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Millennium Actress [DVD]

Miyoko Shôji (Actor), Mami Koyama (Actor), Satoshi Kon (Director) Rated:
PG
Format: DVD
4.8 out of 5 stars 1,095 ratings
IMDb7.8/10.0
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October 28, 2003 		—
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Format Widescreen, AC-3, Animated, NTSC, DVD, Subtitled, Dolby, Color, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned
Contributor Hisako Kyôda, Mami Koyama, Tomie Kataoka, Masane Tsukayama, Kan Tokumaru, Hirotaka Suzuoki, Stephen Bent, Satoshi Kon, Shouko Tsuda, Fumiko Orikasa, Masaya Onosaka, Kôichi Yamadera, Shôzô Îzuka, Masamichi Sato, Miyoko Shôji See more
Language Japanese
Runtime 1 hour and 27 minutes
Color Color
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Product Description

Product description

The second film by director Satoshi Kon and screenwriter Sadayuki Murai recalls Perfect Blue, but Millennium Actress is a more complex, subtle, and sophisticated work that evokes the history of Japanese cinema. After nearly 30 years of li

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The second film by director Satoshi Kon and screenwriter Sadayuki Murai recalls Perfect Blue, but Millennium Actress is a more complex, subtle, and sophisticated work that evokes the history of Japanese cinema. After nearly 30 years of living in strict seclusion, the aged film star Chioyoko Fujiwara grants an interview to journalist Genya Tachibana. As their conversation begins, Kan intercuts scenes from Chioyoko's films with her memories of pursuing the mysterious artist she met as a young girl. Accompanied by his blasé cameraman, Tashibana finds himself within Chioyoko's memories and films, alternately observing and aiding the woman he adores. Kon's skillful direction and subtle use of color strengthen the intriguing story: Chioyoko's memories are rendered in shades of gray, with hints of muted color highlighting the overall composition. American viewers will find their appreciation of this shimmering, spiral narrative deepens with repeated viewings. (Rated PG: violence, mature themes) --Charles Solomon

Product details

  • Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.78:1
  • Is Discontinued By Manufacturer ‏ : ‎ No
  • MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
  • Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches; 3.2 ounces
  • Director ‏ : ‎ Satoshi Kon
  • Media Format ‏ : ‎ Widescreen, AC-3, Animated, NTSC, DVD, Subtitled, Dolby, Color, Anamorphic, Closed-captioned
  • Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 27 minutes
  • Release date ‏ : ‎ October 28, 2003
  • Actors ‏ : ‎ Miyoko Shôji, Mami Koyama, Fumiko Orikasa, Shôzô Îzuka, Shouko Tsuda
  • Subtitles: ‏ : ‎ English, French
  • Language ‏ : ‎ Japanese (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Japanese (Dolby Digital 5.1)
  • Studio ‏ : ‎ Dreamworks Video
  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0000AK80C
  • Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 out of 5 stars 1,095 ratings

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
1,095 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise this anime film for its well-crafted visuals and breathtaking animation, with one review noting how scenes seamlessly transition between different films. The movie receives positive feedback for its storytelling, with one customer highlighting its wonderfully layered plot, and for its character development, particularly the moving expressions of the characters. While customers find the film unique and beautiful, they note it can be difficult to follow, and while some find it funny at moments, others describe it as sad.

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Movie qualityStorytellingArt qualityAnimation qualityCharacter developmentUniquenessDifficulty to followHeartbreaking movie
46 customers mention "Movie quality"46 positive0 negative

Customers praise this anime film, describing it as amazing and well-made, with one customer highlighting its beautiful visuals.

"...I will tell you, this film is a real trip. So what exactly is this film?..." Read more

"...What I can tell you is that it's one incredible film everyone should see...." Read more

"...about, but this film showed me the raw potential of how animation can tell mature stories that doesn't talk down to its audience...." Read more

"...paralleling the story of the central characters is a loving homage to both Japan's history and to that golden era of Japanese films, whose tropes..." Read more

44 customers mention "Storytelling"39 positive5 negative

Customers praise the movie's storytelling, describing it as a powerfully moving drama that adds depth to the narrative.

"...So what exactly is this film? It's a documentary, biography, Godzilla, mystery, drama, stage play, samurai flick, sci-fi...yes...it's that hard to..." Read more

"...which was fortunate for this movie, as he kept this way total control over the story and was able to blur past and present, life on the plateau and..." Read more

"...renting it from my local library at the tender age of 13, the film brought me to tears, still does, and is a defining film that made me love anime..." Read more

"...I found myself totally emotionally captured." Read more

27 customers mention "Art quality"27 positive0 negative

Customers praise the movie's art quality, noting its beautiful animation and great visuals, with one customer describing it as breathtakingly beautiful anime.

