Casshern (2004)

Director:

Kazuaki Kiriya

Writers:

Dai Sato
Tatsuo Yoshida (characters)
(more)

Release Date:

24 April 2004 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Reincarnated with an invincible body to fight an iron devil. If Casshern does not do it, who will?

Plot:

Live-action sci-fi movie based on a 1973 Japanese animé of the same name (Shinzo Ningen Casshân). Theme song by Utada Hikaru.

Plot Keywords:

Mutant | Warrior | Laboratory | Japanese | Military

Cast

Yûsuke Iseya	...	Tetsuya Azuma / Casshern
Kumiko Asô	...	Luna Kozuki
Akira Terao	...	Dr. Kotaro Azuma
Kanako Higuchi	...	Midori Azuma
Fumiyo Kohinata	...	Dr. Kozuki
Hiroyuki Miyasako	...	Akubon
Mayumi Sada	...	Sagurê
Jun Kaname	...	Barashin
Hidetoshi Nishijima	...	Lieutenant Colonel Kamijo
Mitsuhiro Oikawa	...	Kaoru Naito
Susumu Terajima	...	Sakamoto
Mayu Tsuruta	...	Burai's wife
Ryô	...	San Ikegami
Tetsuji Tamayama	...	Sekiguchi
Yôko Moriguchi	...	Luna's mother
Hideji Ôtaki	...	General Kamijo
Tatsuya Mihashi	...	Dr. Furoi
Toshiaki Karasawa	...	Burai
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kôhei Kitajima
Ei Morisako	...	Runa
Gorô Naya	...	Narrator
Satoshi Shiomi

Directed by
Kazuaki Kiriya

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kazuaki Kiriya		screenplay
Dai Sato
Shotaro Suga
Tatsuo Yoshida		characters

Produced by
Hideji Miyajima	....	producer
Chiaki Noji	....	associate producer
Toshiharu Ozawa	....	producer
Makoto Tanaka	....	associate producer
Toshiaki Wakabayashi	....	producer

Original Music by
Shirô Sagisu

Cinematography by
Kazuaki Kiriya		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Kazuaki Kiriya

Production Design by
Yuji Hayashida

Art Direction by
Yuji Hayashida

Set Decoration by
Yoshihito Akatsuka

Costume Design by
Michiko Kitamura

Makeup Department
Ryoji Inagaki	....	hair designer
Ryoji Inagaki	....	makeup designer

Art Department
D.K.	....	conceptual designer
Shinji Higuchi	....	storyboard artist: action scene

Sound Department
Roberto Cappannelli	....	sound re-recording mixer
Masahito Yano	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Tomo Hyakutake	....	character designer
Tomo Hyakutake	....	special effects makeup
Toshiyuki Kimura	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Kaori Doi	....	lead lighting artist
Toshiyuki Kimura	....	visual effects supervisor
Kôji Nozaki	....	visual effects supervisor
Haruhiko Shono	....	CGI supervisor

Editorial Department
Motoyuki Kawase	....	assistant editor (US video version)
Junya Sakino	....	post-production assistant (US video version)

Music Department
Hikaru Utada	....	composer: theme song "Dareka no negai ga kanau koro"

Other crew
Shinji Higuchi	....	action scenes supervisor
Yuta Morokaji	....	action director

Production Companies

• Casshern Film Partners
• Tatsunoko Productions Company
• Shochiku Company
• Progressive Pictures

Distributors

• Shochiku Company (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Bright Angel Distribution (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Cathay-Keris Films (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Momentum Pictures (2005) (UK) (theatrical)
• DreamWorks SKG (2005) (USA) (all media)
• Go Fish Pictures (2005) (USA) (all media)
• I-On New Media (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Momentum Pictures (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Paris Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paris Vídeo (2005) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Rialto Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (DVD)
• Total Film Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Total Film Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Nordic (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Universe Laser & Video Co. Ltd. (2005) (Hong Kong) (DVD)

Special Effects

• EEN (motion capture)
• N Design
• VFX studio Loop Hole (matte painting)

Other Companies

• Continental Far East  Dolby consultant
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Imagica  digital film recording
• Imagica  digital intermediate
• Kodak Japan  film stock supplied by
• Nihon Shomei Co.  lighting equipment supplied by
• Pivotal Post  Avid editing equipment provided by
• Sanwa Cine Equipment  camera equipment supplied by (as Panavision Digital Imaging)
• Toho Sound Studio  post-production sound studio

Also Known As:

Runtime:

142 min | USA:117 min (cut version)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital EX

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | UK:15 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Germany:16 (DVD rating) | Finland:K-15 | Italy:T | South Korea:15 | Hong Kong:IIB

Filming Locations:

Japan

Company:

Casshern Film Partners

Trivia:

This was veteran Japanese actor Tatsuya Mihashi's final film. Mihashi was able to complete all of his scenes but died during post-production before the film was able to be screened.

Quotes:

[before a fight]
Barashin:My name is Barashin!
Casshern:And mine is... Casshern!

Movie Connections:

References "Speed Racer" (1967)

Soundtrack:

Requiem

eye-mazing and original

In an alternate reality a military regime has taken over the eurasian continent. War and pollution threaten everyone's life and so a project is started to find "the" cure for all those people's problems. A scientist suggests his Neo-Cell technology, which is capable of rejuvenating, reassembling and reviving dead or injured men. A military sponsor is found and the early experiments produce a group of neohumans, who get loose and flee into the mountains. That is the point where the story throws in two ecstasy pills and the anime comic basis of Casshern breaks through and doesn't let go of our eyes ever again. The movie is extremely stylish and schizophrenic, it has a touch of the video clips in computer games, merged with a screen style like a musical (Pink Floyd The Wall)and action scenes that are a so unbelievably perfect "realization" of anime that it seems you are watching GhostitShell2 with TheMatrix layered over it. Don't even think you'd be able to follow the seemingly simple comic plot every scene, you can consider yourself lucky if you manage to process who is currently in the picture in front of which stunning background. Not everyone will like this, for sure, it far too outlandish and a real challenge, at the same time the seemingly comical story might scare some viewers away or the overall style of the movie, that seems almost like the distinct brushstroke of a painter, might not please everyone. Even animefans will need some time to get used to the fight sequences, as realism always steps behind for style and effect here. From an artist's point of view a great, challenging anime comic on screen.