Tetsuo Iron Man was the debut feature from the unpredictable Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto. It's a foreign film, but it's not THAT kind of foreign film. As in, don't think you're going to be sitting there reading subtitles. There's really very little dialog in the film, and what's there isn't usually important. It plays something like a silent film, so definitely put it in your queue the next time you log into your movie download service, whether or not you're usually a fan of Japanese cinema.
The movie focuses on a Japanese salary man who suddenly starts sprouting pieces of scrap metal from his body one day. It's very much in the same category as Japanese surrealist authors like Kobo Abe, where weird things just suddenly start happening for no real reason in particular. It kind of drives home the point that... Life is weird and unpredictable, and there's really no inherent meaning to it all so... Just enjoy the long strange trip for what it is.
The concept behind the movie was to make something like a monster film with a human sized badguy. The end result is sort of the Japanese answer to both David Cronenberg, and David Lynch's Eraserhead. It's definitely a strange journey full of unforgettable images, for better or for worse. The movie might be right up your alley, or it may leaving you simply scratching your head, but it's not an experience you'll forget any time soon.
The movie really helped to define Japanese cyberpunk. There had been earlier efforts in the genre such as Burst City, but this one was the one that really defined the genre as being about industrialism and the Frankenstein-esque relations between man and machine. Where American cyberpunk tends to focus on the computer age, Japanese cyberpunk is more about antiquated machinery and post WWII fear.
The movie is incredibly fast paced, and it's even a little confusing, but that's sort of the point. The movie also has a great look to it, with stark, high contrast black and white really driving home the nightmarish atmosphere of the film's setting. It really results in a strange look and a strange feel. The movie feels much more like a bad dream than it does like events happening in real life.
The film draws a lot of influence from two sources: Eraserhead, and David Cronenberg's Videodrome. Both of these films greatly contributed to its look, with Shinya Tsukamoto being a particularly big fan of Cronenberg's entire library of work. A warning, though, if those movies made you squeamish, this one will make you twice as squeamish. As surreal as the imagery is, it still might gross you out just a bit.
Tsukamoto has since created some of the greatest films to come out of Japan in the last few decades. In particular, Tokyo Fist is a real classic, and one of the greatest films ever made on the subject of the male ego and what can happen when a conflict is allowed to snowball with neither side backing down. It's really a great, deep look at what it means to be a man.
Tsukamoto has also developed into an interesting actor, mainly taking small parts in films by Takashi Miike, who has a similarly strange approach to filmmaking. Tsukamoto's career is definitely one to keep tabs on, as it's clear that, two decades after his debut, he's just getting started and still has plenty more surprises up his sleeves.
The movie focuses on a Japanese salary man who suddenly starts sprouting pieces of scrap metal from his body one day. It's very much in the same category as Japanese surrealist authors like Kobo Abe, where weird things just suddenly start happening for no real reason in particular. It kind of drives home the point that... Life is weird and unpredictable, and there's really no inherent meaning to it all so... Just enjoy the long strange trip for what it is.
The concept behind the movie was to make something like a monster film with a human sized badguy. The end result is sort of the Japanese answer to both David Cronenberg, and David Lynch's Eraserhead. It's definitely a strange journey full of unforgettable images, for better or for worse. The movie might be right up your alley, or it may leaving you simply scratching your head, but it's not an experience you'll forget any time soon.
The movie really helped to define Japanese cyberpunk. There had been earlier efforts in the genre such as Burst City, but this one was the one that really defined the genre as being about industrialism and the Frankenstein-esque relations between man and machine. Where American cyberpunk tends to focus on the computer age, Japanese cyberpunk is more about antiquated machinery and post WWII fear.
The movie is incredibly fast paced, and it's even a little confusing, but that's sort of the point. The movie also has a great look to it, with stark, high contrast black and white really driving home the nightmarish atmosphere of the film's setting. It really results in a strange look and a strange feel. The movie feels much more like a bad dream than it does like events happening in real life.
The film draws a lot of influence from two sources: Eraserhead, and David Cronenberg's Videodrome. Both of these films greatly contributed to its look, with Shinya Tsukamoto being a particularly big fan of Cronenberg's entire library of work. A warning, though, if those movies made you squeamish, this one will make you twice as squeamish. As surreal as the imagery is, it still might gross you out just a bit.
Tsukamoto has since created some of the greatest films to come out of Japan in the last few decades. In particular, Tokyo Fist is a real classic, and one of the greatest films ever made on the subject of the male ego and what can happen when a conflict is allowed to snowball with neither side backing down. It's really a great, deep look at what it means to be a man.
Tsukamoto has also developed into an interesting actor, mainly taking small parts in films by Takashi Miike, who has a similarly strange approach to filmmaking. Tsukamoto's career is definitely one to keep tabs on, as it's clear that, two decades after his debut, he's just getting started and still has plenty more surprises up his sleeves.
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Brian was sent to and raised in a psychiatric hospital. unlimited rental Listen to Mediterraneo and I believe youll find there's not much to dis-like about it. How does this person stay unseen' It is called, "Perfect Camouflage"
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