"...It's beautifully pieced together and lovingly crafted. It is both uplifting, yet sad. It is so simple and yet so complexed...." Read more

"...Satoshi Kon's style is incredibly atmospheric, and I like to watch his movies with that in mind...." Read more

"Very good anime-making. Very good movie-making. Great drawing. But it's often confusing...." Read more

"...It’s passionite, incredibly well animated, and a complete love story for Japanese classic cinema...." Read more

13 customers mention "Animation quality"13 positive0 negative

Customers praise the breathtaking animation of the movie, with one customer noting its seamless scene transitions between different films, while another describes it as poetry in motion.

"...His films are poetry in motion. I consider Millennial Actress to be one such film. Who is Chiyoko if not for her body of work?..." Read more

"...also doesn’t help that it has some of the best transitions in an animated film ever." Read more

"...The animation is top-notch and adds depth to the story in the way only animation can." Read more

"it's so beautiful, i love it so much, the transitions are breathtaking and the emotions, expression of the characters are so moving" Read more

10 customers mention "Character development"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the movie, noting the moving expressions of the characters, with one customer describing it as a dreamlike portrait of an artist's life.

"Maybe the greatest movie actress of Japan - some considered her the Century Actress - born at the beginning at the twenties, starting to play in her..." Read more

"...It's the story of a person who just will not quit. Amazing determination personified...." Read more

"...It’s a vibrant, dreamlike portrait of an artist’s life...." Read more

"...great job on the costumes,depicting the different eras of the actress's story,japan pre WWII,during the war,the fifties,the historical films,with..." Read more

7 customers mention "Uniqueness"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the movie unique, describing it as sublime with a distinct style, and one customer notes its surreal aspect.

"...characters (Chiyoko, the Interviewer, and the Cameraman) are also very charming, but more importantly they serve as anchors to each other - and in..." Read more

"...Sublime, yet raw in emotions and amazing in how much it pulls out of the watcher. The plot is one actress's search for her first love...." Read more

"...This type of storytelling is not only unique, but also extremely well-executed. The ending left both in all and in tears...." Read more

"Wow, a powerfully moving drama with such an interesting art to it...." Read more

10 customers mention "Difficulty to follow"6 positive4 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the movie's difficulty to follow, with some finding it confusing and others appreciating its straightforward narrative form.

"...Tokyo, is emotionally rich and complex, but told in a pretty straightforward narrative form...." Read more

"...This is not a film for children. It is far too complexed and many of the themes will just fly over their heads on top of the complexity...." Read more

"...with the English dub it makes it even easier to access these days!" Read more

"...appreciate the film as much as I did at that time, it can be hard to follow at times...." Read more

9 customers mention "Heartbreaking movie"3 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed reactions to the movie's emotional content, with some finding it funny at moments while others describe it as sad.

"...The plotline is heartbreaking, as is the end, but overall, it is worth having your heart broken." Read more

"...Sometimes funny, sometimes painful, always drawing you deeper in, this anime is truly a masterpeice...." Read more

"This is one of those "tragic love story" movies where the main character can't be with someone she loves...." Read more

"...I didn't find the story to be depressing although it is bittersweet...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Hope this helps
    5.0 out of 5 stars Before Inception, There as Millennium Actress...
    Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    And I do not use that comparison lightly. Just as "Inceptions" was a trip through reality, so is this film...but much more romantic. But don't let the "romance" fool you...

    FOR PARENTS AND OTHER CONCERNED PEOPLE:
    There is nothing to fear. The film is very engaging and immersive...but doing all that without having to stoop to using provocative material, fan service, nor coarse language. This is not a film for children, though, because it's a very mature and complicated film.

    MOVING ON:
    This is the first animated art film to truly draw me in. I will tell you, this film is a real trip. So what exactly is this film? It's a documentary, biography, Godzilla, mystery, drama, stage play, samurai flick, sci-fi...yes...it's that hard to explain. One thing that can be said for sure is that this is a wonderful psychological romance that will really test your mind...think "Inception" but ten times more trippy. It is also a story about love and identity...and the chase (which you can discover the meaning of if you watch). The plot is fairly simple...but the execution is very very artistic, engaging, and complexed. I can't describe it, it's just something to experience. And your emotions will fly at times. What I will say, pay attention to the dialogue, it's very purposed. Also pay attention to repetitions, they are clues. The 3 main characters (Chiyoko, the Interviewer, and the Cameraman) are also very charming, but more importantly they serve as anchors to each other - and in some cases a mirror. Also, you get to see the growth and development of people over time in a very unique way...as well as this strange phenomena of choice and retrospect. Simply put, I can't stress how beautiful this film really is. And it will take much more than one viewing to even begin to grasp a small portion of it. The ending is epic btw.

