Fifty years of war between the Great Eastern Federation and Europa - now merged as Eurasia - have taken their toll on planet Earth. As a result of the use of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, much of Earth has become uninhabitable and people have become prey to new diseases. Professor Azuma's "neo-cell" project, which is supposed to be the answer to mankind's hardships, becomes a nightmare come true when mutants spawned from the experiment escape and declare war on the human race. Azuma's son Tetsuya, who was killed during the previous war, is reborn into the cyborg Casshern as mankind's last hope against the new mutant threat. This live-action sci-fi movie based on a 1973 Japanese animé of the same name.
Cinematography
Every frame looks like a concept art portfolio exploded.
Practical Effects
Practical costumes somehow wilder than the CGI.
Production
Most expensive Japanese film at release—every yen visible.
Director
Kazuaki Kiriya
Yūsuke Iseya
Tetsuya Azuma
Kumiko Aso
Luna Kozuki
Akira Terao
Dr. Kotaro Azuma
Kanako Higuchi
Midori Azuma
Fumiyo Kohinata
Dr. Kozuki
Hiroyuki Miyasako
Akubon
Ryo
San Ikegami
Tetsuji Tamayama
Sekiguchi
Hidetoshi Nishijima
Lieutenant Colonel Kamijo
Gorō Naya
Narrator
Yōko Moriguchi
Luna's mother
Tatsuya Mihashi
Dr. Furoi
Mayu Tsuruta
Burai's wife
Toshiaki Karasawa
Burai
Susumu Terajima
Sakamoto
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Kazuaki Kiriya was primarily a music video director; this explains the film's relentless visual rhythm and narrative sacrifices for aesthetic impact.
The 1973 anime Casshan was a pivotal '70s tokusatsu series; this adaptation controversially abandoned its campy heroism for brooding tragedy.
JP
