Seferian-Perfect Blue

This week in class we watched Perfect Blue, a sociological and psychological thriller that addresses the issues of loss of identity, innocence, and “hyper life”. I honestly really enjoyed this movie. While it was very confusing at some points, it was very action packed and had a well thought out plot. It was also very reminiscent of an Alfred Hitchcock film in the way things seem to get crazy and spin out of control. The main character, Mima, shifts from being a pop star in the hit band “CHAM”, to pursuing an acting career. While seeking this goal, she is asked to do some things that her past pop star self would never do, like act out a rape scene or strip for a photo shoot. These sudden changes make Mima feel lost and unsure of whom she is. Earlier in the week we also watched the beginning of Black Swan, a film with a similar premise about a dancer. In both films mirrors or reflections play a big role in establishing reality or the lack of it. In Perfect Blue Mima is constantly looking at reflections of her self and seeing a different her. Something similar also occurs in Black Swan when Natalie Portman sees another version of her self on the subway. There also is a similarity in how they are both sexually used in some sort of way—Mima by the photographer and director of the sitcom and Natalie by the dance company leader. Throughout Perfect Blue you get the impression that Mima is the killer while in fact, it is her Rumi her manager. Rumi is another example of loss of identity. Rumi used to be a Pop singer and now hardly represent her former self and glory.  In many ways Rumi lives her dream through Mima’s pop singing career, which is why she is so opposed to her becoming an actor. There are many scenes in the movie where I think we are not seeing Mima’s feelings and reactions but Rumi’s feelings and reactions superimposed on Mima’s body. It could be argued that the main plot development we see in the movie wasn’t from Mima’s point of view but from Rumi’s adopted personality of Mima.