    Just to let you know, the film is Japanese dubbed with English subtitles. This is one of the few times that I will say with definite affirmation that this was a wise choice. Though i'm no purist, I do think in this case a dub would have lost something...not because it would have been bad...but because there's a magical and surreal aspect that the Japanese helps to bring in this film.

    SPECIAL FEATURES:
    Well there isn't really any special features except for a "making of..." feature which is an interview/commentary by Satoshi Kon.

    ALL IN ALL:
    This film will twist your mind in so many fun and meaningful ways. It's beautifully pieced together and lovingly crafted. It is both uplifting, yet sad. It is so simple and yet so complexed. You'll need multiple watches...but each watch reveals a new layer of depth and meaning. All in all, it is a treasured part of my collection. This is not a film for children. It is far too complexed and many of the themes will just fly over their heads on top of the complexity. One cannot watch this passively...but, if you are willing to focus, it can be a rewarding experience. This film may be difficult for some to follow, but then again...the chase can be quite fun.
    19 people found this helpful
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  • PIERRE RADULESCU-BANU
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Homage to Setsuko Hara
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Maybe the greatest movie actress of Japan - some considered her the Century Actress - born at the beginning at the twenties, starting to play in her teens, spanning a prodigious career over three decades of movie history, to vanish at her peak! She gave weak reasons (or no reasons at all) for her decision to leave the public life; her anonymity has been total ever since.

    Decades have passed, new generations of public came and little by little the great actress was forgotten. Of course, film critics are still mentioning her name when analyzing the movies of the forties and fifties; but they are talking at the past, as of a person who lived in a bygone era.

    Has everybody forgotten her? No, of course not, there will be always people passionate for her movies and fascinated by her personality: people dreaming to find her and to tell her their fascination.

    And here is the place where Sennen joyû (Millennium Actress) starts: a devoted fan succeeds to find her and she accepts to be interviewed by him. As they start talking, the past comes back in force and overwhelms the present. Scenes from all her movies, and what happened behind the scenes: she was playing the lead role, he was just a young assistant by then. The present is no more, their memories join in a unique flow. The old star and her fan live again the past, this time the meaning of those moments comes enriched: she is now aware of his presence on the plateau. Actually the past is not repeated: the force of their memories makes the past a continuous moment, time looses any significance. There is no more a succession of moments; there are only moments charged with emotional value, that remain forever.

    Kon Satoshi is an Animé film director,which was fortunate for this movie, as he kept this way total control over the story and was able to blur past and present, life on the plateau and life outside it; more than that, he was able this way to change completely the image style of each reenacted scene in accordance to the specific period; Jidaigeki movies from the twenties and early thirties, propaganda movies from the period of Manchurian occupation, dramas from late forties and fifties, Sci-Fi movies from the sixties on. What resulted was a fascinating history of Japanese cinema in its most significant moments!

    Is the feminine personage in the movie an allusion to Setusko Hara? The director did not confirm this suggestion. Nevertheless I would say yes, for many reasons, the main reason being that for me it is only Setsuko Hara who deserves to be named the Millennium Actress.
    26 people found this helpful
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  • Maiku Kisaragi
    5.0 out of 5 stars One word...Masterpiece
    Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2010
    Verified Purchase
    It's really sad when one thinks that the incredible director that was Kon Satoshi only made 4 films and 1 TV anime. Of his films(Perfect Blue, Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika and Millennium Actress) Millennium Actress is easily his best. The movie is about an actress named Fujiwara Chiyoko who at one point in her life was a very prolific actress but disappeared from movies never to be heard from again.

    Many years later Tachibana Genya finally tracks her down and gets a interview. Genya also happens to be Chiyoko's biggest fan and cherishes this moment. As she tells him the story of her life both Genya and his Cameraman find themselves reliving her life in person. To them it becomes more then a story.

    Throughout the movie the viewer sees why Chiyoko got into movies and how no matter the movie she was doing her character seemed to be part of herself. There are times when the memories and movies begin to blur and the viewer is left wondering if what just happened was one of her movies or one of her memories or perhaps both.

