The Mystery of Rampo

Overview

Edogawa Rampo is a writer whose latest work is censored by the government, deemed too disturbing and injurious to the public to be allowed to be published. However, after burning his drafts, his publisher shows him a newspaper with an account of events just like his forbidden story. As the film progresses, fantasy and reality intermingle in a tale that draws heavily on influences from Poe and Stoker's Dracula. The film's strongly Expressionistic direction skillfully combines a variety of media (animation, computer-generated imagery, grainy black-and-white fast film stock, color negatives) for artistic effect.

Cast

Masahiro Motoki

Kogoro Akechi

Naoto Takenaka

Edogawa Rampo

Michiko Hada

Shizuko

Teruyuki Kagawa

Masashi Yokomizo

Mikijiro Hira

Marquis Ogawara

Shiro Sano

Officer

Ittoku Kishibe

Cafe Owner

Nekohachi Edoya

Antique Shop Owner

N/A

Junichi Takagi

Fujimori

Kirin Kiki

House Wife / Head of Maid

Julie Dreyfus

Mademoiselle

Yoshio Harada

Big Star