Helter Skelter revolves around supermodel Lilico

Helter-skelter, the emblem of madness, has made its way to the big screen once again. This deranged term was derived from The Beatles iconic 1968 song in addition to Charles Mansions popular but insane murders from the same time period. The term helter-skelter itself means in disorderly haste or confusion, perfectly setting a cynical mood to the 2012 extravagant Japanese movie, Helter Skelter, directed by Mika Ninagawa. Starring as main character was actress Erika Sawajiri, whose boldness and devotion for her roles were widely known in the Japanese entertainment industry. This movie was an adaptation of an award winning manga of the same title in 2003, written by Kyoko Okazaki.

Helter Skelter revolves around supermodel Lilico - the current phenomenon in fashion business and entertainment as a whole. Despite being branded as a top icon for beauty, Lilico actually underwent a full body plastic surgery, to the point where the only things belonging to her were her nails, ears, eyeballs and genitals. As results of intensive black market cosmetic surgeries one after another, the drugs required for Lilico to take post-op also increased. Throughout the story, viewers will be able to observe how Lilico spiralled down from her number one status as an entertainer, into a delirious and manipulative person with questionable morals.

What hooked viewers in at first glance was how absurdly beautiful and addicting the visuals were. Any empty and dull feelings Lilico has as a character were coated entirely underneath a layer of high celebrity life. Everything surrounding her was decorative and glamorous, it was suffocating to watch as a viewer, but one just simply could not take their eyes away from the beautiful girl who was slowly destroying herself and beaten down by society.

As the story progressed, Lilico committed several actions that can be deemed illegal and deranged; at this point was when the helter-skelter finally set in. This complex character of Lilico, who also has her soft and very weak side just like anybody else, reflected on the painful truth of human desires and highly criticized societys fickle visions of beauty. Lilicos artificial beauty was a montage of different iconic faces, in other words, she was a representation of our desires. Media, television, talk shows, magazines, fashion,... These are all for the sake of satisfying a hungry and humor-seeking public. As an entertainer, Lilico struggled to prolong her expiration date, which just shows how temporary the public craze is and how our desires pass on to different entertainers every time one expires, such as Lilico herself.

Actress Sawajiri played the role of Lilico perfectly. She incorporated different sides of the supermodel into herself, making the character as realistic as possible to the point where Sawajiri even forgot who she was off the screen; the actress was completely immersed in the role.

As mentioned before, Helter Skelter has gorgeously stunning visuals, as director Ninagawa herself is an ex-photographer. Ninagawa was known for taking colorful and vibrant photos, in this case the vibrancy of her style had contributed greatly to Helter Skelters artistic perspective. The movies heavy themes were carried out under Ninagawas visions, successfully conveying the real message of the original Helter Skelter.

This hit film was received warmly by the public, earning $24,231,554 in total as of late 2012. Many viewers might have found the piece too disturbing to stomach, but that itself adds onto just how raw and cold Helter Skelter is as a work of fiction, despite most of the movies settings being covered in luxury. I personally find Helter Skelter to be an accurate representation of our current society and of the fleeting Japanese pop culture, very harsh and unforgiving. The issue was not about the morality of plastic surgery, it was about the things Lilico had to sacrifice in order to survive in the midst of diamonds and blings. The absurdity and haunting world of Helter Skelter definitely left a great impression in me, so raw and insane, yet also very humane and lonely. This ride of madness into chaos is the epitome of fiction clashing with reality, making it a harsh but truly powerful experience one could ever have a taste of.

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