The home video release of Inu-Oh is here! Not only can I finally learn about Masaaki Yuasa‘s thought process, but also learn more about the elements I didn’t notice in my early viewing. Instead of reviewing the entire film again (it can be read here) with this additional knowledge, what I’ll explore is the bonus material. This filmmaker has been on my radar since discovering Lu Over the Wall; on television, he directed Devilman Crybaby.
After he named one of my favourite bands, Queen, as a key influence, I knew I was dead on with one musical montage in this film. He also explained why American and the history of music’s greatest moments are important to the crafting of this film. From The Beatles to Jimi Hendrix to Michael Jackson, a signature moment was actually snuck into the work, and that alone is enough reason to watch Inu-Oh multiple times. Not only can fans seek these frames out, but also they can listen for it too. Although Hendrix’s moment is with an action and we are told where it is, I have to search for the other easter eggs.
Yuasa’s interaction with Yoshihide Ôtomo helped shape this film’s soundtrack, and after learning about these musical influences, those specific scenes he referenced are a lot more pronounced. This composer has a long list of credits, and for his latest, fans can appreciate his contribution to Lupin Zero. On his IMDB page, the mini-bio says he’s best known for Kitchen (1997), Journey to the Shore (2015) and Tracey (2018).
Fortunately, this 12 minute interview covers a lot. The Q&A at the US Premiere adds even more. Here, he talked about how the story developed. Perhaps the most interesting revelation is that in Japan, this filmmaker said lots of people came back to see it multiple times. They wanted to fully grasp the many themes he was exploring and understand this pivotal moment in this country’s history. This movie is based on Tales of the Heike: Inu-Oh (Amazon link) by Hideo Furukawa and perhaps those fans wanted to look at the differences up close. Even I missed those bits because they went by fast, so I’m definitely wanting to watch this movie time and time again, with the book in hand just to be a casual film scholar.
Other tidbits include Yuasa-san drawing Inu-oh and a “Scene Breakdown” of moments from the movie. He begins with the piece concerning “The Whale,” and it doesn’t end there. I don’t want to spoil this segment too much, but the fact he was going for a lot more than meets the eye showed how dedicated he was to getting the story and visuals right.
And as long as owners have a proper home theatre setup to render the cinematic colour palette properly, as this filmmaker revealed, Inu-oh can be religiously enjoyed for the experience that it is. In what I found with my Dynamic 4K Dolby Vision monitor, he’s right and without the correct colour balanced screen, there are even more subtle nuances that can be missed. This movie is a visual marvel on par with Belle, and honestly, no small screen is perfect. It’s a movie meant to be experienced on IMAX!
Inu-Oh Movie Trailer
