It's the 2004 'tokusatsu' * film "Casshern".
* a Japanese term that applies to any live action film that features considerable use of special effects. Literally translated it means "special filming" (thanks Wikipedia).
I have never been one to shy away from watching a movie just because it is in a foreign language. If I had I would have missed classics like "The Seventh Seal", "The Bicycle Thief" and "Cinema Paradiso" - and more recently "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Oldboy" and "The Raid". In fact one of my most vivid early school memories is the number of times we watched "The Red Balloon" (not much dialogue in that I grant you but still...).
I have also always been partial to the occasional Japanese movie. I think it started with seeing the Godzilla series when I was a kid, followed by the cult animation Akira in the 1980's (which I first came across via the Epic Comics reprints of the Katsuhiro Otomo manga). There is a whole separate blog post to be had from the effect of the English version of the "Gatchaman" series (better known as "Battle Of The Planets") on kids growing up in the UK in the early '80's...
But when it came to "Casshern", I knew nothing about it. I'm not even sure that the original anime had made it to these shores during the explosion of video releases after the success of "Akira". I just came across the DVD while browsing in my local HMV. That cover leapt out at me and when I read the synopsis on the back, it was an instant impulse purchase.
The basic plot is this:
In an alternate future, the end of an apocalyptic war between Eurasia and the victorious Eastern Federation results in the Earth being devastated and polluted by the effect of the weapons unleashed. Many of the population are diseased and dying.
Leading geneticist Dr. Azuma has developed a "neo-cell" technique that he claims can repair bodies and regenerate mankind. Turned down by the government, Azuma accepts an offer from a secret branch of the military, but his efforts are only minimally successful. Meanwhile his son Tetsuya is killed while hunting down resistance fighters.
After an incident occurs in Dr. Azuma's lab, the organs produced by the research somehow rapidly reconstitute into a number of mutants. Calling themselves "Neo-Sapiens" they escape into the wastelands of Zone 7 and there discover a derelict robot army, which they plan to use to destroy the ruling human race.
Using the same technique that created the Neo-Sapiens, Azuma resurrects his son and places him in a suit of prototype battle armour to stabilise his condition. Battling the military and the Neo-Sapiens, Tetsuya takes on the name of a mythical local deity - Casshern.
And that only begins to scratch the surface. The full story is far more detailed that that brief summary. Furthermore, despite the seemingly clichéd ideas - robot armies, a hero raised Frankenstein-like from the grave, an evil empire enslaving the population - it's not what this ambitious film is really about. Why do we fight wars? What would you do for love? For family? For your nation? What is good and evil ? What does it mean to be alive? Even if you win the battle, do you lose - because the war turns you into something you hate? At it's heart, Casshern really has an strong anti-war message.
It's also visually stunning and is particularly notable as one of the first live action films to be shot entirely on green screen, with just about everything else added digitally afterwards (like, for example, Sin City). The production design is hyper stylised with a Metropolis meets steampunk meets fascist Orwellian nightmare vibe that works beautifully to create an otherworldly experience. Anything is possible in this nightmare world.
Every scene is composed like a painting with imaginative use of colour and grading. During some of the longer slower stretches it's a real stunning feast for the eyes. If writer, cinematographer, editor and director Kazuaki Kiria wanted to conjure the feeling of bringing an anime / manga to life, he certainly succeeded. He has moulded the film into his own unique vision.
Backing this up is a fantastic score from Shirou Sagisu. At times it evokes the electronic ambient work of Vangelis or Brian Eno, while elsewhere it use more sweeping orchestrations including elements of Beethoven. It's definitely one of those soundtracks you can listen to separate from the film itself.
For some reason Casshern was marketed in the West as an action movie - and while there are some brilliantly eye popping fight scenes, they only make up a small percentage of the running time. In point of fact most of the film is given over to monologues and stillness and evocative imagery - servicing mood and character rather than high octane thrills. It's a thoughtful movie not an action-packed one and far from 'traditional'.
Of course this does mean that it's not going to be for everyone. The multi-stranded plot may not be the easiest to follow without concentration and some things are meant to by symbolic rather than literal. Not everything will be explained, because life's like that - there are not always answers, or at least not the one's you want. At times it's deliberately slow. There are also subliminal effects used such as flashing symbols and phrases repeated by unseen voices that might be off-putting.
However if you a fan of anime or eastern movies, or are open minded when it comes to film styles and want to submerge yourself in the escapism, then it will be very rewarding to you. My wife was very sceptical about the film before we watched it - and she absolutely loved it.
Casshern is a beautiful, strange, complex and intricate movie wrapped in an SF setting that should be experienced as a refreshing change from the norm. It may be challenging to watch but it's definitely worthy of your time.
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