Scarlet

by Mike McGranaghan

Mamoru Hosoda has been making innovative animated pictures for almost two decades now, Summer Wars, Mirai, and Belle among them. His latest, Scarlet, marks a career high point. The story is inspired by Hamlet, although knowing that isn’t necessary to enjoy this thrilling, beautiful looking adventure or its rich themes.

Young princess Scarlet (Mana Ashida) watches in horror as her father is ruthlessly executed after being betrayed by her uncle Claudius (Kôji Yakusho). Soon afterward, she enters a purgatory-like place known as the “Otherworld,” where she plots revenge against everyone involved in her father’s killing. The scope of that mission is changed by a fateful meeting with Hijiri (Masaki Okada). He’s a dead paramedic from the future who tries to convince Scarlet that a more peaceful means of solving her problem might be possible.

Right there is the element that makes the movie special. Scarlet grapples with her bloodthirsty impulses, trying to determine if there’s any way to forgive those who have done her wrong. It’s an internal debate she doesn’t always win, although she never stops engaging with it. Going the traditional route of a revenge tale, with the character killing one foe after another, would have felt generic. Scarlet sucks us in with a thoughtful story that encourages reflection about what it takes to forgive the people who have most negatively impacted our lives.

Visually, the movie is magnificent. This is one of those cases where you could take any individual shot, print it out, and hang it on your wall like art. Hosoda’s attention to detail gives the action sequences a sense of majesty. They’re amazing to look at. That detail also gives the Otherworld an eerie quality. The place feels ominous in a way that the CGI used in many live-action films can’t replicate.

The relationship between Scarlet and Hijiri has a tenderness that adds emotion to match the action and atmosphere. Together, these two characters represent a struggle we all experience at some point - the clash between wanting to make somebody pay and recognizing that getting even fundamentally robs us of a piece of our soul. Mamoru Hosoda has made an animated feature that stimulates the eyes and the mind.

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