Strange Circus (2005) - full transcript
In Tokyo, the twelve year-old girl Mitsuko accidentally sees her parents having sex in their bedroom and her dysfunctional and pervert father Ozawa Gozo, who is the principal of her school, forces her to see her mother Sayuri having intercourse with him hidden inside a cello case. Then Osawa rapes Mitsuko and forces her mother to see the incestuous intercourse with their daughter. Osawa lives with Mitsuko and Sayuri and has sex with them, and Sayuri is jealous of her own daughter. The dysfunctional family is affected first by a murder and then by an attempt of suicide. But the bizarre story is actually a novel written by the disabled writer Taeko that uses a wheelchair to move. When her publisher visits her with his new hire Yuji, he gets close to her and helps Taeko to find the truth about her past. But in the end, which one is the dream?
Good evening.
-Is Saya here?
-She is. This way please.
-Mr Editor.
-What's up?
-Mr Editor.
-Love ya, sisters.
Over there.
Welcome.
Come here.
This is Yuji. He's new.
Cute.
Too bad he's asexual.
Really?
No.
You have sexual feelings?
Did she fuck you?
Who?
Novelist Taeko Mitsuzawa.
-I love her.
-Me too.
Women love that crazy sex stuff.
You work with her?
Yeah, he requested to be assigned
to that freak.
I like her.
I'll tell you something interesting.
Switch seats with me.
The thing is,
she's not really handicapped.
Tell no one.
Also, I know where she lives.
You see her in Aobadai,
but she lives nowhere near there.
Another thing:
She is mentally ill.
She's seeing a shrink.
You think you can...
Find out more about her?
The guys in our magazine division
want to do an expose on her.
You think you can help them out?
They need your help.
OK.
You'll do it?
Great.
Let's drink.
Suddenly, you're ready to party.
My dick is always ready.
Let's drink.
To Yuji.
Cheers...
Are you OK?
I have to pee.
I have to pee.
I have to pee.
Mom used to tell me...
I'd look like her when I grew up.
I remember that.
She was wrong.
I have to pee.
I have to pee.
I have to pee.
I have to pee.
I have to pee...
Goddamn it.
Give me that knife.
Stop.
Mitsuko.
"Depersonalization"
This is Yuji.
Hey, it's me.
About what I asked you to do...
It's fine.
I'll do it.
Yeah? I appreciate it.
Expenses covered, OK?
OK, good.
See you tomorrow.
Good night.
Tonight, I would like to
introduce you all to someone new.
Name please?
My name is Yuji Tamiya.
Yuji...
We should tell Yuji
why we have mutilated our bodies.
Let's tell him.
I hated my nipples.
Ugly and unnecessary.
Let cells live.
Liberation.
Scars are cute.
To control my body.
Be a mannequin.
I slit my wrists. I feel fine now.
Scars are flowers.
Yuji?
My body is a vase.
It's just a container.
My heart is a flower.
I wanted my body to match it.
Let's give him a warm welcome.
He's one of us now.
-Are you wearing the same pants?
-Stop it.
I've told you not to do that.
You bought me those panties.
Hey, you're up.
Go to school sometime, Mitsuko.
Leave her alone.
But she's annoying.
Mom.
I found it, Mom.
Mom.
I found it, Mom.
I found it, Mom.
What did you find?
Mom.
What's that?
Mom...
This?
What's this?
Sayuri's earring.
Your former wife's ?
This sucks.
Want it?
You do?
Give it back.
No.
-Give me that.
-No.
I'll shit it out.
Not again.
Get in.
It's OK.
Get in.
Finished...
Finished...
Mitsuko...
Finished. Mitsuko.
Robo?
Ever think maybe this isn't reality?
And what I write is more real?
Right now, this is just a dream?
Mitsuko's imagination.
That's a pretty interesting idea.
I need to take a break.
Let's go somewhere.
Let's get off here.
Hey, what if I could walk?
You asked if I was writing about me.
Let's say I am.
My dad raped me, and I was
destroyed mentally and physically.
I'm in a wheelchair to convey that.
I see.
-I've heard that.
-What?
This woman...
She was raped by her own father,
and she said the same thing.
Said what?
That, after she was raped, she felt
like her limbs had been removed.
Like her arms and legs
had been chopped off.
A rape victim feels like an amputee?
Like her limbs are gone?
That's fascinating.
I think I'll use that in my book.
Mitsuko becomes
an amputee at the end.
Sounds good.
Let's make Gozo an amputee too.
Good idea.
Look, Robo.
I wrote about that.
Right.
I was in the school orchestra.
Yeah?
