Vital (2004)

Hiroshi Takagi returns home to begin his new life after having his memory wiped away in an auto accident. Fascinated by a dusty dissection textbook, he enrolls in medical school where he catches the eye of Izumi, a beautiful fellow student who desires his attention. But its another beauty that becomes his obsessionthe dead woman on the cadaver table. Starting with the tattoo on her arm, patterns of recognition begin to return to Hiroshi and soon he is having visions of a life with this woman. The deeper he cuts into her flesh, the closer he gets to unlocking the dark memories of his forgotten past.

Awesome movie

I am a big fan of the Tartan Asia Extreme videos. This one was not as scary as others, but had a lot of good psychological undertones. The main character is very interesting to watch. February 28, 2008

Overlauded

I am a fan of all Asian horror, and I was kind of disappointed in this film. It is a horror? Is it a romance? Is it a meditation on death and the survival of personality and self? I don't get it. I just didn't like it and the ending was poor as well. December 10, 2007

The Ghost of a Memory

"Vital" is not an easy film to enjoy. The pace is decidedly slow. The story is dense and obfuscated. The subject matter is bleak. A good question to ask yourself before viewing it is, can you find a love story in an autopsy?

But then, director Shinya Tsukamoto is not known for his films being easy to enjoy. "Tetsuo, The Iron Man" and "A Snake in June" are probably his two best know films in the West, and they are far more Art House than entertainment. While "Vital" is much more mainstream than either of those, it still retains his specific touch and is a challenging work. It is not going to be for everyone.

In the story, Hiroshi (played by Tadanobu Asano, best known as the masochistic murderer Kakihara in "Ichi the Killer") is recovering from a car accident which robbed him of his memory. While battling with splinters of memory that burst randomly into his present, he works his way through medical school, dissecting corpses as part of his training. It soon becomes clear that the corpse he is practicing on is the dead body of his former love who died in the same car crash that cost him his memory.

"Vital" is hardly a love story, nor a horror story, nor even a psychological drama. It is a film that is impossible to categorize, other than by saying it is a Tsukamoto movie. I enjoyed it, but the people I watched it with did not. The pacing and subtlety are almost Ozu-esque, and can require more patience than many people are willing to give to a modern film. But if you are willing to take the time to read between the lines, it is a rewarding experience. June 13, 2007

Shinya Tsukamoto rules.

Vital (Shinya Tsukamoto, 2004)

Shinya Tsukamoto began his career by quickly becoming, as All-Movie Guide calls him, "the master of body horror" with Tetsuo: The Iron Man and its sequel Bodyhammer. He got away from that relatively quickly, though, and starting in the late nineties, Tsukamoto turned his talent to deep, slow-paced psychological dramas. Vital continues on in that tradition, and when you get Shinya Tsukamoto behind the camera and Tadanobu Asano in front of it, you're pretty much guaranteed a winner.

Asano (The Last Life in the Universe) plays Hiroshi Takagi, a man who, on the death of his girlfriend Ryoko, suffers a major psychotic break. When he recovers, he slowly begins to pick up the pieces of his life, including returning to medical school. Once his dissection class begins, he becomes convinced that the body on his table is that of his girlfriend. He becomes more and more obsessed with the idea, drawing her father (Kill Bill's Jun Kunimura) into his fantasies (or are they?).

It's a Shinya Tsukamoto film, so you can count on it being shot dark. I mean, really dark. David Fincher dreams of making a movie with as little light in it as Shinya Tsukamoto's. Asano spends most of his time glowering, as usual, and uttering aphorisms with as little emotion as possible. If you're looking for an Asian version of Clint Eastwood, look no further, though Asano is (obviously) a touch more adventurous in his choice of roles.

There's really nothing bad I can say about this movie. If you're a Tsukamoto fan, it's a must; if you haven't yet discovered the man's work, this is an excellent starting point. **** May 12, 2007

tsukamoto's masterpiece

i almost cried after watching this film for the first time. not because of the story so much as just the beauty of the film. its just so amazing to see how far tsukamoto has come, from the brilliant independence that was tetsuo to this, the film is just nothing short of magnificent.

the story itself is certainly much deeper than most other films from the director. it also seems a lot more personal as well, maybe it only struck a personal chord with myself. the story was very dark & surreal. each scene was directed beautifully, from start to finish, my eyes were constantly amazed by almost every frame shot.

i also enjoyed the excessive rain, an inspiring trademark i have noticed in tsukamoto as well as takashi miike. he really knows how to use it to affect your mood.

another aspect enjoyed very much was the music, very droned yet beautiful ambience reminiscent of stars of the lid & brian eno.

overall a masterpiece from tsukamoto & another wonderful addition to the world of surreal arthouse cinema. deserves far more above a 3/5 score. January 8, 2007

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