also a part of the 44th New York Film Festival, playing on October 7, 2006. Furthermore, it played at the Sarasota Film Festival on April 21st, 2007, in Sarasota, Florida. It saw theatrical releases on November 25 2006 in Japan and May 25 2007 in the United States.

Plot

In the very near future, a revolutionary new psychotherapy treatment called PT has been invented. Through a device called the "DC Mini" it is able to act as a "dream detective" to view inside people's dreams and explore their unconscious thoughts. The head of the team working on this treatment, Dr. Atsuko Chiba, begins to use the machine illegally to help psychiatric patients, using her alter-ego "Paprika," a persona she assumes in the dream world.

The movie opens with Paprika assisting Detective Konakawa Toshimi, who becomes one of the central characters later in the movie. Before the government can pass a bill authorizing the use of such advanced psychiatric technology, three of the prototypes are stolen, sending the research facility into an uproar. This is particularly unnerving, because in their uncompleted state, the DC Minis could enter any person's dream. In the wrong hands, the potential misuse of the device could be devastating, allowing the user to completely annihilate a dreamer's personality while they are asleep. Tokita Kosaku, the inventor of the machine, assists Dr. Atsuko Chiba and their Chief in finding the culprit of the theft.

The first clue comes when the Chief is psychically linked to a patient's dream, through the outside use of a DC Mini. Upon examining this dream, Tokita Kosaku recognizes his assistant, Himuro, which confirms their suspicion that the theft was an internal job. Using her alter-ego, Dr. Atsuko manages to wake the Chief up, saving him from the dream. The Chairman, as a result of this incident, bans the use of the machines. As more and more victims show up, dream and reality blend to a point of being indistinguishable from one another, à la Perfect Blue.

Paprika, the Chief, and Konakawa work together, and eventually determine that the culprit of the thefts is none other than the chairman of the board of the company working on the DC Mini himself. Osanai, a doctor on the research team, works as the Chairman's right-hand man; he "sold his body" in order to obtain the DC Minis from the assistant Himuro. The film goes as far to suggest that Osanai is also sleeping with the chairman, albeit unwillingly.

The chairman, a paraplegic, is attempting to use the technology to erase reality, and trap everyone in the dream world, where he has absolute power. Konakawa, aided by the two waiters from "radioclub.jp" (the website where he meets Paprika) prevent Paprika from being eaten by Tokita's delusional dream form. In order to defeat the Chairman in the merged dream/reality, Atsuko Chiba unravels her repressed feelings toward Tokita, is reborn, and devours the chairman's dream form.

Voice Actors

Soundtrack

Main article: Paprika Original Soundtrack

Trivia

This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. Please relocate any relevant information into other sections or articles. (June 2007)
  • "radioclub.jp", a site referenced in the film is a working site which displays a fake 404-style error message in Japanese. The message warns you can't access the site while awake and that you need to have the DC Mini installed, providing a link to the official film's website as a place to get one.
  • Advertisements for Director Satoshi Kon's three previous films are clearly visible when the Detective Konakawa goes to the movies.
  • The tall and short bartenders in "radioclub.jp" are voiced by director Satoshi Kon, and author of the Paprika novel, Yasutaka Tsutsui, respectively.

References

  1. Cite error: The named reference twitchfilm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. "Venezia 63 - In Competition..." ...Biennale Cinema... 63rd Venice Film Festival... la Biennale di Venezia. p. 2. Retrieved 2006-08-17.
  3. Eric J. Lyman (2006-07-28). "Five U.S. films in Venice fest competition". The Hollywood Reporter. VNU eMedia, Inc. Retrieved 2006-08-17.
  4. "amimecs TIFF 2006 TIFF Animation CG Festival (provisional title)". 19th Tokyo Internation Film Festival Press Conference. Tokyo Internation Film Festival. 2006-07-31. Retrieved 2006-08-17.
  5. Todd Brown (2006-07-31). "Release Update For Satoshi Kon's Paprika". Twitch. Twitch. Retrieved 2006-08-17.

See also

External links

Works of Satoshi Kon
Major works
Others
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