I played the xylophone.
I see.
Bad dream?
What time is it? Why am I here?
You said you wanted to stay here.
I did?
No more sleep. Let's go outside.
-How beautiful.
-A lot of shops here.
Hold on.
Go get me that lovely swimsuit.
It's not summer yet, and...
And what?
Fine.
Hurry, Robo.
What is it? Are you OK?
-What'd you do?
-Where's the... bathroom?
Just ask the bellhop.
Go away.
-Go.
-Sorry.
Taeko...
You OK?
It's me.
You bought it?
Yes.
Good.
I wanna...
...wear it.
Now?
Help me, Robo.
But...
You have no sexual feelings, right?
So, nothing will happen.
You were cool earlier.
What?
You yelled at that creep.
You made me do that.
He was just a guest at the hotel.
He was definitely a creep.
Only creeps carry such big cases.
So?
Meaning?
How do I look?
Beautiful.
Really?
I want to take a nap for 30 minutes.
OK.
Thanks.
Robo?
I fell asleep.
Let's go home.
Done.
Hungry?
I'm working on a new book now.
Read it when it's done.
And I'll introduce you to
this nice guy named Yuji.
It's me.
Yuji.
It appears that there is a page
missing from the manuscript.
Can I come pick it up right now?
How about tomorrow?
My boss says he needs it tonight.
I'll meet you where we just parted.
Fine. Give me 30 minutes.
OK.
Been a while, huh?
Hello?
Hey.
Where are you?
On my way to your parents' house.
I have your pet with me.
Robo?
Get there quickly...
Or else your pet will be fucked.
Robo?
Hello?
Robo?
I'm here, Robo.
Robo.
Robo.
Robo.
Robo...
Yuji.
Robo.
Who are you?
Don't look at me like that.
Fuck your wheelchair.
Who are you?
You don't recall?
What?
Who are you?
No, who are you?
Don't you remember anything
about your past?
Wait...
Mitsuko?
Am l?
Am I Mitsuko?
Yes, I'm Mitsuko.
I just remembered that.
And you are?
Reveal yourself.
Shut up, Mother.
Mother?
Don't you recognize my face?
No, I don't .
That sucks.
ln any case,
this is how the book should end.
Taeko finally realizes that
she's actually Mitsuko.
Now, let's get back to work.
And finish this
before we forget, Mother.
Mother?
Get up.
Want your wheelchair?
Mother.
Sit.
Help me.
You really do look like me.
Let's go to Gozo's bedroom.
It'll put you in the mood to write.
What?
I was raped.
You were raped? Here?
Look, it's all ready for you.
See anything?
That.
That's something special for you.
Now, Mother, we should go over
what you've written so far.
Let's review the story of
you and me... and him.
"I was sentenced to death at birth."
"Or maybe my mother was to be
executed, and we switched places."
It's a good opening paragraph.
I really like this, Taeko.
I mean... Mother.
"As far back as I can remember,
I've been surrounded by guillotines."
"One wrong move, and I'm gone."
"When Dad first molested me,
it was the beginning of the end."
"I was 12."
"Mom and I looked exactly alike."
"I was her, and she was me."
Yeah, you really do look like me.
You really do look like me.
"Dad touched both Mom and me."
"When Mom and Dad had sex,
they made me watch."
"I felt like I was having sex."
That's right, Mother.
I had to watch you two
fuck like animals.
You and this rotten pig.
You hear me?
Taeko.
Sorry.
Or should I call you Mitsuko?
Now, the next part is
a bunch of crap, Mother.
You wrote...
"When Dad touched me,
Mom watched."
"The difference between us was
that she seemed happy."
"But her joy was infectious.
It was dangerous."
A bunch of bullshit, Mother.
Your joy was not infectious.
You like this?
I am not you. You are not me.
Mother.
Do you not recognize my face?
"I was convinced that I was Mom
and Mom was me."
"Dad touched me, and I became Mom."
"And I even began to enjoy sex."
"Because I was Mom."
This is laughable.
Ridiculous.
"Mom died when I was in 6th grade."
"I stood by her coffin and cried."
"Lying in her coffin, she was me."
"She looked so serene.
Just like an innocent child."
"I killed her."
"Mom had tried to kill me
whenever Dad was away."
"She had been jealous of me."
You were fucking evil, Sayuri.
Sayuri?
Don't play dumb.
See him?
Pretty damn cool, huh?
What's that?
What are you saying?
What?
I can't hear you.
"Help me, Sayuri.
Do something about this freak."
No way.
The thing is, right now, I gotta do
something about you, Sayuri.
Look.
