From auteur Tsukamoto Shinya, director of the infamous 1988 cult classic
Tetsuo: The Iron Man, comes the 2004
psychological drama
Vital! International superstar Asano Tadanobu (
Zatoichi,
Ichi the Killer) stars in
the film as Takagi Hiroshi, a comatose man who suddenly wakes up, only to find out that he's suffering from amnesia. Upon
returning home with his mother and father, Hiroshi discovers a stack of medical books in his closet and remembers that his
parents wanted him to attend medical school. Although still suffering from memory loss, Hiroshi decides to go to medical school
anyway. After taking the required exam and gaining acceptance to the university, Hiroshi slowly begins to remember his true
feelings about medical school. Even more dramatic, he starts to recall that he had a girlfriend named Ryoko (Tsukamoto Nami),
and that she was in the car with him when he had his tragic accident. But things only get worse when it comes time for the
dissection part of an anatomy course. Hiroshi's memory floods back to him in shocking detail when he realizes that the girl
on the slab is none other than his beloved Ryoko!
Tortured by this recovered memory, Hiroshi retreats into his mind, a world where he and Ryoko are reunited. As the formerly
amnesiac begins taking apart the body of his former lover, he finds himself coming to grips with the dramatic outcome of their
relationship. Hiroshi even seeks out Ryoko's parents, and from them he learns more about their relationship than he ever expected.
Surreal, morbid, and multi-layered, Tsukamoto Shinya's Vital is an unconventional film about a man coming to terms
with life, death, love, and his one true self.
DVD FEATURES:
- Language(s): Japanese
- Subtitle(s): English, Japanese,
Traditional / Simplified Chinese
- Special Feature(s): Audio commentary; Teaser(s); Theatrical trailer(s); TV
spot(s)
