Takashi Miike is really a paradox; he can be right in your face and at the same time be pensive. "Izo" is perhaps most representative of this paradox. No doubt, "Izo" is extremely violent and brutal, yet one sees a message lurking in the blood. I have read multiple interpretations on this film, and I myself see it as a "search for God" and humanity getting in the way of it. Others have seen it as an anti-war film. You may find a completely different interpretation. In these multiple interpretations lies the brilliance of the film. You must also watch the movie in a very abstract level, as opposed to the "standard" plot, with the characters and places as symbols. Those who are used to the dark humor and inventive violence of Miike's previous films like "Audition" and "Ichi the Killer" won't find it here--the violence is pretty straight forward (but still graphic), and there is no humor here. Miike probably made his most serious film to date with this film.