Post by ravenwithoutcause on Feb 11, 2005 9:54:32 GMT -5
It would seem as if this was a review I was born to write. No anime series has had the impact on me that Neon Genesis Evangelion has-- not remotely. And no film representation of a series has had the impact on that series that End of Evangelion does. It's hard, though, to have the objectivity to review what you're so tangled in the web of. Even years later-- I mean, check the copyright, folks; this might be a new release at Suncoast, but the thing came out in 1997 in Japan-- there's just no getting around it. It's massive. It's important. The film has worked its way down into my brainstem; it's a lower function of my nervous system. It's subconscious. I have to have seen it in the neighborhood of twenty or thirty times since I first encountered it at an anime club fansub showing in 1998, and while I might have more answers than I did then, I'm no less amazed, enraptured-- or captured. This is End of Evangelion. Before I go into details on the film, the question I pose is this: do you want to see a movie entitled "End of Evangelion"? It's pretty much as simple as that. If you're not prepared, or you don't care, then don't bother. It is not for you. But if you ever wanted to see the end of Evangelion-- whether you love or despise those infamous final two episodes of the TV series-- then this disc must be in your collection. That's the short version of the review. In a binary system, where the only answer is either yes or no, it's easy enough to decide.
The film picks up directly after episode 24, on the heels of the whirlwind friendship between Shinji Ikari and the mysterious Kaworu Nagisa. Put those last two episodes out of your mind; the film is itself two episodes: 25: Air and 26: Sincerely Yours. These supercede what has gone before. (Charitably, they're companion pieces.) Starting simply with Shinji sitting, dejected and introverted and alone, the film moves quickly to one of the most controversial scenes in anime. From that disturbing moment through the inevitability of the film's second act and the cleansing ambiguity of the film's final moments, we're taken on a non-stop, hellish, hectic, and highly experimental tour of all of the elements that made Evangelion what it is-- like it or lump it-- with the intensity cranked up to eleven. This is truly End of Evangelion, with all of the baggage that that entails. Many TV series' films are simply entertaining side stories featuring characters you've come to know, or retellings of what's already happened. This is not one of them. It is a direct continuation of the events in the show, and decides with finality the disposition of the characters and forces that were tangled in the show's morass of pain and machination.
A lot of discussion has been devoted to the myriad issues which surround the film. Is it the true ending? The answer is, unquestionably, yes. Yes, it is the true, intended ending that long-suffering director Hideaki Anno had in mind, which could not be produced for television due to time, budget, and censorship constraints. Is this film, and its bleak portrayal of the world of Eva, meant to be an insult to fans? No. The film portrays a world consistent with the content of the TV series-- you've not been paying attention to the last several episodes, have you? To paraphase deputy director Kazuya Tsurumaki, Anno and the other members of the staff had become dissatisfied with series that ended happily-- that ended cheaply. They wanted to show fans a bleak, unhappy, and ambiguous ending. They have succeeded, and if that sounds like something you can't appreciate, then this is not the film for you. Art is sometimes meant to challenge our perceptions.
Endless debates can be had not just about the intent of the film, but about its content. It's strange, confusing, and overwhelming. It is not an easy film. It is not light entertainment of an evening. It's pregnant with meaning, bursting with imagery: stylish, disturbing, and bizarre. It is extremely violent. It is disquieting in the least, and can be debilitating to watch. I have come to feel that the ultimate theme of Evangelion might simply be expressed by the word "alienation," and this film not only expresses how the characters are alienated from themselves and one another, but also how the series can alienate its audience.
That said, it is an extremely rewarding work of art. End of Eva is lavish, beautiful, and exceptionally varied. It never stops-- moving along at a steady clip, only occasionally seeming to give you a moment to catch your breath, but instead filling that void with contemplative monologues and arresting imagery that give you no pause. This is a film that you will need to watch repeatedly to catch nuances; even having seen the film as many times as I have on VHS and my wonky laserdisc player, the clarity of DVD allowed me to notice fine details I had never picked out before. This is a rewarding purchase that you'll be spinning numerous times, although it is a challenging one. That's provided you can cope with it-- that you're curious to find out more. You may not be.
