Losing the Plot in the Films of Seijun Suzuki

by Ned Lannamann
"I don't really care about plot very much," said Midnight Special director Jeff Nichols in a recent interview with the Verge. "I think plot is very overrated."
It's a relief to hear a major director utter these words, especially when overly plotted messes like Batman v Superman loom over the landscape of mainstream film. Nichols would find much to appreciate in the work of maverick director Seijun Suzuki: Emphasizing visual style and mood, Suzuki dispenses with the expected form