Destiny or Foretold? - Death Note

Based on an enormously popular manga, Death Note was made into a motion picture in 2006, directed by Shusuke Kaneko (known for his 90's Gammera films, Pyrokenisis and Azumi 2). A series of murders are occuring all over the world, especially in Japan, where criminals are mysteriously dying. A name is linked to the deaths -- Kira (a derivative of the English word Killer). The authorities are on a massive manhunt for Kira, but all attempts to find him fail. In reality, Kira is a young college student named Light Yagami, who has recently passed a bar exam. He wants to join the forces like his father (played by Iron Chef emcee Takeshi Kaga), who is assigned to the case. Light stumbled across a mysterious book one day that had the words "Death Note" written on the cover, and opening it, he discovers that it is a blank notebook, except for the endpages, where the rules for using the book are written. The possessor of the book can kill anyone, just by writing the name in the book. But he or she must have a vivid picture of the person in their head when writing it, unless someone with a similar name will meet an untimely end. The means, the manner, the time of their deaths can all be predetermined, just by writing it down. Light, once discovering that he has this power, decides to use it for the good of mankind by getting rid of as many of the criminals that he can, by watching the television or meeting the people in person. His girlfriend, Shiori, is also a student, who is disturbed by Kira's actions and her boyfriend's sympathy towards Kira's cause. There is a side effect to using the book - Light can now see a demon called Ryuk, the god of death. Ryuk had lost the book, but seeing that it had a new owner, let Light keep it, and became an observer to how he would bear this tremendous responisbility. As the deaths keep piling up, the police are still baffled, until a senior official presents to the task force assigned to the case L, a mysterious figure who talks to them through a laptop computer. L is a mastermind who accurately narrows down the location of Kira by setting up a situation where Kira kills the head of the International Police, only to discover that the man was a criminal acting out the role. It was broadcasted only in Japan; therefore, Kira must be in Japan. Also, through some amazing leaps of deduction, L discovers that Kira must be a college student, based on the times of the murders, which take place during the evening and early morning, times when a student would be at home, and not at school. Light discovers that he is being tailed by a man, the reasons are unclear, but later it turns out that L had reasons to suspect him, as Kira knew things that were only known to the Task Force. Being the son of the chief, as well as having the skills to access the police server, raised L's suspicions. He asked for and got FBI support. The agent follows Light and Shiori onto a bus, where it is promptly hijacked by a criminal on the loose for bank robbery and murder. Light calls the agent's bluff of pretending not to know him by attempting to subdue the robber, but the agent -- revealing his name as Ray -- stops him. The hijacker threatens to shoot them, but is terrified by the sight of the demon, whom he sees after touching a piece a paper torn from the book. He is killed while fleeing the bus. Ray is later lured by Light/Kira onto a subway, where Kira manipulates him into revealing the names of all the FBI agents involved in the secret investigation. Ray is killed once he leaves the subway, only to be found by his fiancee, Naomi (Asaka Seto, from Bullets of Love and One Missed Call 2). A former agent herself, and having worked under L, she is determined to find her lover's killer. Meanwhile, the consequences of the FBI killings forces the Japanese task force to thin down to only those who are willing to give their lives to catching the killer. Those remaining, including Light's father, are introduced to L, who turns out to be a young man Light's age, who does not give his real name, and requests that the others do the same. L is convinced that the killer is related to one of the members of the task force, and has bugs and cameras implanted in all their homes. They spend a week studying, L especially concentrating on Light. It becomes clear to the others that L suspects Light, but there is no proof. Naomi is convinced, after doing an investigation of the bus incident where Ray was involved. She finds out about Light and Shiori, and tries to confront them about it, but Light refuses to acknowledge it. Naomi survives only by giving a false name to him. At the end of the 7 days a murder does finally happen, but closely watching Light, who was studying at the time, with the tv off, L fails to prove his guilt. But Light did kill a man, by secretly having a mini tv in a bag of chips that he was eating, and writing the name on a scrap of paper torn from the book. Naomi brings things to a head when she forces Shiori at gunpoint to ask Light to come meet her at the art museum. Light suspects something, but arriving at the museum (also being closely monitored by L), refuses to acknowledge that he is Kira, even when Naomi threatens to shoot Shiori. The police arrive, and Shiori escapes, but is shot by Naomi. Light is distraught, and Naomi suddenly realizes that she could have been wrong all the time, and confronted by the police, kills herself. All of it was planned by Light, who had written not only Naomi's death but Shiori's as well, a fact that amazed even the demon Ryuk. The film ends with Light asking his father to join the task force, and he reluctantly agrees, and Light and L finally meet, L eating a bag of chips -- the same kind that Light had been eating when he made his kill during their observation period.

Death Note and its sequel (released later in the year -- I'll do a review soon) came out within several months of each other, generating a lot of notice and were box office successes. I'll have to admit I was very surprised by this film, expecting yet another Ringu or Ju-On ripoff. What I got was a clever and original story, with one foot based on Japanese mythology, and the other in modern drama. Part ghost tale and mostly police procedural, Death Note plays on the notion of fate and control over one's life. The subplot dealing with Naomi's vengeance reveals that power can corrupt even the noble and idealistic Light, as well as demonstrating that even when he plots her demise, he has no idea how it would be carried out. There is still the element of chance and choice in how one lives one's life, no matter how predetermined. It was a kick to see the Iron Chef in a serious role, and Tatsuya Fujiwara in another prominent role after starring in Battle Royale. Kudos for the director Kanedo, who keeps a steady and even tone throughout the entire film, without resorting to hysterics or cliché, as well as putting Asaka Seto in a leather cat suit, bringing back fond memories of Diana Rigg as Emma Peel in the tv Avengers series. It's nice to see a straightforward big budget Japanese film that does not resort to monsters in big rubber suits, immature comedies, or demon girls with long black hair spilled over their faces. Recommended!