Big Man Japan
Madman Entertainment 2008
R4 DVD
Big Man Japan opens with the tale of Dai
Sato, an alienated and isolated man. He lives life at a very slow pace, every
move is cautious; he constantly carries an umbrella in case of rain. His house is
in a bad part of town and is in a state of disrepair, his backyard is covered with
broken home goods and stray animals roam from room to room. As we experience
his world through the eyes of the interviewer we wonder why he is so
significant.
We
come to understand what he eats, the restaurants he frequents, the fact that he
has an eight year old child and is separated from his wife. He also reluctantly
tells us his income and how he survives on the meagre amount he receives.
As
the interview continues he receives a number of phone calls and tells the
interviewer he must report for work, this is when we realize he has an unusual
job. It seems his family has a unique role in Japanese society; they are
protectors of the state. However, they do not do so in a traditional military
sense, it seems that through the use of electricity they can transform into “supersized”
beings (hence his title - Dai Nipponjin
Big Man Japan) and are called on to battle evil creatures which regularly
attack Japanese cities. This is Godzilla in human form and he battles all
manner of baddies (they are literally called Baddies) from a giant stinky baddies
to a one footed baddie which attacks with its eye.
However,
just as Japanese society has modernized and the old values have been left in the
past so the role of the Big Man is being re-appraised. In the world of
television and the internet Dai
Nipponjin is no longer the great thing he was and the monsters of the past do
not seem to appear as often. The last Dai Nipponjin is now in a nursing home
with dementia.
In
the past there were many Big Men and the monsters were fast and furious, now
there is one jaded Big Man who had his body branded with product labelling to
make ends meet ! However, he is getting older and losing his edge, not only is
he thrashed by a new baddie on the scene but drops an innocent baby baddie who
tries to feed on his nipple !! He is not as popular as he used to be.
This
is a strange and quirky piece of Japanese cinema which on one level is a very
fun monster film, the baddies are great and the battles are fun. The special
effects are very well done and the baddies look awesome. The way in which the
film is presented as a documentary is convincing and the juxtaposition of the
total ordinariness and banality of Dai’s life with his status as a jaded giant superhero
is beautifully played.
On
another level Big Man Japan has quit a bit to say about the clash of the
traditional society with modernity, the power of the media and fickleness of the
mob. It is a rather unique experience, there are not many films about a 30 foot
aging and unemployed superhero who has become the laughing stock of his country
and is losing in the TV ratings !! It seems Big Man Japan is the tale of the
world’s worst superhero !