Review of Vital (2004) by Cj C — 24 Dec 2005

Shinya Tsukamoto's [color=Navy][color=DarkOrange]"[b]Vital[/b]"[/color] [/color]is the third film I've seen by the acclaimed surrealist director. His previous films, [color=DarkOrange]"[b]Tetsuo: The Ironman[/b]"[/color] and [color=DarkOrange]"[b]A Snake Of June[/b]"[/color] are truly unique viewing experiences; both of these films have grown on me over the last few months, and I suspect, [color=DarkOrange]"[b]Vital[/b]"[/color] will do so, as well (although there is not much room to do so, as it skyrocketed to my [b][color=DarkOrange]third[/color] [/b]favourite film of all time, ahead of [color=DarkOrange]"[b]Oldboy[/b]"[/color], and behind [color=DarkOrange]"[b]Fallen Angels[/b]"[/color] and [color=DarkOrange]"[b]Hana-Bi[/b]"[/color] [Fireworks]).

The film starts off with Hiroshi Takagi (played by the affluent Tadanobu Asano) laying on a universtity hospital bed with his parents at his side. "So, you don't remember? Not even my face?" says his father. Hiroshi Takagi has been suffering from amnesia since a near fatal car crash with his girlfriend; though Hiroshi Takagi has survived the accident, his girlfriend did not make it out with her life. Throughout the film, a unique device is used: upon leaving the hospital Hiroshi Takagi re-discovers his interest in medicine and enrolls at University. Oddly enough, when it becomes time for dissections, he discovers the body which he is disecting is that of his deceased girlfriend. Through this dissecting process, he regains his lost memories of her.

Many questions are raised throughout the film relating to human nature, and in my opinion, innocence. The film gives an original look at the cliched amnesiac plot through Tsukamoto's surreal direction. Although this film is not as bizzare as previous Tsukamoto fan-fares, many stylistic traits of the auteur are apparent. A Great film - [color=DeepSkyBlue][b][color=DarkOrange]10/10[/color][color=Black].[/color][/b][/color].