A visual documentary of Einstuerzende Neubauten, the German underground band, by Japanese cult director Sogo Ishii, made during their 1985 tour of Japan. The band makes an elaborate and ...
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Title: 1/2 Man (1986)
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Cast
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Einstürzende Neubauten | ||
| Blixa Bargeld | |||
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Mark Chung | ||
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FM Einheit | ||
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N.U. Unruh | ||
| Alexander Hacke | |||
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Isamu Ohsuga | ||
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Byakko-Sha | ||
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
A visual documentary of Einstuerzende Neubauten, the German underground band, by Japanese cult director Sogo Ishii, made during their 1985 tour of Japan. The band makes an elaborate and remarkably choreographed appearance in the ruins of an old ironworks which was scheduled for demolition, and footage of same was incorporated into the movie, and a brief appearance on stage. Written by Serdar Yegulalp <syegul@ix.netcom.com>
Noise band Einsturzende Neubauten, filmed performing in a seemingly post apocalyptic abandoned warehouse in Japan, which looks as though the entire building may collapse around them at any minute during the film. Completely devoid of anyone in the building to interfere, the only "audience" is the ghosts of the old building and its machinery. Anything within reach of the band could be, and was, used as instruments: springs and coils, sheet metal, saws, hammers and mallets, concrete blocks, even a shopping cart.
Film slightly reminds me, in principle anyway, of Pink Floyd's Live at Pompeii. Floyd filmed their performance at an empty amphitheatre for the music to stand or fall on its own merit, Neubauten filmed their performance in a completely empty and crumbling warehouse, without any audience and let the music stand or fall on its own merit.
Personally I'm more of a fan of Neubauten's more recent music (Ende Neu, and Tabula Rasa in particular) and this film was marred by putting its two best songs (Armenia, from Zeichnungen des Patienten O. T. (Drawings of Patient O. T.), and Sehnsucht, from Kollaps) at the very start of the film.
It's interesting to watch this haunting, mesmerising, and genuinely creepy mini movie in segments at a time; its oppressiveness and gloominess wears a person down after a while, and made me want to shower afterward.