The Town of Headcounts

After watching Shinji Araki's Penalty Loop just a week ago, I was excited to sit down for The Town of Headcounts [Ninzu no Machi], Araki's first feature film. I'm not sure how this one slipped past me. I usually keep an eye out for unusual Japanese genre films, but it seems my methods still aren't foolproof. I'm glad I went through the trouble to backtrack and check out the rest of Araki's oeuvre, because this is exactly the type of cinema that keeps me going, even though the rest of the world doesn't seem to be too interested in it for the time being. It's their loss, I guess.

As with Penalty Loop, The Town of Headcounts is another film Araki wrote and directed. There are many cases where I don't see the need for one person to do both, but in Araki's case, it makes perfect sense. His films have unique premises, and his directorial style explores them in a distinctive and particular manner. There's a level of auteurship that would evaporate if Araki didn't handle both aspects of his films himself, which is why I think I'm so drawn to them. Araki has something to offer that nobody else has, and filmmakers like that are relatively rare nowadays.

The Town of Headcounts has minor sci-fi elements, but they're not essential to the story. This is more about the mystery of an outsider community and how it pulls in outcasts from society to repurpose their identities. The Americanisms are interesting (a bit too on the nose maybe), but it's the way Araki introduces this community and lets the audience do most of the puzzling and discovering that sucked me in. He pulled off a similar stunt in Penalty Loop, and while it requires a bit more from the people watching, I like how it challenges more predictable narrative structures.

Aoyama is chased down by angry loansharks, when a mysterious man in orange saves him from a beating. The man presents Aoyama a way out of the mess he created, and he accepts the offer. Aoyama follows him to a commune outside of town, where he begins his new life. It's a place of freedom, leisure, and happiness, but it also has a strict set of rules the inhabitants are required to follow. Aoyama takes a while to warm up to the place, but with nowhere else to go, he figures he could be worse off. But everything changes when Kimura joins the community.

Araki may be a writer/director, but that doesn't mean he skimps or undervalues the presentation of his films. The cinematography is stylish and greatly helps in establishing a somewhat otherworldly, futuristic feel, without relying on CG or special effects. The barren architecture and artificial lighting, coupled with muted and cold colors, make for some impressive shots, whilst the strict and precise camera work further deepens the feeling. It's an amazing example of how you can accomplish a lot with relatively little, and it's essential to the overall appeal of the film.

The score is minimalistic and supports the visuals, without taking up too much space and claiming too much attention. There are some electronic rumbles and light ambient background music, but it resides in the background. The only jarring bits of music are introduced when the people of the community try to escape the premises, with some noisy influences being added to the mix. Even though I generally prefer a more outspoken score, it complements the visuals, and it grounds the atmosphere. For a first-time director, it's impressive how balanced everything is.

The performances are also perfect, with a big thumbs up for some stellar casting choices. Tomoya Nakamura is ideal as the somewhat naive lead who stumbles upon the secret community, observing everything with a weary curiosity. Eri Tachibana and Shizuka Ishibashi are strong female leads who are believable as sisters on opposite sides of the spectrum. Extra kudos go to So Yamanaka, who plays a mysterious but believable villain, even though his actions are never overtly villainous. It's a strong cast, with no weak links, even though there were little to no big-name actors involved.

The first half of the film is spent on the introduction of the community and its unusual customs (and societal functions), with the second half focusing more on the quest of a newly introduced character. It's a somewhat unusual structure, and it requires a sharp focal shift halfway through. It's exactly then that Araki's double function pays off, as he is in perfect control of the pacing and the narrative jumps required to make things work. I'm sure it won't be everybody's cup of tea, and I normally struggle with these types of shifts, but it didn't bother me at all here.

The Town of Headcounts is an impressive opener for a first-time director. It makes me wonder about Araki's past occupations, because it's unusual to pull off such a mature and accomplished film on their first attempt. Whatever the history, this is a lovely blend of mystery and sci-fi elements, featuring great cinematography and a strong score, pitch-perfect performances, and engaging narrative twists, all coupled with smart conceptual ideas. After just two films, Shinji Araki managed to carve out a very niche that he commands with impressive control. Fingers crossed he's able to stick around.