Vital

The evolution of Shinya Tsukamoto from independent extremism of Tetsuo through his polished and festival acclaimed films like Gemini and A Snake of June, is an incredible phenomenon of a great talent developing right before a film fan's eyes.

Vital, at first glance is a dark and lurid tale of a brilliant young medical student suffering from amnesia after surviving a horrific car crash in which his girlfriend was killed.

After deciding to resume his studies and taking up an anatomy class in which dissection is performed on human cadavers his memories start coming back.

Hypnotized by the strange familiarity of the body before him the tale takes an unexpected twist and this film presents us with questions on the purpose of our bodies, memories and love.

Tadanobu Asano is perfectly cast in the role of the student supported by several other luminaries of current Japanese film industry.

Final revelation about the origin of body should come as no surprise to the attentive viewer but the thoughtful way in which this film deals with some very uncomfortable questions that seem to have been completely banished from the western cinema deserves a serious look even by those who might be put off by the subject matter.

I have never seen a film which completely transforms its story and subject matter from a taboo into bliss.

A cinematic experience to cherish!

amazingly weird. weirdly amazing. i don't think it's exactly "horror." it is different. and for someone who has watched a bagillion movies, watching something different is a delight.

the acting and cinematography are excellent. just don't expect it to be a straight forward story that makes complete sense at the end.

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.