Review of Scarlet: Hamlet Goes Anime

Shakespeare and Japanese cinema share a common thread, master director Akira Kurosawa. Many of Kurosawa’s films are adaptations of Shakespeare with settings transferred from Europe to Japan. “Throne of Blood” and “Ran” are respectively “Macbeth” and “King Lear” in feudal Japan. Kurosawa fired his own shot at “Hamlet” (with a quickie from “The Count of Monte Cristo”) in The film noir “The Bad Sleep Well”, the film that inspired Francis Ford Coppola The way Shakespeare inspired Kurosawa. But in Scarlet, Shakespeare’s adaptation feels more fragile.

The character names certainly come from “Hamlet”: Claudius married Scarlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude, and had followers named Polonius, Laertes, Cornelius, Voltmand, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Claudius also paraphrases Macbeth and says his heart is “full of scorpions.” When Scarlett confronts Claudius with her drawn sword, it is while he is on his knees begging for God’s mercy, just as Hamlet confronts his uncle Claudius.

However, the film speeds through the “Hamlet”-derived setup in minutes, giving us only the absolute basics of understanding Scarlet and little else. Hosoda’s heart seems to be more in the story of the underworld, where Scarlett’s quest truly begins. However, this endeavor lacks urgency and struggles to find a good rhythm; The narrative structure of “Scarlet” can feel as mishmash as the otherworldly world itself. Hosoda’s last film, “Belle,” had some similar kitchen-sink stories as the cyberpunk film “Beauty and the Beast.” The story of “Belle” was held together for me through emotion and overwhelming music, but “Scarlet” only reaches similar heights at its end.

Overall, “Scarlet” can be a frustrating experience at times, but at least it’s great to look at. Animated by Hosoda’s Studio Chizu, the contrasting animation styles flow together and are lively where the story always isn’t. The 2D animated scenes, set in Scarlet’s real world, are a stunning recreation of royal Europe; No detail has been spared about architecture, furnishings or fashion. This is just another reason to wish the film spent more time in this area.

When the film reaches Otherworld, the beauty is largely not lost. The fluidity and detail of Scarlet’s movements – especially when she’s fighting others with her sword – makes them look less like they’re drawn, and more like a telephoto shoot. However, the point of the film is that there is no beauty to be found in violence.