COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - DOGRA MAGRA (RADIANCE FILMS BLU-RAY)
Something that cinephiles enjoy that the average filmgoer may not is an appreciation of genre aesthetics and homage. As an art form, movies evolve through experience and technological advancement, but they are also challenged by the kinds of narrative tone and content available. Watching a film laden with references to other films or genres can often feel like a puzzle to cinephiles who revel in seeing how filmmakers pay respect to their inspirations by embedding their style into their work either technically, narratively, or both. The same can be said of audiophiles and music as the same kind of pleasure is derived from noticing a sample in a song as it is noticing a famous shot composition used in a newer film. Some films outside of North America carry an influence that isn’t as noticeable to us in the West, but that doesn’t mean your favorite filmmakers haven’t seen those films and applied those techniques to their works. In some ways, that is why so many film buffs like Quentin Tarantino movies. Radiance Films knows what cinephiles want, and has released the lesser-known Japanese avant-garde film “Dogra Magra.” Is this a release worthy of a space on every collector’s shelf?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
A man wakes in an asylum with no memory. Dr Wakabayashi helps him to recall his past in which he killed his bride on their wedding day. Part of his memory becomes linked to another doctor, Dr Masaki, and a manuscript, Dogra Magra. As the two doctors treat him, reality and fantasy become blurred and the patient becomes unsure of his identity or his doctors' experiments.
HOW IS IT?
Non-linear storytelling can be one of the best and most frustrating aspects of narrative films. To tell an effective story, one must ensure that the viewer can follow along and non-linear stories play with the formula to increase intrigue and mystery with varying degrees of success. Some of the best examples, like “Momento” or “Irreversible” play with time to create a sense of chaos that toys with expectations about how stories are told and important details revealed. Non-linear storytelling also demands a lot from the viewer as it bobs and weaves throughout time and plot lines hoping to not lose the viewer’s patience or interest along the way. “Dogra Magra”, based on the novel by Yumeno Kyūsaku is a film that revels in its confusion and non-linearity as a badge of honor and a tool to immersive the viewer in the main character’s amnesia state. Heavy on philosophical musings and dialogue, “Dogra Magra” is certainly an acquired taste that will reward those who have the patience for its ethereal narrative, but will also isolate many with its headiness.
“Dogra Magra” centers around a patient at a psychiatric hospital who suffered amnesia after killing his wife. Two doctors who tend to his care, Dr. Wakabayashi and Dr. Masaki seem to offer him different perspectives on his condition all relating to theories about how memories and experiences, especially traumatic ones, transfer through generations and are passed along like hereditary traits. The intent of the doctors seems pure and focused on helping the man recollect his life, but as the film goes on those intentions shift and it becomes clear that the man is the rope in a psychiatric tug-of-war. What first stands out about “Dogra Magra” is how dreamlike and disorienting everything feels. From the slightly claustrophobic settings to the dimly lit 1930s aesthetic, everything in “Dogra Magra” feels malevolent and untrustworthy. Director Toshio Matsumoto does a superb job alongside cinematographer Tatsuo Suzuki in crafting a world that feels antagonistic and disorienting which plays nicely alongside the main characters' confusion and lost memories. On a technical level, “Dogra Magra” succeeds wildly with the use of earthy, natural color tones alongside vivid hues of red. The look of the psychiatric hospital is unwelcoming, but not exploitative which creates a sense of unease that permeates the entire film. If we were rating this film on vibes alone, it would easily be in the top tier.
However, vibes are not enough to make all movies great, and “Dogra Magra” struggles with holding the viewer's attention. It is said that the original book this is based on, and the meta-references to it in the narrative are intended to be obtuse and hard to understand to make the reader/viewer feel as lost as the character. This works, but only up to a point as the third act rolls around one wouldn’t be shunned for having drifted or started checking their phone. Much of this has to do with the non-linear storytelling and the overall unreliability of everyone and everything. The man can’t recall his memories, and both doctors feed him different versions which conflict with the return of some memories thought to be lost. If you are the kind of film viewer who gets immersed in dialogue-heavy philosophical discussions then “Dogra Magra” will likely serve you best. Fans of Scorsese’s “Shutter Island” may see some adjacency to this film’s plot structure and story, but make no mistake, “Dogra Magra” isn’t near as conclusive or as narratively focused opting more towards something like a David Lynch film that is high on metaphor and visuals, low on explanations and exposition. As mentioned earlier, this will work for some more than others and while mileage may vary, there are enough interesting elements to warrant a watch for those who are eager to expand their scope of cinematic influences and relinquish the narrative control of linear storytelling.
