One of the most extraordinary horror/fantasy films to emerge in recent years. This 1992 Japanese production is that rarity of rarities, a successful attempt at re-imagining a classic story. In this case, the story is Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. Last Frankenstein adds an apocalyptic setting to Shelly's immortal man-destroyed-by-his-own-creation premise, and also answers a number of questions modern readers might have about the text, such as: what might Frankenstein's monster's sex life be like? Does he watch TV? Go to the beach? Last Frankenstein answers all these questions, and ultimately works not because of its similarities with Shelly's story, but for its dis-similarities and departures, from Shelly and just about everything else.

The Package

Writer/director Takeshi Kawamura is a leading Japanese avant-garde playwright. Last Frankenstein started life as one of his theater pieces before becoming his film debut. It retains much of its theatrical origin, mostly in the staging and casting departments (many of the actors are culled directly from Tokyo Theater). So far, this is Kawamura's only film-making credit.
A breath of fresh air in today's bland, corporate- controlled movie climate, Last Frankenstein is a must-see. Kawamura also provided the screenplay for My Soul Is Slashed (1991), an equally audacious take on Dracula. Could these innovative features signify a new direction in Japanese fantasy cinema? Let's hope so. More, please!

The Story

The tale centers around Sarusawa, a science professor at a small school on the outskirts of Tokyo. He lives alone with his telekinetic daughter Mai, his wife having killed herself years earlier. It seems that she was an early casualty of a suicide disease engulfing the city. Hundreds succumb to the virus every week, and several bizarre cults have sprung up, dedicating themselves to the Death God. Enter Professor Aleo, a mad genius who lives in a secluded castle with his home-made "wife" and hunch-backed assistant. Aleo was once a professor at Sarusawa's school, but was fired for his morbid experiments. Nevertheless, he and Sarusawa need one another; Aleo may know the origin and cure of the suicide disease, which Sarusawa may be suffering from. Sarusawa's daughter Mai can in turn use her psychic powers to bring to life Aleo's two "monsters," a pair of stitched-up human cadavers with which he plans to start a new, emotionless master race.
Mai fulfills her duty. The corpses are brought to shuffling life. Unfortunately for Aleo, during the creatures' brief stay on earth they learn a few too many of the dreaded human emotions. When the time comes for them to mate and seed the new race, they find themselves unattracted to each other. When Aleo attempts to force them to have sex, all Hell really breaks loose...
Last Frankenstein is a rarity in Japanese cinema because it's almost completely plot-driven. With such an approach, certain characterizations inevitably suffer (most notably that of Sarusawa's daughter Mai), and, in this case, it takes at least two viewings to fully grasp the plot's countless elements.
But while the story may seem over-stuffed, rest assured that Kawamura's storytelling is always compelling. There are moments of out-and-out surrealism, gore, and even some demented humor. Just try and look away.

The Direction

Takeshi Kawamura's main strengths are in the storytelling department, but this film remains an extremely assured directing debut. Kawamura has created a challenging, exhilarating, and disturbing film that occasionally calls to mind the work of filmmakers like David Cronenberg and Kenji Matsumara, but remains uniquely Kawamura's own.
The camerawork tends to be mostly static, while the beautifully composed shots are often held for inordinately long periods of time. The tone is grim and somber from first frame to last (which may turn off American audiences). Although Kawamura's work occasionally descends into artsy self-consciousness, it's always watchable.
Of course, that isn't to say that Last Frankenstein is slow paced; if anything, it may move a shade too fast. But one thing it certainly isn't: boring.

Vital Statistics

Written and Directed by Takeshu Kawamura
Cast: Akira Emoto, Yoshio Harada, Aya Otabe, Juro Kara