Movie spotlight
Issei Sagawa: Excuse Me For Living
A filmed biography of Issei Sagawa, the Japanese student who shot his Dutch girlfriend, cut her up with a meat carver and boiled the remains. He then ate her. Several months later he was declared insane. While in a psychiatric hospital in France he wrote an account of his crime `In the Fog' which sold 200,000 copies. The French released him in 1984 on the condition that he remained in a mental hospital in Japan. One year later the Japanese hospital released him. Since then he has written five books on crime and is a minor celebrity lionised by the avant garde. Sagawa speaks extensively in the programme and reads passages from his books.
Insights
Plot Summary
This documentary delves into the disturbing life and crimes of Issei Sagawa, a Japanese student who gained notoriety for murdering and cannibalizing a Dutch student in Paris in 1981. The film explores Sagawa's lifelong fascination with the macabre, his eventual release from a Japanese psychiatric hospital, and his subsequent life as a minor celebrity in Japan. It questions societal perceptions of deviance and the media's role in sensationalizing true crime.
Critical Reception
The film received critical attention for its unsettling subject matter and its unflinching look at a notorious crime. It's often discussed for its unique approach to exploring the mind of a convicted murderer and its commentary on fame derived from infamy. While disturbing, it's generally acknowledged as a provocative and thought-provoking documentary.
What Reviewers Say
Praised for its bold and disturbing exploration of a notorious true crime.
Critiqued for its potentially exploitative nature, though acknowledged for its thought-provoking themes.
Highlights the complex relationship between crime, media, and public fascination.
Google audience: Information on specific Google user reviews for this documentary is not readily available. However, films of this nature typically elicit strong reactions, ranging from fascination with the subject matter to discomfort with its graphic themes.
Awards & Accolades
None notable.
Fun Fact
Issei Sagawa continued to live in Japan after his release and even starred in a short film titled 'The Basement' (1983) directed by Jōji Matsuoka, further blurring the lines between his notoriety and a peculiar form of celebrity.
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