Now we get to the tricky bit: I am not a reviewer who concentrates on the technical aspects of DVDs. You can read Anime on DVD's review if you need that. (I recommend that you do so, in fact, if you want to know that sort of thing.) What I must tell you is that I am mildly disappointed in the subtitle translation. While there are a few lines that lacked nuance, that's nothing new. Almost every anime DVD has those. But there was a line that was simply and utterly mishandled, and it's a key point of the series. It's especially vexing because Manga had a script in their hands with this line properly interpreted. More than that, though, the bare-bones nature of this disc disappoints. As you will have to for an accurate translation, you must turn to the web-- or buy the low value to price ratio Evangelion: Death and Rebirth-to get the extras this DVD might have had. There's nothing but a commentary that plays like tawdry self-parody by Amanda Winn Lee (the dub director) and two of her associates. The dub doesn't play it as straight as it could (or should) and the commentary is largely concerned with the process of recording the English track, not explaining the film's confusing situations. Your level of interest in listening to this would thus be directly proportional to your love of the film's dub acting and actors.
However, I'm not rating this disc on extras. I'm not rating it on video quality. I'm warning you right now: I'm rating this film. The score at the bottom of this enormous block of text is going to reflect only my feelings for the movie on this disc. It would be a disservice otherwise. However, I can say that my personal feeling toward the job Manga did is not very warm. To be blunt, it would have been better if most any other studio had taken it on. But the fact of the matter is, the subtitle translation is a hell of a lot better than my fansub, the video's nice and clear, and I'm really not complaining. It's a film I need to have in my library, and expensive Region 2 DVDs with absolutely no hint of translation simply won't do it for me, as nice as it is to sit back and drink in the visuals without distraction.
With this film, then, writer, creator, director Hideaki Anno and the rest of the Evangelion creative staff at Gainax finished what they started. They accomplished what they set out to do. They changed the face of anime, whether you like it or not. This film is, not in the least, a monument to that-a piece of mind-bending graffiti scrawled on the wall of the industry's dark and twisty corridors saying: "We were here. We did it." It is a disturbing psychological film. It is a transcendent work of art. It is a brutal action movie that clinically portrays wanton amorality. End of Evangelion is all of these things, and more-- there are layers to peel and peel and peel and you may never get to the core of it. Intentional obfuscation of the film's meaning with purloined religious imagery (deputy director Tsurumaki: "We did it because it looked cool") and schizophrenic editing, bizarre style changes-- there is so much here that will keep you guessing for so long. But ultimately it is the one and only trajectory for the series. Ultimately, it is simply what it says it is: End of Evangelion-and that counts for a lot.
Bottom line, a 9.5/10
The film picks up directly after episode 24, on the heels of the whirlwind friendship between Shinji Ikari and the mysterious Kaworu Nagisa. Put those last two episodes out of your mind; the film is itself two episodes: 25: Air and 26: Sincerely Yours. These supercede what has gone before. (Charitably, they're companion pieces.) Starting simply with Shinji sitting, dejected and introverted and alone, the film moves quickly to one of the most controversial scenes in anime. From that disturbing moment through the inevitability of the film's second act and the cleansing ambiguity of the film's final moments, we're taken on a non-stop, hellish, hectic, and highly experimental tour of all of the elements that made Evangelion what it is-- like it or lump it-- with the intensity cranked up to eleven. This is truly End of Evangelion, with all of the baggage that that entails. Many TV series' films are simply entertaining side stories featuring characters you've come to know, or retellings of what's already happened. This is not one of them. It is a direct continuation of the events in the show, and decides with finality the disposition of the characters and forces that were tangled in the show's morass of pain and machination.
A lot of discussion has been devoted to the myriad issues which surround the film. Is it the true ending? The answer is, unquestionably, yes. Yes, it is the true, intended ending that long-suffering director Hideaki Anno had in mind, which could not be produced for television due to time, budget, and censorship constraints. Is this film, and its bleak portrayal of the world of Eva, meant to be an insult to fans? No. The film portrays a world consistent with the content of the TV series-- you've not been paying attention to the last several episodes, have you? To paraphase deputy director Kazuya Tsurumaki, Anno and the other members of the staff had become dissatisfied with series that ended happily-- that ended cheaply. They wanted to show fans a bleak, unhappy, and ambiguous ending. They have succeeded, and if that sounds like something you can't appreciate, then this is not the film for you. Art is sometimes meant to challenge our perceptions.
