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IRON MAN--THE CINEMA OF SHINYA
TSUKAMOTO
By TOM MES (FAB Press; 2005)
Japan’s Shinya Tsukamoto is one of the world’s most vital living filmmakers, and
this exhaustive study of his life and films is an essential reference, ideal
both for Tsukamoto fanatics like myself and those new to the filmmaker’s work.
Shinya Tsukamoto, of course, is the genius creator of classic freak-outs like
TETSUO and its sequel, as well as HIRUKO THE GOBLIN,
TOKYO FIST,
GEMINI and A
SNAKE OF JUNE. All are incredibly intense, disturbing films characterized by
kinetic editing, astounding low budget special effects and complex narratives
revolving around the human body and its attendant horrors and metamorphoses.
Said films, which the fiercely independent Tsukamoto wrote, shot and edited
himself, tend to be categorized as horror, cult or cyberpunk, but are in fact
among the most distinctive and influential cinema of any category.
Tom Mes has a penned a lively account of Tsukamoto’s
life and films that contains quite a few revelations, such as the surprising
fact that Tsukamoto had already completed nine films, three of them feature
length, by the time he made his 1989 “debut” TETSUO. Mes also notes that
Tsukamoto acts steadily in other directors’ projects (although “only in the
films of directors I like”) and does extensive commercial voice-over work in
his native Japan (voicing an average of 25 ads a year). Other revelatory bits
include a reminiscence of a 1992 visit Tsukamoto and his pals Gaspar Noe (of
IRREVERSIBLE) and Marc Caro (CITY OF LOST CHILDREN) paid to the Paris home of
EL TOPO creator Alejandro Jodorowski, and the fact that Quentin Tarantino was at
one point slated to produce TETSUO 3 (which is apparently still in the works,
sans Tarantino’s involvement).
Perhaps the book’s biggest surprise, however, is the
simple fact that Tsukamoto, whose films are packed with rage, insanity and
bodily mutilation of every conceivable variety, comes off as a kind-hearted,
easy-going person throughout. Indeed, fellow Japanese “cult” filmmaker Takashi
Miike (whose films include ICHI THE KILLER, which Tsukamoto performed in)
reveals in his introduction that his “honest impression” upon first meeting
Tsukamoto was “Huh? He’s just a regular nice guy."
Tom Mes includes in-depth analyses of his subject’s
eight major features and extensive interviews with collaborators like Kei
Fujiwara, who was heavily involved in the production of TETSUO (and went on to
write and direct 1996’s ORGAN), and the filmmaker’s brother Koji, who’s acted in
a number of Shinya’s films and has a decidedly complicated relationship with his
sibling. The book overall is an improvement on the author’s previous tome,
2003’s AGITATOR—THE CINEMA OF TAKASHI MIIKE, which despite its considerable
virtues was somewhat bloated and fragmentary. IRON MAN, in contrast, is lean
and streamlined, and, at a sprightly 237 heavily illustrated pages, never
overstays its welcome. I can’t imagine a better study of this essential
filmmaker, and recommend it unreservedly