6.7 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
After a tragic car accident where his girlfriend Ryôko Ooyama died, Hiroshi Takagi suffers amnesia with his memories completely blanked. When he sees a book about dissection, he decides to join the medical school with the support of his parents. In the dissection class, his group participates of the autopsy of a young woman, and while cutting apart the tissue, he partially recalls his accident. Later, when he sees a tattoo in the arm of the corpse, he discloses that she was his girlfriend and becomes obsessed to go further in the examination of the body.
Starring: Tadanobu Asano, Kiki (IX), Nami Tsukamoto, Kazuyoshi Kushida, Jun KunimuraForeign | 100% |
Drama | 43% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Japanese: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Note: This version of this film is available as part of Solid Metal Nightmares: The Films of Shinya Tsukamoto.
There are two names which American film fans may need either outright introductions to or at least reminders about when coming to Solid
Metal
Nightmares: The Films of Shinya Tsukamoto. The first name is that of Shinya Tsukamoto himself, a fascinating cult figure with a rather long
and
impressive filmography as a producer, director, actor, writer, editor, cinematographer, production designer and art director (one
assumes
if the IMDb had a tab for craft services contributions, he'd be listed there, too), but who is still kind of
curiously unknown by the general public at large on this side of the pond. The other name that may come into play with regard to this handsome
new
set released for the North American market by Arrow is Third Window Films, a label that releases Blu-rays in the United Kingdom and which has in
fact
put out previous editions of several of the Tsukamoto films Arrow has included in this set. For that reason, fans or at least those interested in
“comparison studies” are encouraged to visit our listings for the Third Window Films’ releases of Tetsuo: The Iron Man / Tetsuo II: Body Hammer, Tokyo Fist, Bullet Ballet, A Snake of
June, and Kotoko, not just for Svet Atanasov’s
thoughts
about each of the films, but also to be able to do side by side looks at screenshots as well as to size up supplemental features on each release. (A
sixth film offered in this set from Arrow, The
Adventure of Denchu-Kozo, looks like it's included as a supplement on Third Windows' double feature offering the two Tetsuo
films.)
The
Arrow set does at least offer ten films in one nicely aggregated and designed package which includes a rather beautiful hardback book, which may
at least recommend the set to those trying to
save
a little shelf space, if nothing else.
Vital is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's insert book offers only very generic data on all of the transfers in this set, with aspect ratios (at times misstated) and audio data detailed, and with a simple statement that the "high definition masters were provided by Nikkatsu Corporation". While the back cover of the disc that includes Kotoko and Killing mentions Tsukamoto's embrace of digital filmmaking, it looks to me like at least some of Vital may have been digitally captured as well courtesy of some glossy clear shots without any discernable grain, though I haven't been able to track down any authoritative information online as to what cameras may have been utilized. That said, the Making Of featurette shows an Arri camera that looks like it has a film cannister attached, and there is definitely what looks like "real" grain in large swaths of this presentation, so I'm wondering if perhaps this, like the combo platter of metal and flesh in the Tetsuo films, is a hybrid. (In order to get this review out in at least a somewhat timely manner, especially since this arrived considerably past street date, I frankly haven't listened to the entirety of every Tom Mes commentary in this set, including the one for this film. Perhaps he addresses this, and if someone knows for sure, please private message me, as I'd love to know and will happily update the review.) One way or the other, this is one of the sharper and better detailed looking presentations in this set from Arrow, even given some of Tsukamoto's typical grading choices which can bathe selected sequence in blues or a kind of yellow-brown tone. Close-ups offer appealing fine detail at times even in some of these heavily graded scenes, though occasional interior moments look just slightly murky. This film is notable within Tsukamoto's oeuvre for at least at times getting out of a noisy urban environment into more sylvan settings, and some of the imagery in that regard is quite striking. I noticed no issues whatsoever with regard to compression anomalies.
Vital features another interesting DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. As tends to be the case in many of Tsukamoto's films, an industrial sounding score offers some intermittent cacophony which offers a contrast to quieter, almost meditative, aspects in both the score and actual overall sound design. Ambient environmental effects frequently dot the surround channels and help to establish immersion. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly throughout this problem free track.
As can be seen in the last screenshot accompanying this review, this disc offers three films. I'm listing all of the supplements on the disc, since while some supplements are ostensibly specific to one feature, there's still a certain amount of spillover.
- A Snake of June (1080p; 25:43)
- Vital (1080i; 11:06)
- Haze (1080i; 19:38)
- A Snake of June UK Trailer (1080p; 2:26)
- Vital Original Japanese Trailer (1080i; 1:35)
Haze Original Japanese Trailers (1080i; 3:43)
- A Snake of June (1080p; 4:00)
- Haze (1080p; 1:00)
Asano's somewhat wooden performance in Vital may be a stumbling block for some viewers, but Tsukamoto offers a rather penetrating examination of grief and maybe even potential healing in this film. Those unwilling to tolerate some of Tsukamoto's stylistic excesses will probably find this film potentially laughable at times, but for those used to some of the hyperkinetic aspects of some of Tsukamoto's other films, Vital may actually seem positively calm by comparison. Technical merits are solid, and the supplemental package very well done. Recommended.
(Still not reliable for this title)
バレット・バレエ
1998
2018
2002
2011
2005
東京フィスト / Tokyo Fuisuto / Tokyo Ken
1995
1987
鉄男 / Tetsuo
1989
1992
2015
Hamnstad
1948
2013
一人息子
1936
砂の女 / Suna no onna
1964
마더 / Madeo
2009
獨臂拳王 / Du bei chuan wang
1972
Sátántangó
1994
The Complete Metropolis
1927
1973
1999