CASSHERN, 2004
Movie Review

Live-action sci-fi movie based on a 1973 Japanese animé of the same name (Shinzo Ningen Casshân). Theme song by Utada Hikaru.

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After fifty years of war between Europa and the Eastern Federation , the latter has claimed victory and the federation of Eurasia is formed. The prize they claim is an imperfect one, however, as fifty years of biological, chemical and nuclear war has devastated the planet. In this post-apocalyptic wasteland a scientist named Dr Azuma works tirelessly developing 'neo-cells', cells that repair and rejuvenate human body parts with no negative side effects. Meanwhile Dr Azuma's son, Tetsuya , is killed following a run in with a booby trapped baby and his body is delivered to his father. Following an accident that creates a race of 'neo-humans' from body parts contained within Dr Azuma's laboratory, Tetsuya's body, resting outside, is reincarnated as a legendary hero known as Casshern and an epic battle of good and evil begins.

Casshern was originally a Japanese animé series entitled Neo-Human Casshern created in 1973 by animation studio Tatsunoko Productions. This was in turn based on a serialisation from a magazine called Terebi Magazine and another called 'Boken Oh' or 'Adventure King'. It is a member of a sub-genre of Japanese film known as tokusatsu, which includes live action films usually featuring superheroes and making great use of special effects. This is generally made up of science fiction, fantasy and horror films, however it can include TV or film in other genres as well.

The film was also shot almost entirely on what is known as a 'digital backlot' where actors are shot in front of a blue or green screen and all backgrounds are added in post-production. This technique has been used for many years in TV and video game production and more recently in films with several being shot in this way. This technique brings the film closer to a cartoon than a live action movie and allows it the freedom of being unconstrained by reality; sets could be as big as the imagination of the designer and the world can be filled with spectacular machines that would otherwise be near impossible to achieve on the films $5.5 million budget. It is this that sets the film apart from many of its contemporaries; it is an attempt to free filmmakers from the constraints of reality and makes the borders of their own imagination the only constraint on their vision.

The film received mixed reviews, critics praised its revolutionary style but condemned its convoluted narrative. While the general consensus was that it was a landmark in creating a live action animé style, it suffered from long expositional dialogue and somewhat confusing attempts to create a labyrinthine web of links between every one of the characters. The film attempts to compress the entire of the original series' plots and subplots into a two hour running time and left many a film goer with a blank and uncomprehending expression. The film grossed under $13 million and the DVD release suffered further due to the largely inaccurate and confusing subtitles.

Nevertheless Casshern remains a classic due to its uncompromising and unique vision; the films production groans with ambition and every aspect of the world the director has created has a quality lacking in a lot of cinema, namely beauty for beauties sake.

It is a feast for the eyes with plenty of high concepts at its core; themes of totalitarianism, reincarnation and the human desire to play God are key to the plot and Kiriya bombards the senses like a master illusionist performing his favourite trick. If a viewer can get past the minor deficiencies that blight this otherwise wonderful picture, they will be rewarded with an experience unlike anything in Western cinema; a beautiful but wounded world filled with stunning examples of what cinema can be if put in the hands of someone unafraid to take risks. Watch this movie, relax your mind and let the spectacle wash over you like a wave of light. You will be better for the experience.

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