If you are a film fan and have been following this homepage, you are undoubtedly familiar with the works of Japanese auteur Shinya Tsukamoto. While it draws from several inspirations such as the Punk movement or even the works of classic painters, Tsukamoto never fails to be unique, even in his works which rarely ever are mentioned such as the “Nightmare Detective”-series or “Kotoko“. The director himself has often referred to his features as experiences which often make the viewer feel uncomfortable and/or disgusted. Whether you like his body of work or not, his films leave a lasting impression on the viewer and we are going to take a look at some of the elements that make it unique while also hopefully drawing attention to his some of his major works and those which sometimes fall under the radar.
False Idols and heroes
If there is one thing you can find in every work of the director, it is the deconstruction of the typical hero character. Tsukamoto’s protagonists have more in common with the central characters we find in the novels of writers such as Franz Kafka as they encounter a world that is both hostile and dangerous and whose rules are not transparent to them. As an example, you may refer to Tsuda from “Tokyo Fist” (played by Tsukamoto) himself. In the hands of others this could have been the typical story of a physically weak person eventually overcoming his own anxieties and the limits of his body to finally beat his opponent. However, we begin to question the motives of the insurance salesman from the start, as he severely misjudges his own capabilities and is also led by a fatal ideal of masculinity (which is something he has in common with all of the male characters in Tsukamoto’s work). Tsuda is a weak character, physically and mentally, and he finds himself ill.equipped to deal with the challenges presented to him. There is no heroic catharsis for this man, and also not for the viewer who observes the moral and physical downfall of this character, making “Tokyo Fist” a frustrating experience (in the best way possible).
The fatal attraction to modernity and technology
No list about the works of Shinya Tsukamoto would be complete without mentioning the “Tetsuo”-series, which has put its director in the radar of many critics and viewers alike. In many interviews Tsukamoto has expressed an interest in re-visiting its themes and ideas, and to make a new entry from time to time to discuss how our relationship with technology has developed and what this modern world look, feels and sounds like. The salaryman in the first feature of the series is the prime example, not just for the aforementioned Kafkaesque type of character, but also for his existence oblivious to the fact he has become just a minor gear in the machinery that is modernity. The transformation into a machine-like creature is both ironic and fitting, a horrific mirror to his condition. Many of Tsukamoto’s characters undergo something similar, whether it is in “Bullet Ballet” or “Tokyo Fist” as our dependence on the temptations of modernity may take away our human qualities and even our bodies in order to replace them with something horrific.
War and conflict
With the release of his remake of Kon Ichikawa‘s “Fires on the Plain” in 2014, Tsukamoto delved into the theme of war and conflicts, and how they shape our bodies. As expected, this can be taken quite literally with his version of the story showing Tamura (Tsukamoto), a soldier of low rank, going through a drastic physical transformation as he must try and survive the junge and various attacks. Considering the amount of catastrophic conflicts in our present, it should come as no surprise he would come back to this theme, in “Killing” or even his latest feature “Shadow of Fire”. War takes a toll on these characters, and as their bodies change due to hunger, thirst, illness and malnutrition, their soul go through an equally if not more terrible transformation. The horrors of war is mirrored in these people, their bodes and their actions.
Mental illness and trauma
Tsukamoto has dealt with trauma and mental illness in many of his features before, however, his 2011 feature “Kotoko” is probably his most impactful example in that regard. It is also one of this most disturbing and uncomfortable features to watch given the experiences and encounters the protagonist, played by Japanese singer Cocco, goes through. As her realities begin to shift and everything she cares for is taken away, we observe how her physical and mental disintegration affects those around her, which is equally horrifying. Depression changes your perception of reality, making it impossible to even execute the most basic tasks as your body becomes defined by the sum of your anxieties. Whereas many directors and authors show this change in a person, Tsukamoto aims for a deeper connection, making “Kotoko” an almost multi-sensory experience which is quite difficult to sit through.
The body as canvas and metaphor
In the end it perhaps makes sense to come back to the idea of the body as a metaphor. In body horror this idea is at the core of the genre, but then again Shinya Tsukamoto takes this a step further. Similar to directors such as David Cronenberg, the change the characters go through is not just observed, the viewer is not invited, but forced to experience this transformation with his/her senses. Whether it is the final confrontation of the two sword fighters in “Killing” or the almost liberating dance scene in “A Snake of June“, the body, its wounds, its fluids and its deformities are reflections of our human condition, our struggles, or sorrows and our passions.
