REVIEW: ‘Symbol’
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RCC Rating: Worth Seeing At A Matinee |
Part of the Asian Film Festival of Dallas, “Symbol” is an odd journey into the surreal. Directed by and starring Hitoshi Matsumoto, “Symbol” follows two stories, cutting back and forth between the two for the bulk of the film. The first story we’re introduced to is that of a masked Mexican luchador (wrestler) named Escargo Man. We meet Escargo Man’s family as they prepare for the day ahead. Escargo Man has a big match coming later that day and throughout the film we see moments through out the day as it leads to time for the match.
The inter-cut story is where things get strange at a rate comparable to that of a sports car going 0 to 60 in five seconds. It begins with a nameless man in polka dot pajamas awaking in a large white room. No windows, no doors and no explanation of who he is, how he got there or why he is there. As he begins to explore what he can of this room he finds an odd protrusion on one wall. It is an abstract shape that does have a familiar look. After a moment of examination the nameless man presses the protrusion and then we’re on a one way ticket to Crazy Town. After pressing the object we hear the laughter of children and a shape begins to come out from the wall behind the object. The shape takes form and we realize that it is a cherub and the protrusion from the wall was it’s penis and scrotum. Soon hundreds of cherubs emerge from the walls and floor then recess back leaving only their penises and scrotums visible.
Take a moment to let that sink in.
The nameless man soon discovers that pressing a penis results in the delivery of a random object to the room. Sushi, manga, a vase, dangling rope, a running African tribesman and a plethora of other objects. Pressing a certain penis temporarily reveals a door across the room and the hope of freedom for the nameless man. In case you need another moment to process that, there is a room covered in cherub penises and pressing one results in the delivery of a random object – please feel free to take one.
Our unidentified man begins to plot his escape by using the objects in the room and penis pressing in succession to get to the hidden doorway and gain his freedom. During his time of trial and error we often cut back to the story of Escargo Man until we come to the point where their stories converge, and then things begin to get really strange. You read that correctly, now things get really strange.
There is a great deal of diversity at the AFFD, from action comedies like the martial arts and basketball fusion “Kung Fu Dunk,” the wacky sci-fi chaos of “RoboGeisha” or epic ninja battles in “Kamui.” “Symbol” is for the arthouse crowd and that is information you need going into it. Some where in this film seems to be an attempt at a high concept message but for the most part things seem to be very arbitrary. Symbol is definitely an arthouse film and that is the mind set you need when viewing. For the most part I found the film to be laborious and full of weird for the sake of weird but that is just me. If you enjoy movies with a clear plot, point and message then this film is not for you. If you enjoy abstract ideas, the surreal and high concept films or if you are just intrigued to find out if a man in polka dot pajamas can escape a penis-covered room then “Symbol” might be the film for you.
Symbol is showing Thurday July 29th at 10 pm at the Magnolia Theater.
