Casshern

Casshern is a wildly eclectic and apocalyptic science-fiction film, the way they can only make them in Japan. In this film’s terrifying future, humanity is on the verge of extinction after a lengthy nuclear and bacteriological war. Azumi is a scientist who may have a remedy in the form of ‘neo-cells’ that can restore damaged body parts. His ‘nationalist’ son (played by actor and director Iseya, who was in Rotterdam in 2002 with Kakuto) signs up for the army, dies in a gruesome battle and is brought back to life by his father. A little unstable, but girded to the loins, he grows to be a real superhero. In the meantime, after an accident in Azumi’s laboratory, an army of mutants emerges that call themselves neo-sapiens and that turn against aggressive humanity with the aid of robots. And that is only the start of this tale. Kiriya – well known as a fashion photographer and maker of music videos – opens up a stunning box of tricks in his feature début to sketch his industrial totalitarian future. Inspired for instance by Oshii’s Avalon, he uses ancient Germanic and Celtic myths, Nazi symbolism and biblical themes, Soviet visuals, clay and computer animation and Céline-esque First World War horror in black & white. Casshern is a breathtaking and very inventive anti-war drama. (GT)