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
Visually, “Dogra Magra” is an absolute triumph. Radiance Films have established themselves as not just purveyors of great cinema, but also adept in the art of restoring these often unfamiliar or obscure films. Producer Shuji Shibata did the initial HD transfer that was provided to Radiance and preserved the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The dream-like smoky look of “Dogra Magra” looks brilliant without ever losing the artifacts of its original medium. There is a lot of red in the secretary and color schemes, which play nicely off the darker, more muted earthy tones that define the psychiatry ward. Images from this release are used throughout this review.
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
On the sound front, “Dogra Magra” has a mono Japanese language soundtrack option with English subtitles. The soundscape isn’t rather calm, with only a few moments of action that test the limits of the mono capabilities. The dialogue is easy to hear and is never overshadowed by effects or the elegantly haunting backing score. We do wonder if perhaps a stereo option would’ve provided more auditory depth, but that isn’t a knock on the release so much as a supposed hypothetical.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
Radiance Films have emerged as a kind of Criterion-esque label, and as such carries the high pedigree of stellar special features. The first one we took in was an archival interview with Toshio Matsumoto. This 21-minute interview asks the late director about how he came to be involved with “Dogra Magra”, as well as how he approached the hard-to-adapt material and worked with the film’s cast. Most notable is that Matsumoto met with Kyūsaku and asked his permission to adapt the film. Matsumoto was initially going to shelve the project on account of the lack of interest in art-house cinema in Japan at the time, but after his meeting, he was given the blessing from Kyūsaku to adapt what he considers his masterpiece, “Dogra Magra.” Kyūsaku was not initially keen on this, as his previous experience with the film industry and adaptations weren’t positive, but his conversation with Matsumoto helped him understand the care and attention he was going to bring to the production. Matsumoto also comments on how he aimed to make the film more understandable to audiences since the novel itself is widely considered one of the most difficult to follow, and at the same time appreciates that “Dogra Magra” can be read many different ways and can be open to interpretation.
One of the standout features of Radiance releases, much like Second Sight, is the inclusion of a mini-book of essays. “Late-Period Toshio Matsumoto and Dogra Magra” by Hirofumi Sakamoto is a short history of Matsumoto as a filmmaker, with an emphasis on his desire to make “Dogra Magra.” Sakamoto packs a lot of information into a handful of pages that add context to Matsumoto’s interest in adapting such a challenging work. It goes into explaining his process for extracting the timelines from the non-linear story and arranging them in a way that would honor the novel while making it more understandable for the average viewer. In many ways, these kinds of texts can cause one to want to revisit a film they may have felt differently about, and this is surely the case here as good points are raised the encourage further viewings and discussions.
Bonus Materials
High-definition digital transfer supervised by director of photography Tatsuo Suzuki and producer Shuji Shibata
Audio commentary by director Toshio Matsumoto (2003)
Interview with Toshio Matsumoto (2003, 21 mins)
A visual essay by programmer and curator Julian Ross (2024)
Instructions on Ahodara Sutra (a popular Japanese chant delivered by Dr. Masaki in the film) by legendary street performer Hiroshi Sakano (16 mins)
Trailer
New and improved English subtitles
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Hirofumi Sakamoto, president of the Postwar Japan Moving Image Archive and author Jasper Sharp on screenwriter Atsushi Yamatoya plus an interview with producer Shuji Shibata and Matsumoto’s director’s statement
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
LAST RITES
“Dogra Magra” is a fascinating and frustrating movie that will please fans of avant-garde cinema while causing others to possibly zone out or get confused. For Japanese cinema enthusiasts and art-house film fans, this is easily a must-buy film!
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends at MVD Entertainment for providing a review copy for the crypt! Dogra Magra is available now and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT!
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