2023 Blind Spot Series: Tetsuo: the Iron Man

 

Written, edited, co-starring, art directed, co-shot, special effects, and directed by Shinya Tsukamoto, Tetsuo: The Iron Man is the story of a man whose encounter with a metal fetishist has him infected by this disease that turns his flesh into scrap metal. The film is a body-horror film that explores a man who would deal with this new disease as well as encountering those suffering from this plague. Starring Tomorowo Taguchi and Kei Fujiwara. Tetsuo: The Iron Man is an astonishingly fucked-up and terrifying film from Shinya Tsukamoto.

The film revolves around an ordinary salaryman whose encounter with a metal fetishist has him be infected by a disease as his body turns into scrap metal as it plays into a man’s nightmare following this encounter. It is a film with a simple premise as it plays into a man who was out with his girlfriend as he would accidentally hit this mysterious man with his car and leave him for dead only for his body to suddenly be covered in scrap metal. Shinya Tsukamoto’s screenplay does follow a simple and straightforward narrative at first as it follows this ordinary salaryman in Tetsuo (Tomorowo Taguchi) where he is shaving but finds a piece of metal on his face. Then things get weird he meets a woman (Nobu Kanaoka) at a subway where she would encounter some piece of scrap metal and gets infected where things go wrong. Especially when Tetsuo’s date with his girlfriend (Kei Fujiwara) notices something is wrong as it leads to all sorts of things including have a gigantic drill as his penis.

Tsukamoto’s direction is very stylish as it is shot on areas outside of Tokyo where it largely takes place in industrial-based suburbs as well as a few other locations where much of it revolves more on this idea of cyberpunk. Especially as it opens with a man (Shinya Tsukamoto) who has put a piece of scrap metal into his thigh until he gets hit by a car. Shot on a low-budget where a lot of the camera work is hand-held where there are elements of shaky-cam in terms of some of the action. Tsukamoto also employs stop-motion animation for some sequences where the actors would be involved as it adds to this offbeat presentation of the film where Tsukamoto would do a lot of the visual effects as well as designing the look of Tetsuo when he’s covered in metal. Shot in black-and-white with co-cinematographer/costume designer Kei Fujiwara who also designed the metal costume of Tetsuo. Tsukamoto also uses close-ups and medium shots to play into the sense of terror as it relates to Tetsuo’s transformation with some gory detail.

Also serving as the film’s editor and overseeing its sound design, there is a frenetic presentation to the editing as it plays into the suspense and horror as the film’s photography also has a crudeness that adds to its sci-fi/horror presentation. Yet, Tsukamoto does maintain a sense of understanding into what is going on while also playing with its narrative as it showcases Tetsuo’s transformation but also things that he sees that are the cause of his actions where there are these elements of surrealism. Tsukamoto’s approach to the climax relates to Tetsuo’s action early in the film and whether or not should he embrace his new self or rejecting it as the latter would kill him. It also plays into this intense music soundtrack by Chu Ishikawa whose music score is a major highlight due to its pulsating industrial-based sound as well as elements of jazz that adds to the film’s offbeat tone. Overall, Tsukamoto crafts an enthralling yet disturbing film about a man who is plagued with a disease that turns his flesh into metal.

The film’s wonderful ensemble cast feature a few notable small roles from Renji Ishibashi as a homeless tramp, Naomasa Musaka as a doctor Tetsuo sees on a TV who talks to him, Nobu Kanaoka as a woman in a subway that Tetsuo meets who gets infected, and Shinya Tsukamoto as a mysterious man who is a metal fetishist who would be the one to infect Tetsuo. Kei Fujiwara is excellent as Tetsuo’s girlfriend as a woman who also witnessed the hit-and-run yet also didn’t do anything though she would be shocked by what Tetsuo has become despite getting really horny. Finally, there’s Tomorowo Taguchi in an incredible performance as the titular character as this mild-mannered salaryman whose hit-and-run encounter with this metal fetishist has him succumbed to this strange disease as he struggles with his new self as it is largely a physical performance from Taguchi who manages to bring a lot into this performance as a man who becomes metal.

Tetsuo: The Iron Man is a tremendous film from Shinya Tsukamoto. Featuring a great cast, raw yet exhilarating visuals, its disturbing take on body horror, and a killer music soundtrack by Chi Ishikawa. This is a film that is definitely not for the faint of heart while also being something extreme yet also exciting in its premise of a man whose flesh turns to metal. In the end, Tetsuo: The Iron Man is a magnificent film from Shinya Tsukamoto.

Shinya Tsukamoto Films: (The Phantom of Regular Size) – (The Adventure of Denzu-Kozo) – (Hiruko the Goblin) – (Tetsuo II: Body Hammer) – (Tokyo Fist) – (Bullet Ballet) – (Gemini (1999 film)) – (A Snake of June) – (Vital) – (Haze (2005 film)) – (Female-Tamamushi) – (Nightmare Detective) – (Nightmare Detective 2) – (Tetsuo: The Bullet Man) – (Kotoko) – (Fires on the Plain) – (Killing (2018 film))

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