Odball, underground filmmaking from Japan at its near finest.

Mar 23, 2011

by ryguy4738
posted in Movie Hype

Exclusive to the Lunch Network

Rating:

**1/2 out of ****

A friend of mine told me that "Tetsuo: The Ironman" was going to blow my mind. He was right; it did blow my mind, in both good and bad ways. While I do appreciate the often hilarious (and often disturbing) surrealism of "Tetsuo", the thing as an entirety isn't quite as fascinating as it wants to be. This is definitely the kind of underground/cult film that it was designed and destined to be, but that does not take away from "Tetsuo" and its flaws; and there were many of them. For starters, the film is on the knife-edge between a well-made film and a surrealistic, experimental acid trip. Perhaps it has a little bit of both in it, but all I really know is that "Tetsuo" is not a classic, and it's not a particularly good film either. But it does look good- or perhaps revolting- if you will. The film is shot in black-and-white, which is always good for classic surrealism. But this is surrealistic filmmaking taken to the next level; a level which almost takes away from the dream or the nightmare, and nigh invents something completely new. Therefore, "Tetsuo: The Ironman" could either be the most influential 80's underground film ever made or the most flawed-but-unique creation of mankind since virtual technology; you know, like the kind that was used to make the more perversely disgusting moments in "Tetsuo". If you are like me, and you can appreciate a film as strange as this one, then "Tetsuo: The Ironman" ends up being very entertaining at the end of the day. But too often does the plot feel thin, and too often did I question if the thing had a point. Yes, "Tetsuo" has flaws; but nothing can truly defeat Japanese surrealism. There are some very good "weird" scenes- such as one in which our hero/ironman's penis turns into a drill- but then there are some very experimental scenes as well. These scenes can get tedious and boring; but "Tetsuo" never stops being unique. I admire that, and in ways I admire this film. It is special; but then again, it's not. It's decent; I'll just put it at that. It is a film crafted with ambition, but it's the kind of ambition that could get you killed. Yes, I did indeed just say that. And I mean every word of it.

There's not a whole lot of effort put into the plot here. The film moves along swiftly, and with intelligent energy, but often does it feel empty in that particular department. Our character, who is supposedly a Salary man, accidentally hits a man with a metallic fetish with his car. It's a hit-and-run sort of thing, and our hero feels safe. But then the past comes back to get him, and soon he's having a body-horror showdown with the bloke that he hit in his living room. These sequences can be fun, yes, but never do they add a whole lot to the story of the film. I do, however, like to think that a lot of the story of this film is told through the visuals. So little happens plot-wise, but a lot happens visually. If you have the gift of sight, then know that this film does you no particular justice. Images flash on and off of the screen so quickly, and with extreme craft. This film is visually stunning, and that is what saves it. But as a film which has the ambitions to be a thriller, a comedy, and a body-horror film all in one; it comes off as a bit short on deliverance. But it gets the job done, and it can be some seriously disturbing fun at times. I would recommend it, but only to those who have a certain taste for films are outlandish as this one. A film such as this could only be made in Japan. And that is precisely why it was.

The acting here is somewhat of a mixed bag. Most of the actors don't speak too many words, and a lot of them feel characterless beyond their given names and personas. Tomorowo Taguchi plays "the man", who is basically the hero of the story. His character has a girlfriend, who is played by Kei Fujiwara, and he is running from a man played by the film's director (Shinya Tsukamoto). Not a whole lot of the acting is terribly inspired, but this isn't the most well-known or high-budget flick out there. So even though it is flawed, there is some admiration to the essential decency of the performances. Just keep in mind that nobody takes center stage; it's all about the trippy stuff. And I will talk about that next.

I like films that have me tripping even after the credits have rolled. So perhaps that provides an explanation to why I stuck with "Tetsuo: The Ironman" until the end and still enjoyed it. This film is a joyous, disturbing visual orgy; a nightmare or metallic proportions. There will probably never be a film quite like it, and that is indeed a reason to see it, but the film will not agree with a good number of people. Like I said, the film is disturbing. For me, it is disturbing in a good way. But with disturbance comes a lack of appeal; and for those who don't have strong stomachs, "Tetsuo" is a tough sit-through. It's nigh nothing for art-house, artsy freaks such as me; but "Tetsuo" still provides the kind of graphic mayhem that you'd expect out of an Underground film from Japan. Being an underground film is enough. But being Japanese automatically makes your film destined for a cult status due to its flamboyant oddities. A lot of effort was put into making this film surreal and trippy; and I do indeed respect that. The filmmakers care more about style than substance, but "Tetsuo" has a visually artistic flavor to it that some people should not resist, and by all means, you should not miss out on this film. I have mentioned the film's major flaws, so you should know what is wrong with it. But you should also know what it gets right; and in the end, the good overweighs the bad.

Sometimes, you happen upon imagery that is so whacked-out and strange that you kind of have to laugh at it. "Tetsuo: The Ironman" can be so irresistibly odd at times that you kind of feel yourself seduced by its own devotion to its visual craft. A considerable amount of effort was put into that end of the proverbial horse, but the other end is just bland, bland, bland. Which is sad, because "Tetsuo" could have been an instant classic in my book, but alas, it is not. The final twenty minutes have the kind of tension and visual hysterics that you wish the rest of the film had in its consistency, and it's a damn shame that this is not the case. But if you DO happen to see "Tetsuo", then go in knowing that it might disturb or fascinate you. For me, it did a little bit of both. Yes, I admit to it disturbing me. Not just any film can do that. But some films can be beautiful out of their disturbing content. "Tetsuo" does not want to be beautiful. It just wants to be oddball graphic and weird-as-hell. It's entertaining, short (it has a running time of just a little over an hour), and if you can stick with it, it can grow on you. It has potential; perhaps more than it uses. But it's OK as it is. And I appreciate what it was trying to do, in spite of the fact that it only succeeds in half the ways that it wants to. But who cares when it delivers enough gruesome fun in one easy sit-down, right? Yes, right. This is a film worth saving for a rainy day. Otherwise, don't be rushing out to watch it; for you will more than likely forget seeing it once you've finished watching it. That says both good and bad things regarding the production.

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woopak_the_thrill March 23, 2011

awesome review. I could not agree with you more. This blew my mind--I was like "what the heck did I just watch?" but in many ways, I appreciated this for its efforts in doing something different. Have you seen Tetsuo Body Hammer?

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Ryan J. Marshall (ryguy4738)
Ranked #2

It's very likely that the only kind of reviews I'll ever post here are movie reviews. I'm very passionate about film; and at this point, it pretty much controls my life. Film gives us a purpose; … more