Sion Sono's World of Violence and Salvation
Sion Sono is a filmmaker who depicts worlds filled with violence and madness while revealing salvation and human nature within them. His characters, pushed to extremes, confront themselves through violence, sometimes meeting destruction and sometimes finding relief.
Cold Fish (2010) and Himizu (2011) are considered representative works of his violent cinema. Based on a true story, Cold Fish depicts a decent citizen becoming drawn into madness, while Himizu unfolds a story of human renewal amid violence against the background of Japan after the earthquake.
This article examines the duality of violence and salvation in these films and explores the themes Sono confronts audiences with.
Cold Fish: When a Decent Citizen Is Overtaken by Madness
Cold Fish is modeled on the real Saitama serial murders of dog lovers. It begins when Shamoto, an unremarkable middle-aged tropical fish shop owner played by Mitsuru Fukikoshi, meets charismatic fellow dealer Murata, played by Denden. Initially appearing kind, Murata is secretly a murderer, and Shamoto is gradually drawn into an inescapable vortex of crime.
The film is shocking for its realistic depiction of how an ordinary person becomes consumed by madness. Sono carefully portrays Shamoto's progression from a man supposedly unconnected to violence to someone who adapts to that world and eventually commits violence himself.
Violence also functions as a means of exposing social repression and human nature, beyond entertainment. Belittled by his family and unsuccessful at work, Shamoto appears liberated as he turns violent under Murata's influence, openly revealing hidden human impulses.
Himizu: Despair and Hope in Japan after the Earthquake
Based on Minoru Furuya's manga of the same name, Himizu develops its own story set in Japan after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Its protagonist, Sumida, played by Shota Sometani, wishes for an ordinary life but is increasingly driven into psychological distress by his abusive father, indifferent mother, and surroundings.
The film's most distinctive feature is the strong presence of renewal and hope alongside violence. Sumida turns to violence under extreme circumstances, but through his relationship with the heroine Chazawa, played by Fumi Nikaido, he begins discovering what it means to live.
Particularly memorable is the moment in the final scene when Sumida shouts that he will definitely keep living. It functions as a message to everyone living in post-earthquake Japan, revealing a faint hope within despair.
Beyond Violence: Human Nature in Sono's Films
Cold Fish and Himizu both portray violence as a device that drives characters' transformation, beyond a means of destruction.
In Cold Fish, violence is an eruption of repressed emotions, and Shamoto ultimately becomes someone who might be said to have reclaimed himself. In Himizu, violence is a struggle within despair that ultimately leads toward hope.
Sono reveals the meaning of human life and society's contradictions through extreme depictions of violence. The violence in his films serves as a mirror of human psychology and social structures, beyond splatter or entertainment.
Conclusion: Violence and Salvation in Sono's Cinema
Cold Fish and Himizu brilliantly portray violence's dual nature: destruction and salvation. Both depict characters confronting themselves as they are pushed to extremes.
Through the extreme expression of violence, Sono confronts viewers with questions about human nature and the truths that only extreme situations reveal.
Watching his films allows us to discover profound human psychology and social contradictions beyond conventional violent cinema. Watch Cold Fish and Himizu to encounter Sono's themes of violence and salvation.
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