Rampo Noir (乱歩地獄)

RAMPO NOIR original novel by RAMPO EDOGAWA

Tadanobu Asano

Directed by Suguru Takeuchi

Mars' Canal

"Reality is seen in dreams. What you dream at night is real. Rampo. "

Kamakura

"Life is what is reflected in a mirror. "

"It's neither real', or unreal'. "

Enshu School of Tea Ceremony at Seito-An Tea House.

It's ready.

Excuse me.

Allow me to partake also.

It's exquisite.

Azusa!

I thought you'd be here too. So I brought these.

Thank you so much. Were they heavy?

Somebody drew pictures on some pages.

It must have been Toru when he was a child.

Ms. Yamashina has done a narcissus arrangement.

Yes. She picked some from her garden.

The narcissus symbolizes "Unrealized love."

Sometimes Ms. Yamashina's a bit spiteful, isn't she?

Good-bye.

Ms. Yamashina.

Hello?

What's wrong?

Mirror Hell

Hiroki Narimiya

Tadanobu Asano

Directed by Akin Jissoji

"Life is a mirror's reflection."

Detective. A man named Akechi is here to see you.

Akechi?

This way.

Hello, Mr. Akechi.

How have you been?

Kogoro Akechi, the famous private eye.

- This is my aid, Kobayashi. - What brought you here?

I heard about the strange death of a tea ceremony teacher.

Nothing gets by you.

If you'd care to share the details with me...

Okay. Her name's Sayoko Yamashina.

Before her death she held a tea ceremony gathering.

The gathering went from noon until 3, there was no sign of any trouble.

When it was over, you helped her clean up?

Yes. I was tidying up.

Then I heard a thud of someone collapsing.

Did you hear anybody break in or run off?

No.

University Hospital, Autopsy Room.

The cellular tissue disintegrated, causing her face to melt.

The same reaction is seen in the skull too.

In her skull too?

The cerebrum is completely burnt.

What could cause this?

I haven't the faintest idea...

Any opinion, Mr. Akechi?

Mortuary near Yuigahama Beach

The victim was the only child of a renowned tea ceremony family.

After 2 failed marriages, she became a tea ceremony teacher.

Sounds like she had many romances.

She was at the ceremony.

Harumi Shinomiya works for the archival library.

Azusa ltsuki.

She works for Kawazen, an antique shop.

She was widowed at a young age.

Her mother-in-law has been sick. So she runs the business.

Who's he?

Let me see...

Toru ltsuki. He's the brother-in-law of the widow.

Kawazen Antique Shop

There you are.

Welcome back, ma'am.

Cleanse me, will you?

There.

Mother, I'm home.

Hello, dear. How was it?

It was tense... What with the police there.

It was all so horrible...!

I knew she wouldn't die peacefully but...

It's awful.

Where's Toru?

He left early.

He must be in the studio.

Kawazen, Studio.

Hey, make love to me.

Right after the funeral?

You were through with Ms. Yamashina.

You seem remote. Are you in love again?

Maybe with Azusa?

She's my brother's widow.

But she loves you, you know.

As her brother-in-law.

That's not true.

I can see it. It's very pathetic.

Look...

I can see myself in your eyes...

Temple

This way!

Is it a thief?

I don't know but something's strange!

Nobody appears to be here.

No, wait...!

"Life is what's reflected in a mirror. It's neither real', or unreal'. "

"The sky's filled with hells flames. Its sad to wonder if I'll go there. "

Look at the Buddha!

What's that sound?

Isn't it a crossing signal?

But it's in the middle of the night!

The exact same thing's happened to her...

She was at the ceremony also.

The strange phenomenon with the Buddha statue and the signal.

Do you think they're all related?

I presume so.

Detective, speak to the landlady.

Did you hear a scream?

Yes.

But you didn't go immediately?

With the noise of the train crossing signal...

I was really distracted by that.

Then somebody from her work called today and asked me

to check up on her because she hadn't shown up.

So I went to her room and she was...

I found this.

A mirror.

It's an old fashioned one.

Just like the one at the tea house.

Do many people have these around here?

Many used to be made in Kamakura.

One place still makes them...

Right. Kawazen.

Kawazen ...

Look at this mirror. Can you tell if it's made here?

Yes, I can guarantee it was.

Can you guess when it was made?

I can't.

This way, please.

Sorry to bother you, but my name is...

Kogoro Akechi, aren't you?

You're famous.

I'm not...

I need to ask you a few questions related to the case.

We found this mirror at the site.

Oh. It's one of the mirrors that I present to our regular patrons.

Can you tell me about these women who died mysteriously?

I met with Ms. Yamashina when she divorced and moved home.

She regularly bought our tea ceremony products.

I'd known Harumi for about a year.

She'd been translating old documents from our shop.

Even our small shop has much historical material.

This is a historical town.

Why are you in Kamakura?

You didn't come for this case, did you?

My wife's staying at the local sanatorium.

She has a health problem.

That's too bad for her.

Kamakura's so nice though.

I envy those who live here.

I've grown up here so I don't know...

What's so nice about this decaying, old town?

You've acquired wonderful traditional skills.

If I don't continue, the alt will die out.

Mr. Akechi.

Mirrors used to symbolize gods in this country.

Gods?

In many shrines and temples, mirrors are enshrined.

You're right...

You're creating gods.

I'm awestruck by the thought.

The alt of making mirrors hasn't changed much since ancient times.

They say that the Kamakura technique is the best in every aspect.

I would like to make one that surpasses it.

But it's not so easy.

I guess it's because of the impurity of my mind.

It affects the mirror. It becomes clouded.

What do you think?

I think the polish is beautiful.

Not even close. I wouldn't even call it a mirror.

Mirrors are strange, aren't they?

They seem to be an entry to another world.

As though they could suck out my soul.

I used to think of this when I was a child.

If I was trapped in a sphere that's mirrored inside...

what would I see?

Interesting thought.

Maybe you'd be able to see a god in there.

You could make a sphere in this studio.

Should I give it a try?

Mirrors make me think of strange things.

Sometimes I think we're nothing but shadow puppets

and that reality lies in the the mirror.

Sanetomo Minamoto wrote this centuries ago.

"Life is what is reflected in a mirror."

"It's neither real, or unreal."

Book of Kinkai Waka Poems.

You're intelligent.

I saw that verse on a scroll at the tea house.

I'd better let you go now.

Good-bye.

Is that right? What's in the box?