An acrylic painting on wood panel, titled 'Picnic', of a woman covered in black feathers squatting on top of a stone wall. Her tattered black umbrella is shooting fireworks.

Picnic

(1996, Shunji Iwai)

All About Lily Chou-Chou was a movie that got under my skin in a bad way and without understanding why, I think I’ve been avoiding films directed by Shunji Iwai ever since. I don’t even pay attention to who directs what when I watch a movie but I think his style has been something I’ve avoided. Now, I find myself enjoying his movies quite a bit. Picnic was one of them and it helps to have Chara and Tadanobu Asano (my favorite actor!) on board as well. It’s a short, simple tale of some insane asylum patients who escape the facility but refuse to leave the wall they are walking on so as not to really “leave” the facility. Not much more depth to it but there’s a lot of nice camerawork and dialogue regarding the weirdness of Christianity.


A screenshot of a gothic woman behind window bar cells looking outside at the sun. From the film 'Picnic'. A close-up animated gif from the film 'Picnic' of the gothic character Coco (played by Chara). A screenshot from the movie 'Picnic' of three escaped mental patients, two in white uniforms and the other in a black feather dress, walking on top of a stone wall.

© 1996 - Nippon Herald Films