Endless debates can be had not just about the intent of the film, but about its content. It's strange, confusing, and overwhelming. It is not an easy film. It is not light entertainment of an evening. It's pregnant with meaning, bursting with imagery: stylish, disturbing, and bizarre. It is extremely violent. It is disquieting in the least, and can be debilitating to watch. I have come to feel that the ultimate theme of Evangelion might simply be expressed by the word "alienation," and this film not only expresses how the characters are alienated from themselves and one another, but also how the series can alienate its audience.
That said, it is an extremely rewarding work of art. End of Eva is lavish, beautiful, and exceptionally varied. It never stops-- moving along at a steady clip, only occasionally seeming to give you a moment to catch your breath, but instead filling that void with contemplative monologues and arresting imagery that give you no pause. This is a film that you will need to watch repeatedly to catch nuances; even having seen the film as many times as I have on VHS and my wonky laserdisc player, the clarity of DVD allowed me to notice fine details I had never picked out before. This is a rewarding purchase that you'll be spinning numerous times, although it is a challenging one. That's provided you can cope with it-- that you're curious to find out more. You may not be.
Now we get to the tricky bit: I am not a reviewer who concentrates on the technical aspects of DVDs. You can read Anime on DVD's review if you need that. (I recommend that you do so, in fact, if you want to know that sort of thing.) What I must tell you is that I am mildly disappointed in the subtitle translation. While there are a few lines that lacked nuance, that's nothing new. Almost every anime DVD has those. But there was a line that was simply and utterly mishandled, and it's a key point of the series. It's especially vexing because Manga had a script in their hands with this line properly interpreted. More than that, though, the bare-bones nature of this disc disappoints. As you will have to for an accurate translation, you must turn to the web-- or buy the low value to price ratio Evangelion: Death and Rebirth-to get the extras this DVD might have had. There's nothing but a commentary that plays like tawdry self-parody by Amanda Winn Lee (the dub director) and two of her associates. The dub doesn't play it as straight as it could (or should) and the commentary is largely concerned with the process of recording the English track, not explaining the film's confusing situations. Your level of interest in listening to this would thus be directly proportional to your love of the film's dub acting and actors.
However, I'm not rating this disc on extras. I'm not rating it on video quality. I'm warning you right now: I'm rating this film. The score at the bottom of this enormous block of text is going to reflect only my feelings for the movie on this disc. It would be a disservice otherwise. However, I can say that my personal feeling toward the job Manga did is not very warm. To be blunt, it would have been better if most any other studio had taken it on. But the fact of the matter is, the subtitle translation is a hell of a lot better than my fansub, the video's nice and clear, and I'm really not complaining. It's a film I need to have in my library, and expensive Region 2 DVDs with absolutely no hint of translation simply won't do it for me, as nice as it is to sit back and drink in the visuals without distraction.
With this film, then, writer, creator, director Hideaki Anno and the rest of the Evangelion creative staff at Gainax finished what they started. They accomplished what they set out to do. They changed the face of anime, whether you like it or not. This film is, not in the least, a monument to that-a piece of mind-bending graffiti scrawled on the wall of the industry's dark and twisty corridors saying: "We were here. We did it." It is a disturbing psychological film. It is a transcendent work of art. It is a brutal action movie that clinically portrays wanton amorality. End of Evangelion is all of these things, and more-- there are layers to peel and peel and peel and you may never get to the core of it. Intentional obfuscation of the film's meaning with purloined religious imagery (deputy director Tsurumaki: "We did it because it looked cool") and schizophrenic editing, bizarre style changes-- there is so much here that will keep you guessing for so long. But ultimately it is the one and only trajectory for the series. Ultimately, it is simply what it says it is: End of Evangelion-and that counts for a lot.
Bottom line, a 9.5/10