Based on (or perhaps that should be inspired by) the popular anime television series REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA (itself based on a Manga), the animated powerhouse ADOLESCENCE OF UTENA starts off with a daunting task...to take the thirty-plus episodes of the complex tv series, and boil it down to it's essence in about 90 minutes. The result is one of the most magnificent, beautiful, and quite frankly baffling movies I've seen in a long time.

The movie begins at a school called Ohtori Academy, essentially a self-contained city living in it's own little reality. Our tomboyish heroine, the pink-haired Tenjou Utena, has recently arrived at the Academy and is just trying to get along when she starts meeting some very odd fellow students. Approached by a spritely young doll called Wakaba about the school, Utena quickly declares that if there are 'cute girls like you, I think it'll be fun'.

Right, I know what you're thinking. Short cropped hair, dresses like a boy, into cute girls...so this is a lesbian movie we got here, is that it?

Not so fast. Because trying to pigeonhole UTENA with a quick label can be a tricky thing. Soon enough, Utena runs into an old boyfriend, a red-haired smoothy by the name of Touga. She seems unsure whether she's happy or not to see him, and it becomes clear that his appearance means more than the reappearance of an old flame. He shows her a strange ring he wears, bearing a rose crest. Soon enough, Utena receives one of these rings herself under unusual circumstances (there really is no other kind of circumstance here) before discovering a fantastic garden of roses high above the Academy, tended by a dark-skinned and tranquil girl called Himemiya Anthy.

Here's where it gets weird. ...er.

Himemiya is something called 'the Rose Bride', and is the object of competition among a select group of duelists, most of whom are members of the Ohtori students council. It seems that whoever is the current winner of the duels, is also engaged to the Bride. Himemiya is seemingly obliged to sleep with the current champion, and is also supposed to hold within her some mysterious power, the power to 'revolutionize the world'. Each duelist wants this power, or Anthy, for their own reasons. The current victor is a green-haired sadist called Saionji, who discovers Utena in the rose garden. It turns out that only duelists can possess the rose ring, or signet. At first Utena wants nothing to do with this, rational gal that she is. But when she witnesses Saionji beating poor Anthy, her inner nobility fires her into action and she leaps to the rescue With a little help from Anthy (and a magical sword that seems to grow out of her breast), Utena wins the duel, Rose Bride and all.

Needless to say, Utena is quite shocked when Anthy starts putting the moves on her later that night. As a doubtless great many viewers were thinking, the girl had some issues to work out (or was in DEEP denial, take your pick). Still trying to figure out what all this 'Rose Bride' nonsense means, and suddenly being challenged by the other duelists for her possession, Utena finds herself becoming friends with Anthy despite everything. Together they discover just what the power they possess can do, how they came to be here, and what they truly mean to each other. Or...something like that.

See, UTENA is a movie that does not explain itself in very straightforward manner. David Lynch would probably LOVE it, it's so mind-boggling and dripping with symbolism. Throughout the course of the movie, there are some wonderful images...beautiful, scary, funny, haunting, disturbing and downright confusing...but never, ever boring. And despite all it's twists and turns and layers, UTENA is, at it's heart, really just a fairy tale. The noble Prince must rescue the Princess, and all that. It's just that this time around, the Prince is a girl with pink hair and a kick-ass set of fighting togs.

The animation is top-notch, gorgeous to behold at all times. Some wonderful music accompanies the whole proceedings...some of the pieces are tremendous in power. The version I saw was subtitled, with the original Japanese being spoken. I always recommend subtitled over dubbing, but that's my taste. Whichever version you get, watch this movie. You may end up scratching your head or kicking the screen, But at least you'll always be getting something new.

Did I mention she turns into a car..?

Review copyright 2002, The Visitor

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