Sesma

CivilWarveteranJosiahGreycomestoasmalltowntobeagospelminister.Intimehehasafamilyandmanyfriends,buthealsofindsfrictionwithafewofhisparishioners.Ayoungdoctorgratesatwhathefeelsistheparson’sinterferenceinthescientifictreatmentofpatients,andamineownerresentsGrey’sprotectionofanoldsharecropperwhosesmallplotoflandstandsinthewayofhiscontinuedmining.Greymustfaceapublichealthcrisisandalynchmobasaresult,allseenanddescribedthroughtheeyesandmemoryofGrey’syoungnephewJohn.

This1992Japanesefilmtellsthestoryofascientistwhosetsouttocreatethenew"superAdamandEve",humanswhocannotbecontrolledbytheiremotions.Ofcourse,theendresultitnotexactlywhatthegooddoctorexpects.commentsfromimdb:Thismoderntaleofanattempttobuildacreatureisoneofthebest"horror"filmsevermade,evenifitsnotahorrorfilmbutsomethingelseentirely.Certainlyitsonmyshortlistofalltimegreatfilms.Thisfilmwasintroducedtomebysomeonewhotoldme"Ihavethisfilmthatprobablyoneofthebestfilmsyou’lleversee.Itwillmoveyouandtouchyouandmakeyouthink,butifItoldyouwhatitisandtoldyouhowitsdoneyouwillthinkitsthestupidestthingonthefaceofitandyouwon’twatchit."IntriguedIaskedwhatdidhemean,andhesaid,"WellitsaFrankensteinstory,withaverygoofysortofedge,butwhichusesittoitsadvantage."Myearsperkedup,andIbeingatrustingsoultookthetapeandwatchedit.Iwasblownaway.TheplotconcernsamadscientistattemptingtomakeanewAdamandEveinthewakeofasuicidalplaguethatisravagingtheworld.Lockedupinhislabhisexperimentsgodifferentlytheneitherheorweexpect.Someofitissilly(Theboltsintheneck,thewrestlingmoves...),allofitistouchingandthoughtprovoking.Icannotrecommendthismovieenough.IfyouarewillingtotakethefilmonitstermsandallowittotellitsstorythenIurgeyoutoseekthisfilmoutandseeit.Thisisanundiscoveredgemthatwillstaywithyouforever.15outof10andthensome.10/10Alsoknownas"TheLastFrankenstein",thisisanextraordinary,impeccablyproducedhorrorfilm.DirectorTakeshiKawamurausesMaryShelley’snovelasamerelaunchingpadforanexplorationofsubjectsasdiverseandfascinatingasthenatureoflove,desire,suicide,masshypnosis,sex,alienationandjealousy.Andthoughthefilmisdensewithsubtext,itisalsostunninglyphotographedandrichinatmosphereanddetail.TheperformancesareallamazingandKawamura’ssensitivehandlingofthestrange,delicaterelationshipsbetweenthecharactersresultsinanemotionallycharged,angst-riddentragedy.Thescenesoftheconfused,troubledmonsterhurtlingthroughafog-shroudedforestatnightarememorableandstriking,asisabrillianthomemovie-stylemontageofthefilm’smorecuriouscharactersenjoyingapreciousafternoonatthebeach.KawamuracreatesresonatingvisualpoetryofhorrorandsadnessbarelysightedsinceToddBrowning’sclassic"Freaks".Intelligent,emotional,tragicandreal,thisisanabsolutegem.9/10