This staircase.
My earring...
Mitsuko.
-Did you hide my earring?
-No.
I know you did.
Give it back to me.
You stole it, didn't you?
Wait.
-Wait
-I didn't .
I know you took it.
Don't run away from me.
Mitsuko.
Give me back my goddamn earring.
Remember?
Mitsuko died...
Mitsuko died? Bullshit.
Funeral...
There was no funeral.
Mitsuko did not die.
After that day,
you never left the house.
Meanwhile, I was sent to live
with a foster family.
I came back repeatedly to see you.
You were writing "letters of apology."
But you wrote them
from the perspective of a child...
...who killed her mother.
You were in complete denial.
Like you never had ill feelings
toward your kid.
You actually managed to convince
yourself that you had died.
You became a recluse
and started writing stories.
But didn't you show up
at school one time?
Wearing Mitsuko's name tag?
What the...?
Daddy.
Anyway, you never recovered.
You've been living as Mitsuko.
You chose that 'cause you couldn't
deal with yourself.
You're such a sick, twisted,
and cunning individual, Sayuri.
And you, as Mitsuko, continued to
have nasty sex with Gozo.
Daddy...
How is it...?
But eventually,
he found another woman.
So you just stayed in your room
and wrote all the time.
You wrote as Mitsuko.
You were lonely, right?
Hey, you.
Stop staring.
Wanna join us?
How do you like this?
-Sayuri, I'm hurt.
-Are you in pain?
Taeko.
Done.
Look, Dad.
Just finished writing a novel.
See?
You don't want me to use
my real name, right?
So I changed my name to Taeko.
See?
Look at it.
Are you happy now?
By the way, I have something
better than this, Dad.
I'll go get it.
Get in this case.
Any idea what I've been through?
I managed to get this job,
and I finally got here.
I've waited so long for you
to start writing about our past.
So long.
Finally...
It's over.
It's all over.
Mother.
Mitsuko.
I'm sorry.
I don't want that.
Words mean nothing.
You tried to kill me just for losing
one of your goddamn earrings.
What I want is for you to
feel guilty and...
...be Sayuri.
Mitsuko...
And then I'll be free.
You said you'd make the protagonist
an amputee at the end?
Let me help you with that.
What was that?
You'll catch a cold.
Give me my robe.
I have to pee.
Where's my wheelchair?
Come on, where is it?
What?
I can't walk.
What wheelchair?
-Be serious.
-What?
Is this a joke?
What do you mean?
You knew?
What?
You've seen me walk.
Is that it?
You're nuts.
You can walk.
You always do walk.
No...
What's real and what's not?
Thank you for being with us.
And now, everyone,
this is our last act for tonight.
Hang in there, Sayuri.
-Is Saya here?
-She is. This way please.
-Mr Editor.
-What's up?
-Mr Editor.
-Love ya, sisters.
Over there.
Welcome.
Come here.
This is Yuji. He's new.
Cute.
Too bad he's asexual.
Really?
No.
You have sexual feelings?
Did she fuck you?
Who?
Novelist Taeko Mitsuzawa.
-I love her.
-Me too.
Women love that crazy sex stuff.
You work with her?
Yeah, he requested to be assigned
to that freak.
I like her.
I'll tell you something interesting.
Switch seats with me.
The thing is,
she's not really handicapped.
Tell no one.
Also, I know where she lives.
You see her in Aobadai,
but she lives nowhere near there.
Another thing:
She is mentally ill.
She's seeing a shrink.
You think you can...
Find out more about her?
The guys in our magazine division
want to do an expose on her.
You think you can help them out?
They need your help.
OK.
You'll do it?
Great.
Let's drink.
Suddenly, you're ready to party.
My dick is always ready.
Let's drink.
To Yuji.
Cheers...
Are you OK?
I have to pee.
I have to pee.
I have to pee.
Mom used to tell me...
I'd look like her when I grew up.
I remember that.
She was wrong.
I have to pee.
I have to pee.
I have to pee.
I have to pee.
I have to pee...
Goddamn it.
Give me that knife.
Stop.
Mitsuko.
"Depersonalization"
This is Yuji.
Hey, it's me.
About what I asked you to do...
It's fine.
I'll do it.
Yeah? I appreciate it.
Expenses covered, OK?
OK, good.
See you tomorrow.
Good night.
Tonight, I would like to
introduce you all to someone new.
Name please?
My name is Yuji Tamiya.
Yuji...
We should tell Yuji
why we have mutilated our bodies.
Let's tell him.
I hated my nipples.
Ugly and unnecessary.
Let cells live.
Liberation.
Scars are cute.
To control my body.
Be a mannequin.
I slit my wrists. I feel fine now.
Scars are flowers.
Yuji?
My body is a vase.
It's just a container.
My heart is a flower.
I wanted my body to match it.
Let's give him a warm welcome.
He's one of us now.
-Are you wearing the same pants?
-Stop it.
I've told you not to do that.
You bought me those panties.
Hey, you're up.
Go to school sometime, Mitsuko.
Leave her alone.
But she's annoying.
Mom.
I found it, Mom.
Mom.
I found it, Mom.
I found it, Mom.
What did you find?
Mom.
What's that?
Mom...
This?
What's this?
Sayuri's earring.
Your former wife's ?
This sucks.
Want it?
You do?
Give it back.
No.
-Give me that.
-No.
I'll shit it out.
Not again.
Get in.
It's OK.
Get in.
Finished...
Finished...
Mitsuko...
Finished. Mitsuko.
Robo?
Ever think maybe this isn't reality?
And what I write is more real?
Right now, this is just a dream?
Mitsuko's imagination.
That's a pretty interesting idea.
I need to take a break.
Let's go somewhere.
Let's get off here.
Hey, what if I could walk?
You asked if I was writing about me.
Let's say I am.
My dad raped me, and I was
destroyed mentally and physically.
I'm in a wheelchair to convey that.
I see.
-I've heard that.
-What?
This woman...
She was raped by her own father,
and she said the same thing.
Said what?
That, after she was raped, she felt
like her limbs had been removed.
Like her arms and legs
had been chopped off.
A rape victim feels like an amputee?
Like her limbs are gone?
That's fascinating.
I think I'll use that in my book.
Mitsuko becomes
an amputee at the end.
Sounds good.
Let's make Gozo an amputee too.
Good idea.
Look, Robo.
I wrote about that.
Right.
I was in the school orchestra.
Yeah?
I played the xylophone.
I see.
Bad dream?
What time is it? Why am I here?
You said you wanted to stay here.
I did?
No more sleep. Let's go outside.
-How beautiful.
-A lot of shops here.
Hold on.
Go get me that lovely swimsuit.
It's not summer yet, and...
And what?
Fine.
Hurry, Robo.
What is it? Are you OK?
-What'd you do?
-Where's the... bathroom?
Just ask the bellhop.
Go away.
-Go.
-Sorry.
Taeko...
You OK?
It's me.
You bought it?
Yes.
Good.
I wanna...
...wear it.
Now?
Help me, Robo.
But...
You have no sexual feelings, right?
So, nothing will happen.
You were cool earlier.
What?
You yelled at that creep.
You made me do that.
He was just a guest at the hotel.
He was definitely a creep.
Only creeps carry such big cases.
So?
Meaning?
How do I look?
Beautiful.
Really?
I want to take a nap for 30 minutes.
OK.
Thanks.
Robo?
I fell asleep.
Let's go home.
Done.
Hungry?
I'm working on a new book now.
Read it when it's done.
And I'll introduce you to
this nice guy named Yuji.
It's me.
Yuji.
It appears that there is a page
missing from the manuscript.
Can I come pick it up right now?
How about tomorrow?
My boss says he needs it tonight.
I'll meet you where we just parted.
Fine. Give me 30 minutes.
OK.
Been a while, huh?
Hello?
Hey.
Where are you?
On my way to your parents' house.
I have your pet with me.
Robo?
Get there quickly...
Or else your pet will be fucked.
Robo?
Hello?
Robo?
I'm here, Robo.
Robo.
Robo.
Robo.
Robo...
Yuji.
Robo.
Who are you?
Don't look at me like that.
Fuck your wheelchair.
Who are you?
You don't recall?
What?
Who are you?
No, who are you?
Don't you remember anything
about your past?
Wait...
Mitsuko?
Am l?
Am I Mitsuko?
Yes, I'm Mitsuko.
I just remembered that.
And you are?
Reveal yourself.
Shut up, Mother.
Mother?
Don't you recognize my face?
No, I don't .
That sucks.
ln any case,
this is how the book should end.
Taeko finally realizes that
she's actually Mitsuko.
Now, let's get back to work.
And finish this
before we forget, Mother.
Mother?
Get up.
Want your wheelchair?
Mother.
Sit.
Help me.
You really do look like me.
Let's go to Gozo's bedroom.
It'll put you in the mood to write.
What?
I was raped.
You were raped? Here?
Look, it's all ready for you.
See anything?
That.
That's something special for you.
Now, Mother, we should go over
what you've written so far.
