The Taisho Trilogy

The Taisho Trilogy is a film collection comprising three cryptic supernatural dramas directed by Seijun Suzuki. These films were released in 1980, over a decade after Suzuki's departure from Nikkatsu. The trilogy is considered a significant body of work within Suzuki's filmography and was largely unfamiliar outside of Japan until its release. Set during Japan’s Taisho Era (1912-1926), the films present a dramatic shift in tone for Suzuki, moving away from his earlier works focused on police, gangsters, and youth. The collection is characterized by surrealistic psychological puzzles and a distinctive lush exoticism, capturing the atmosphere of a period marked by cultural fusion. During the Taisho Era, Western ideas, fashions, technologies, and art significantly impacted daily life in Japan, and this is reflected in the films' aesthetic. The total runtime of the Taisho Trilogy is 144 minutes, with a reported budget of zero and revenue of zero. The trilogy consists of a single installment, ツィゴイネルワイゼン (1980), which has an IMDb rating of 6.9. This collection represents a unique presentation of Suzuki's vision during a specific historical period in Japan.