    Now I'm not a professional reviewer so I won't go deeper into the plot or it's complexity and the messages it has. What I can tell you is that it's one incredible film everyone should see. After the death of Kon Satoshi it seems to be a perfect way to put yourself at peace with it.(if you happen to know what his death means to alot of people like myself) In many ways Kon's career mirrored Chiyoko's.
    4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Eric
    5.0 out of 5 stars An absolute gem
    Reviewed in Canada on October 27, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This is one of the greatest anime films ever made. Satoshi Kon is like the Kubrick of anime. His stories are deep and intelligent. Filled with both haunting beauty and multiple layers of meaning. This anime film is transcendent and I would say it's just a great film in general. The blu ray transfer is also very well done. Highly recommended and a must watch if you are even remotely interested in either film or anime.
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  • Gaetano
    5.0 out of 5 stars Un'opera di Satoshi Kon...tanto per cambiare imprescindibile!
    Reviewed in Italy on October 8, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Non bisogna lasciarsi ingannare da una copertina così poco curata, il dvd che ospita all'interno è ricolmo di tale poesia da far dimenticare ogni imperfezione del packaging. Satoshi Kon utilizza il suo rinomato "approccio onirico" per narrarci la vita di Chiyoko Fujiwara, fulgida stella del passato che porta avanti una vita da reclusa da trent'anni, dopo l'interruzione misteriosa della sua carriera. Genya Tachibana, reporter e fan dell'attrice, accompagnato dal suo cameraman Kyoji Iida, si fa carico della missione di svelare il mistero e far luce sulla vita dell'attrice, letteralmente "vivendo" quei momenti grazie alla cinematografia di Kon, presenziando all'epoca delle guerre, ai successi e ai fallimenti della nostra eroina, in rocambolesche avventure che fondono presente e passato, realtà e finzione ma anche verità e bugie. Si capisce, con lo svolgersi degli eventi, che più che narrar di Chiyoko, la storia celebri l'amore stesso e, pur mostrando stralci di tristezza e frustrazione, riesce ad evocare una sensazione di pace e libertà finale che ha pochi eguali. Probabilmente non sarà il massimo capolavoro di Satoshi Kon ma di certo si avvicina non poco a tale status.

    L'aspetto grafico è di prim'ordine: uno stile grafico che tende al realistico per rappresentazione grafica ed animazioni ma indulge quando serve in esagerazioni adatte a rappresentare emozioni, stati d'animo, atmosfere. Non siamo ai fasti grafici di Paprika ma parliamo di tutt'altro budget e storia, che non necessita di orgie grafiche ma solo di una rappresentazione certosina quanto sensibile, pun obiettivo perfettamente centrato. A mio parere la traccia del dvd gode di colori e aspetto generale un pò smorto, come se non si fosse tentato di sfruttare il supporto ottimizzando luci e colori. Si spera che un'edizione futura in blu-ray riesca ad ovviare a tali problematiche. L'aspetto sonoro non è da meno, accompagnandoci con la giusta forza in ogni passo nella memoria.
    Il doppiaggio e l'adattamento riescono ad elevarsi ad un livello davvero alto, con ottime interpretazioni ed enfasi, necessarie per un'opera del genere.

    Un dvd da consigliare senza riserve, un'altro tassello della produzione di un grandissimo regista e visionario purtroppo venuto a mancare sin troppo presto.
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  • Gil
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lo opuesto a Perfect Blue
    Reviewed in Mexico on July 14, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Satoshi Kon hace una película con una temática similar a la de Perfect Blue, pero con un enfoque mucho más animado y positivo.
    Una cinta muy tierna.

    Ojo:
    Ésta edición no tiene subtitulos en español.
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  • John van der Vuurst
    3.0 out of 5 stars Niet de Europese regio voor blue-ray
    Reviewed in the Netherlands on December 27, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Gekocht voor onder de kerstboom. Bij het uitpakken zag mijn zoon direct dat het de verkeerde regio betrof. Europa is regio B en deze disk is voor regio A (Amerika).
    We konden de disk retourneren. Maar wel jammer.
    Customer image
    John van der Vuurst
    3.0 out of 5 stars
    Niet de Europese regio voor blue-ray

    Reviewed in the Netherlands on December 27, 2022
    Gekocht voor onder de kerstboom. Bij het uitpakken zag mijn zoon direct dat het de verkeerde regio betrof. Europa is regio B en deze disk is voor regio A (Amerika).
    We konden de disk retourneren. Maar wel jammer.
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  • J.M. Vandyck
    5.0 out of 5 stars Un des plus grand film d'animation
    Reviewed in France on May 27, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Une actrice raconte sa carrière (qui se confond avec l'histoire du Japon) et sa recherche tout au long de sa vie d'un peintre qui lui a confié une clé... FA-BU-LEUX !!
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