Let's review the story of
you and me... and him.
"I was sentenced to death at birth."
"Or maybe my mother was to be
executed, and we switched places."
It's a good opening paragraph.
I really like this, Taeko.
I mean... Mother.
"As far back as I can remember,
I've been surrounded by guillotines."
"One wrong move, and I'm gone."
"When Dad first molested me,
it was the beginning of the end."
"I was 12."
"Mom and I looked exactly alike."
"I was her, and she was me."
Yeah, you really do look like me.
You really do look like me.
"Dad touched both Mom and me."
"When Mom and Dad had sex,
they made me watch."
"I felt like I was having sex."
That's right, Mother.
I had to watch you two
fuck like animals.
You and this rotten pig.
You hear me?
Taeko.
Sorry.
Or should I call you Mitsuko?
Now, the next part is
a bunch of crap, Mother.
You wrote...
"When Dad touched me,
Mom watched."
"The difference between us was
that she seemed happy."
"But her joy was infectious.
It was dangerous."
A bunch of bullshit, Mother.
Your joy was not infectious.
You like this?
I am not you. You are not me.
Mother.
Do you not recognize my face?
"I was convinced that I was Mom
and Mom was me."
"Dad touched me, and I became Mom."
"And I even began to enjoy sex."
"Because I was Mom."
This is laughable.
Ridiculous.
"Mom died when I was in 6th grade."
"I stood by her coffin and cried."
"Lying in her coffin, she was me."
"She looked so serene.
Just like an innocent child."
"I killed her."
"Mom had tried to kill me
whenever Dad was away."
"She had been jealous of me."
You were fucking evil, Sayuri.
Sayuri?
Don't play dumb.
See him?
Pretty damn cool, huh?
What's that?
What are you saying?
What?
I can't hear you.
"Help me, Sayuri.
Do something about this freak."
No way.
The thing is, right now, I gotta do
something about you, Sayuri.
Look.
This staircase.
My earring...
Mitsuko.
-Did you hide my earring?
-No.
I know you did.
Give it back to me.
You stole it, didn't you?
Wait.
-Wait
-I didn't .
I know you took it.
Don't run away from me.
Mitsuko.
Give me back my goddamn earring.
Remember?
Mitsuko died...
Mitsuko died? Bullshit.
Funeral...
There was no funeral.
Mitsuko did not die.
After that day,
you never left the house.
Meanwhile, I was sent to live
with a foster family.
I came back repeatedly to see you.
You were writing "letters of apology."
But you wrote them
from the perspective of a child...
...who killed her mother.
You were in complete denial.
Like you never had ill feelings
toward your kid.
You actually managed to convince
yourself that you had died.
You became a recluse
and started writing stories.
But didn't you show up
at school one time?
Wearing Mitsuko's name tag?
What the...?
Daddy.
Anyway, you never recovered.
You've been living as Mitsuko.
You chose that 'cause you couldn't
deal with yourself.
You're such a sick, twisted,
and cunning individual, Sayuri.
And you, as Mitsuko, continued to
have nasty sex with Gozo.
Daddy...
How is it...?
But eventually,
he found another woman.
So you just stayed in your room
and wrote all the time.
You wrote as Mitsuko.
You were lonely, right?
Hey, you.
Stop staring.
Wanna join us?
How do you like this?
-Sayuri, I'm hurt.
-Are you in pain?
Taeko.
Done.
Look, Dad.
Just finished writing a novel.
See?
You don't want me to use
my real name, right?
So I changed my name to Taeko.
See?
Look at it.
Are you happy now?
By the way, I have something
better than this, Dad.
I'll go get it.
Get in this case.
Any idea what I've been through?
I managed to get this job,
and I finally got here.
I've waited so long for you
to start writing about our past.
So long.
Finally...
It's over.
It's all over.
Mother.
Mitsuko.
I'm sorry.
I don't want that.
Words mean nothing.
You tried to kill me just for losing
one of your goddamn earrings.
What I want is for you to
feel guilty and...
...be Sayuri.
Mitsuko...
And then I'll be free.
You said you'd make the protagonist
an amputee at the end?
Let me help you with that.
What was that?
You'll catch a cold.
Give me my robe.
I have to pee.
Where's my wheelchair?
Come on, where is it?
What?
I can't walk.
What wheelchair?
-Be serious.
-What?
Is this a joke?
What do you mean?
You knew?
What?
You've seen me walk.
Is that it?
You're nuts.
You can walk.
You always do walk.
No...
What's real and what's not?
Thank you for being with us.
And now, everyone,
this is our last act for tonight.
Hang in there, Sayuri.