GFF 2010: Beetle Queen Conquers Tokyo

 

You know what to expect from this film. A terrifying insect, standing 100 ft tall, wrecks havoc on Japan’s capital city: the results of genetic mutation, it’s on the warpath and nobody knows how to stop it! Sadly, if that’s what you’re hoping, go and rent a Godzilla movie, because American entomologist Jessica Orek’s film is a different kind of monster, an elegiac documentary account of Japan’s fascination with insects. But it does have much in common with those old Toho rampages: it taps into childrens' obsession with the strange and bizarre; it carries a strong eco-message; it’s unafraid of providing the odd bit of gloopy spectacle. Don’t be expecting the high density wonders of an Attenborough film or the anthropomorphism of Disney: this is a new kind of nature doc, utilising aphoristic narration, abstract visual juxtapositions and getting up close to collectors, artists and enthusiasts. The novelty of the approach does wear off, but it’s a worthy endeavour.