Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8419 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-09-26
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Formats: Animated, Box set, PAL
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 83 minutes

Synopsis
The creative love child of anime director Satoshi Kon and screenwriter Sadayuki Mura (PERFECT BLUE), MILLENNIUM ACTRESS recounts the legend of an actress named Chiyoko Fujiwara who mysteriously disappeared during her greatest moment of fame. Via a sweeping backdrop of historical and fictional events that breathlessly span time, Chiyoko relates her saga to a documentary filmmaker named Genya who has tracked the actress down to her remote hideaway. As the story unfolds, Chiyoko's personal history becomes inextricably intertwined with the characters she plays in the movies throughout her long career, all in pursuit of her first love, a political activist painter who left her only with a mysterious key that sets the whole story in motion. Along the way Chiyoko's quest is hampered by an older actress and a mysterious scarfaced man. Luckily, Genya and his sardonic cameraman find themselves swept up in the story also, and come to her rescue several times. It all may sound a little odd, and western audiences not used to anime's occasionally static style may take a few minutes to adjust, but once they do, countless rewards await: brilliant animation, a treasure trove of insight into Japan's history and film industry, and for anyone who's ever loved and lost, an almost assured shedding of many heartfelt tears.

Customer Reviews

Gorgeous
This film is absolutely fantastic. Really beautifully drawn and entertaining. The music is wonderful as well.

I definitely don't even nearly understand all the subtleties of this film. I've watched it a fair few times and it still confuses me. I do love it though.

One of the best things about this film is that it skips through different time periods. So you'll see Chiyoko dressed as a Geisha, then an Empress of a different period, then a ninja surrounded by samurai, then it's set in the war. Definitely a feast for the eyes.

Beautiful
Visually stunning, beautifully crafted and heart rending animation, that will not disappoint the sentimental of film viewers out there. This is a perfect example of Anime at its most mature and intelligent and should if justice be done be enjoyed by more than just your anime faithful. As with most japanese animation it truly has to be watched in its original language to be fully appreciated, and anyone who shuns it because they don't like subtitles then i guess you really don't get foreign film at all....your loss. On the subject of subtitles if anyone from the manga label is reading, we really don't need a description of whistle blowing and rocks falling, thunder cracking etc, this isn't subtitles for the hard of hearing, believe it or not we can actually hear whats going on. Other than that fault top stuff :)

Visually stunning
This beautiful anime combines a simple yet heartwarming plot with stunning cel animation throughout. If you read the other Amazon reviews you will note that a lot of them state that the story behind it is very basic and I don't disagree at all, but what I particularly enjoyed about the film for my part was the way that all of the scenes in the film followed on one from the other in seamless transitions - one moment the ageing actress and film makers are sat in her living room drinking tea and conducting an interview, then the scene naturally changes to the actresses' youth and the film makers are sat, just as they had been doing previously, watching the young actress relive a memory from long ago.

If you enjoyed the plays on reality and perception in Perfect Blue and would like to see similar interplay used to good effect in a family film, you will enjoy this anime without doubt.