I have seen this film in 2001,when it was released in Japan. Then I was rather disappointed. The plot seemed to be weak, the drama-- boring. But I changed my thought recently after having seen it again on DVD. It isn't so boring, It is a film for our time, when traditional cinema is dying or dead everywhere. It is a historical process,going not only in cinema. In fact "Avalon" tells about the background of contemporary visual medias--all our visual experiences by them is now digitalized and we can't discern clearly where the Reality begins to be replaced by digital VR space. Now VR very deeply intrudes into our life. It makes our life something empty. Now cinema depends on 3DCG and special effects even in the most usual scenes--fog on the night garden, the landscape outside the window, the color of actors' skin or even movements of their eyes... But only a few directors makes films "about it".
Of course "Avalon" is not about cinema. Oshii had already made one film about cinema years before("Talking Head"), which is comical and grotesque but not so good. After that Oshii learned to disguise himself--use seemingly "commercial", "simple" stories or genres to tell things which is going on in the world. In this way he could keep making films with growing budget, with growing visual complexity, which is beyond the reach of other Japanese "art house"filmmakers. I had seen almost all the works of Mamoru Oshii,including his TV serials of 1970s. He is a skilled, unique director and his thought is recently going too far from usual audience, including lovers of old art house films. But his method--skillful use of commercial conditions--allows him to make films. It is a right way, when there is no other choice. From this point of view, "Avalon" is a good film for our time and of our time, though I can't use the word "masterpiece".
Of course "Avalon" is not about cinema. Oshii had already made one film about cinema years before("Talking Head"), which is comical and grotesque but not so good. After that Oshii learned to disguise himself--use seemingly "commercial", "simple" stories or genres to tell things which is going on in the world. In this way he could keep making films with growing budget, with growing visual complexity, which is beyond the reach of other Japanese "art house"filmmakers. I had seen almost all the works of Mamoru Oshii,including his TV serials of 1970s. He is a skilled, unique director and his thought is recently going too far from usual audience, including lovers of old art house films. But his method--skillful use of commercial conditions--allows him to make films. It is a right way, when there is no other choice. From this point of view, "Avalon" is a good film for our time and of our time, though I can't use the word "masterpiece".