review
The Red Spectacles
Review By: Matthew Anderson
Company: Bandai
Running Time: 101 minutes
Region: 1
Rated: PG-13 (violence, partial nudity)
SHORT VIEW
To combat the rising crime rate, the Japanese Government created the
Kerberos (Hellhounds) Police Force. Infused with a strong sense of justice, these
"super cops" set out to tame the wild streets of the beleaguered
country.
In their pursuit of justice, the methods they employed were quite severe. After the beating death of a minor criminal, the Japanese Government ordered the unit disbanded. When the Kerberos refused to surrender, the Government branded them as outlaws, and rounded them up. The leader of the rebellion, Koichi Todome, was the only one to escape death or imprisonment.
Now, three years later, Todome has returned to Japan to look for the friends he left behind. He learns that Japan is now a fascist state, where even ramen stands have been outlawed because they are a security risk. The more he looks for his friends, the more people tell him that he may not like what he finds. He also has to avoid the security forces led by Bunmei, who is hunting down the remaining members of the Kerebos.
Will Todome learn the fate of his friends before he is killed by the security forces, or will Bunmei finally get his man?
THE LONG VIEW
VIDEO: This is direct
transfer of the source material, so no clean up has been done.
There is a lot of film grain, and in some scenes there are noticeable nicks
and scratches. As most of this movie was in black and white, any worries about color errors are nonexistent. There are no
noticeable pixels or technical
errors.
AUDIO: The Japanese 2.0 audio track is sharp and clear, with no distortion or audio hiss. As this is a dialogue based movie, there is not a lot of need for surround sound. During the action and noodle slurping segments, the sound is pretty evenly distributed across the sound stage.
EDITS: No edits.
EXTRAS: The Theatrical Trailer and English credits are all your gonna get.
STORY: This is the strangest film ever to be written by
the team that gave us the awesome Patlabor movies. Kazunori Itoh and
Mamoru Oshii's script is one part drama, one part black comedy, and one
part social commentary. Your not quite sure what this film is
trying to say, but it's a hell of a fun ride getting there.
ACTING: Majority of the film rests on Chigeru Chiba's shoulders, and he does an excellent job. He can switch from hard boiled cop to a total nutcase in a snap. It's almost like seeing a live action version of Ataru from Urusei Yatsura.
I can't tell if the rest of the cast are really good actors, or really bad ones. So much of this movie is over exaggerated, that it's really difficult to determine if their goofy performances are by design or by accident.
I will admit, I find myself enraptured with Machiko Washio. While Midori is not exactly the best looking woman in this movie its her attitude, her big, expressive eyes, and that she can kick ass makes her a cut above typical "Japanese" heroines.
FAN SERVICE: Fans of Jin-Roh will recognize the "protect gear" worn by the Kerebos cops. Like all his movies, Mamoru Oshii's dog does creep up here and there, so be on the look out.
Oh, and don't forget about the girl in the red hood.
THE 2 VIEW
Welcome
to fascist Japan, where it is illegal to eat at a road side stand.
Gambling is illegal, with out state backing. Worst of all,
convenience stores are only open until sundown, so no Pocky after 6.
If you fail to obey the rules, then a bunch of machine gun toting mimes
will come to your hotel room and arrest you.
Sounds absurd, doesn't it. Absurd is just one of the many adjectives that can be used to describe "The Red Spectacles".
This is nothing like any Mamoru Oshii film you have seen before. While the basic elements are there (deep introspection, geo-political ranting, his basset hound), "Red Spectacles" takes an entirely comedic approach to his typically heavy-handed parables on society and the world in general.
I really like the visual style of this movie. It looks and feels like a "Yakuza Eiga" movie from the 1960's. Twisting convention, the "here and now" is presented in black, white, and sepia tones. Flash backs are done in full color. There are lots of bizarre camera angles, deliberate continuity errors, and over the top violence. All of these elements make for an interesting viewing experience
Symbolism is also a major part of The Red Spectacles. One example is the "face" of fascism. It isn't a "Hitler" like visage or the use of a repetitive symbol. No, the face of fascism is that of a pretty young girl. Her face is everywhere. You can't even enjoy a violent movie because all you can see on the screen is her face!
Oshii also take a few jabs at the conventions of Japanese society. Take the ramen stand for example. If you were to visit Japan, you would see ramen stands everywhere. In fascist Japan, they have now been outlawed because people would "congregate at these places. Now, people have to eat in ramen speakeasies, so their slurping can not be herd. The scary thing is, I could see Japan enacting laws that outlawed such things in order to maintain control.
Once again, Kenji Kawai gives us another great musical score. Those of you who liked his work on "Patlabor" will find some similar themes with "Red Spectacles". At times beautiful, at times comedic, his soundtrack helps to set the mood and tone of this film.
I was surprised at how the movie ended. You really have to pay attention to the entire film to understand what happened. The one thing I don't get is the meaning of....on second thought, you will have to see for yourself. I'm not going to spoil it for you. I am sure the ending will be a source of discussion, as it can go one of two ways.
The
Red Spectacles is not a movie for everyone. Those who prefer their movies
bloody need to look elsewhere. If you are expecting a live action Jin-Roh,
you won't find it here. If you want a black comedy about Japanese society,
or an absurd view of fascism, this is your movie.
Oh, word of warning. If you hear a cat while taking a shower, be on the look out for mimes with guns.