From the Land of the Rising Sun comes PARASITE EVE, from Hideaki Sena’s best selling novel, PARASAITO IVU. Video gamers are familiar with the SquareSoft Video Game of the same name. Whereas the video game took a lot of liberties with Hideaki Sena’s book, this motion picture virtually has nothing in common with the video game, and stays more faithful to the source material. PARASITE EVE is a production of Fuji TV, and as a result much of the cast and crew work on TV shows for them. First time Director Ochiai Masayuki bridges the gap between TV and film quite well, and looks to be a promising director in the future. ADV Films secured a distribution deal with Masayuki to present his two genre films PARASITE EVE and THE HYPNOTIST on Region 1 DVD.

A genetic physicist, Dr. Nagashima (Hiroshi Mikami) labors hard in his work on Mitochondria, as he believes it is the key to cure disease in human beings. Unfortunately his lab studies take time away from his beautiful newlywed bride, Kiyomi (Hazuki Riona). One day she has an accident and loses control of her car, causing it to hit a truck. Kiyomi is rushed to a hospital where she is declared brain dead. Dr. Nagashima is shattered and driven crazy by the tragedy. Enter Dr. Yoshizumi (Tomoko Nakajima), who is desperately searching for a kidney donor for his 12-year-old patient, Mariko (Ayako Omura). Dr. Nagashima and Dr. Yoshizumi strike a deal to remove Kiyomi’s kidney and liver, respectively. Dr. Yoshizumi then performs the transplant on Mariko, saving her life. Dr. Nagashima takes the liver back to his lab for experimentation. He plans to use the cells from her kidney to somehow rejuvenate his wife using scientific methods. Dr. Nagashima creates a new life form from the Mitochondria that resides in a Petrie dish. This new form of life takes the shape of the lovely Kiyomi. Dr. Nagashima is elated to behold his wife again in the flesh, but it soon becomes clear that this is not the same woman he married. The creation of this new Kiyomi signals a new threat to mankind.

PARASITE EVE strikes me as a semi-brilliant film, which is undone by the long running time. A good portion of the movie is spent educating the audience on the nuances of genetics (why is it that all Japanese directors of sci-fi films feel such a need to explain everything down to the slightest detail?). Despite the slow moments and surgical approach to the film, Ochiai Masayuki keeps the film flowing with vibrant camerawork and artistic cinematography. PARASITE EVE is a pretty low budget affair, but again Masayuki delivers dynamic and innovative visuals (and sound effects) that belie the small budget. Masayuki draws more than a few comparisons to the Frankenstein legend, complete with cracking thunder and flashing light, and he succeeds in combining gothic sensibilities with a sterile futuristic look. His techniques give the film a unique and surreal atmosphere.

Ochiai Masayuki also does a fine job bringing emotion to the proceedings, mostly due the score of Hisaishi Jo. We feel the pain and despair of Dr. Nagashima when he struggles with his loss, something that American directors fail to capture. Then we experience the joy when Dr. Nagashima is reunited with his reborn wife for the first time. Later, when the menace is revealed and Kiyomi comes close to exterminating the human race, the miserable Dr. Nagashima risks his life to reach his wife deep inside his creation. The feel-good ending is achieved by saccharine sweet moments that runs on far too long, and are accompanied by some truly sappy music. Despite this, the scene is effective and a testament to the acting ability of the leads Hiroshi Mikami, and especially the dream-like Riona Hazuki. Masayuki knows when to contrast the suspenseful and horrific elements with the emotional ones, something that Western genre filmmakers just cannot fathom.

-  Phil Chandler

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