NYAFF REVIEW: Metallic virus takes over unsuspecting man in ‘Tetsuo: the Iron Man’
Tetsuo: the Iron Man is a bizarre and transfixing contemplation on the human body and its limitations. The cult classic, which recently played the New York Asian Film Festival, is the brainchild of writer-director Shinya Tsukamoto, and it’s a doozy of an experience. For those dedicated viewers who are able to get by without a clear narrative, hardly any dialogue and some strange, brutal images, the film can be a rewarding experiment in cinematic endurance.
The 67-minute feature begins with the writer-director playing a metal fetishist, someone so into machinery and shiny objects that he inserts a metal contraption into his leg. The half-man-half-machine heads out of his metal shop and is struck down by a speeding car. The man (Tomorowo Taguchi) and woman (Kei Fujiwara) in the vehicle have their lives turned upside down by the violent accident. Now the metal virus, propelled almost out of magnetism, is transferred to the man. It first starts with a piece of metal lodged in his cheek, and it soon spreads throughout his body and causes him to take part in a series of violent encounters.
The cyberpunk film is shot in stark black-and-white imagery, and the script by Tsukamoto is almost devoid of any dialogue. The story is a visual one, something from the playbook of David Lynch and David Cronenberg, and it seems as if words would get in the way of the horrific poetry on display.
There are some themes that emerge in the Japanese film. It’s obvious that the metal is a metaphor for some type of personal or professional monster that the man is trying to outrun. No matter what the man does to stop the metal spreading, he finds he is unsuccessful agains the virus.
The imagery and meaning behind the man and woman’s personal life together is less obvious and too startling to think about.
The performances in the film are mostly one note; however, Taguchi offers an uncommon dedication to his central role. It’s impressive that he’s able to create a unique characterization, even when his body is subject to a growing pile of metal objects. The final metal suit, which covers everything except for one eyeball, is some type of cinematic feat, and the ultimate showdown between the metal fetishist and the man is satisfyingly weird and climatic.
Tetsuo: the Iron Man, which spawned a mini franchise, will not be everyone’s cup of metal. The images are odd, harsh and sometimes difficult to piece together. For some viewers, the lack of familiar storytelling devices will prove too unconventional to appreciate. However, a select number of viewers who live off cult classics and like their cinematic messages served up a little differently will find much to watch in this strange, strange movie.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
- Tetsuo: the Iron Man
- In Japanese with English subtitles
- 1989
- Written and directed by Shinya Tsukamoto
- Starring Tsukamoto, Tomorowo Taguchi and Kei Fujiwara
- Running time: 67 minutes
- Rating:
