TETSUO: THE BULLET MAN

Japan, 2009, 79 minutes, Colour.
Eric Bossick, Akiko Monou, Shinya Tsukamoto.
Directed by Shinya Tsukamoto.


1.The popularity of the Tetsuo films? For twenty years? The attempts of the director to make a sequel? His interest in making an American film? The aftermath of 9/11? His eventually making a film in Tokyo with half American characters? Satisfying for American and worldwide markets?

2.The work of the director, writer, his imagining Tetsuo? The science fantasy? His performance as the villain?

3.The technical bravura of the film? The Tokyo settings, the homes, the laboratories, the streets? The visual effects for the transformation of the Bullet Man? During the credits, skeletons, iron, bones? The colours? The rapid effects? The visuals during the film, the transformation of the Bullet Man? The special effects for the revenge? The destruction? The transformation of Anthony at the end? The strident and loud musical score?

4.The introduction to Anthony, his father’s checking on him and his son’s health? The depression of his wife? The father and his concern, his saying he was out of biochemistry? Deceiving the family? Concerned about them?

5.Anthony as a character, obeying his father, going to the doctor, his love for his son, Tom running ahead, seeing Tom killed? The emotional effect, beginning the transformation into an iron man? His trying to conceal this from his wife?

6.The mother, her grief, her explanation that she felt alive only in giving birth to her son? Her demands for Anthony’s anger, for revenge? Her decision to take things into her own hand?

7.The father, the revelation of what had happened, the flashbacks to his marrying, the illness of his wife, his grief, making a clone of her? The android as Anthony’s mother? Hence the genetic complexity? Passed on to his son?

8.The villain, running over Tom? The confrontations with Anthony? His motivations for wanting Anthony, for the formula? His ruthlessness in the confrontations?

9.Anthony, the transformation, wreaking his revenge, the destruction in the city, the confrontation with the villain? His wife?

10.The issue of revenge, motivation, the possible transformation in normality when not taking revenge?

11.The niche audience for this kind of film, the fans of graphic novels, for Manga comics, for live action and animated versions of this kind of adventure? The macho tone?