Give yourself an early Christmas present this year. While Kaz Kiriya's gorgeous sci-fi epic Casshern has finally received a US DVD release the version available on these shores has been radically altered, with just a shade over an hour cut from the film. I haven't seen this particular edit so I have no idea if it's good or not but if you want to see the film on the big screen - where something this good looking well and truly belongs - and you want to see the complete film that Kiriya made rather than the one the US rights holders thought you should see, then the good lads at Subway Cinema have just the thing for you. The erstwhile organizers of the New York Asian Film Festival are fans of the film themselves and they're bringing the complete, unaltered, Japanese cut of the film to New York's ImaginAsian for one night only, on December 9th. Go and ogle.
wow...there's demand for a LONGER version of this movie?
When I originally saw it, I'm pretty sure it was about 32 hours long...at least it felt that long...
no links to the ifc site and when it's playing what gives todd?
Paramount is calling the short version they're releasing the "Director's Cut". Not sure how much weight to put behind that statement, but if nothing else the shortened US version is not the work of nameless Dreamworks or Paramount editors, it's the work of the director himself. Given the number of people who I have read describing the original cut as overlong, I think I might want to check out the "Director's Cut" first - if it really represents his preferred version of the film.
Gorgeous imagery that's worthy of a big-screen viewing? Absolutely. A storyline that could somehow become less convoluted and incoherent by adding to its already bloated running time? Umm...not so much.
I have both the Japanese cut and the US "Director's Cut," and the longer one is definitely better. I'm not quite sure of all the negativity surrounding this film, nor do I understand what's so hard to follow about the story.
What's so hard to follow about the story is the choices that were made in placing the emphasis.
Everyone who saw that first trailer was expecting cool robot action, and that can surely be found in there, but that's not what the movie is about. It's a drama, and an incredibly over-the-top one.
It's pretentious as well, calling attention to the philosophy and morality of war crimes, genocide, family values, pollution, sacrifice and cowardice. With a kick-ass soundtrack!
I saw the longer version in the cinema and it split the audience, one half hating it, the other half loving it. No wonder: go in expecting a fun action thriller and you'll be bored and disappointed.
However, go in expecting opera and that's exactly what you will get!
Not knowing what to expect I was slingshotted straight into the half of the audience which loved it. Can't wait to see what this guy will be doing next!
I love the guy's style. His music videos for ex-wife Hikaru Utada contain some very beautiful imagery. Unfortunately, I'm one of those that think Casshern was more style than substance. It's certainly a gorgeous feast for the eyes, but something was missing either in the story or characterizations because none of the operatic moments seemed earned, even though they were well directed.
The problem is not the story being hard to follow, is just that it's not a very good story at all. Is "anime cliche 101" just with nice CGI, it's the usual stuff about war is hell (you don't say?) and that we shouldn't play with nature, and that we must all leave in peace together. Like Miyazaki, but via a 15 year old fan fic.