| Century 10, Prophecy
98: The splendor of many beautiful maidens....
never again will they be so bright. The flesh
will be peeled back from the bone.... and strange
creatures will walk the earth...
One gruesome and terrifying prophecy
after another is fulfilled in Toshio Masuda, Yoshimitsu
Banno, and Tsutomu Goto's powerful disaster epic:
Prophecies of Nostradamus. This disaster
film is unique in its approach, as it chronicles
great devastation in the world that commences
from rather inconspicious anomalies that cumulate
first in Papua, New Guinea, and then intensify
as they begin to occur more on the Japanese mainland...
starting with pollution-driven deformities and
mutations, leading to technological disasters,
mass hysteria, and finally, a grim glimpse at
a future that could be... all the while, accompanied
with the eerie narration that is the recitation
of the prophecies of the famed French prophet.
It is a film, in its basest purpose, that is a
warning and a heavy dose of social commentary,
while also adhering to the promise that humans
can change our destiny in order to stop greed,
pollution, and blind recklessness from gripping
our planet's future...
Simmering in the seething underbelly
of modern civilization, just barely visible to
the casual observer, anomalous phenomena begin
to occur across the globe. Illnesses are increasing
exponentially in the developed world, famines
and droughts are increasing at an astonishing
rate in the underdeveloped nations, mutations
have appeared in New Guinea, 1 out of every 3
children conceived are reported to have developed
life-threatening deformities in Southern Japan,
and the fish of the sea are dying at a rate that
is crippling local economies and heightening the
concern of food shortages. This would all come
as a shock to Dr. Ryougen Nishiyama, if it weren't
for a book passed down from one generation to
the next in the Nishiyama clan. For generations,
Nishiyama’s have studied the prophecies
contained in this work, and have predicted, with
amazing accuracy, the unfolding destiny of Japan
and the whole world... despite social and political
oppression to the contrary. The predictions of
the well-known prophet Nostradamus were contained
in this book, and it was clear from the contents
of its cryptic pages that dark times lie ahead....
Dr. Nishiyama struggled to reveal
his findings from a strictly scientific standpoint,
but like his ancestors, he was mocked for his
belief in the Nostradamus prophecies. He continued
to plead with the Japanese government to instate
drastic measures, such as shutting down a wide
majority of the factories and rationing food for
years until environment could be put back into
check. Even though members of the Prime Minister's
cabinet were prone to agree how much the world
was seeming to approach a fever-pitch, it was
not enough to persuade drastic policy-changes.
Meanwhile, conditions were worsening, and in some
areas, the pollution in the atmosphere was absorbing
the suns rays before they could reach earth, leading
to increasing fluxes in temperature. The food
crisis between the developed nations and the third
world was also reaching a boiling point, and the
Japanese government was becoming increasingly
concerned about the fact that it had long implemented
a policy of importing sixty percent of its food,
the most out of any other nation. The true litmus
test of the worsening conditions of planet Earth
was not in Japan, however... it was in Papua,
New Guinea. And when an expedition to investigate
strange phenomena turned up missing, Dr. Nishiyama,
photographer Akira Nakagawa, and a slew of UN
scientists formed a second expedition to the region,
only to uncover gruesome mutations, cannibalism,
and the half-dead remnants of the first research
party...
Meanwhile, back in Japan, the first
link in a nightmarish chain reaction occurred
at 12:43 PM. An SST exploded over the mainland,
damaging the ozone layer. Ultraviolet rays scorched
humans, led to the devastating explosions at the
Kawasaki Refinery in Tokyo, melted the polar icecaps,
which in turn led to freak thunderstorms and rampant
flooding. Food rations were put into effect, but
the citizens had already lost confidence in the
government. Suicides were at an all time high,
riots reached a boiling point, and everyone was
left helpless as people from all walks of life
attempted to unravel the mind-boggling chain of
events which were already pre-determined in the
prophecies of Nostradamus...
The visual effects are a big step
up for this time period. In an era where the run-of-the-mill
Godzilla series sfx dominate the Toho scene, Prophecies
of Nostradamus seems to go that extra step.
The model work is brilliant; the homes and buildings
swept away in the raging torrents of water. The
water effects themselves are superb, with a proper
slowdown that gives the illusion of heft in the
crashing waves. The mutated animals look realistic,
for the most part. The unctuous slugs, the disgusting
carnivorous plant, the nightmarish leeches, and
the remnants of civilization: the mutants of the
future; are all accomplished with great success...
with one very visible exception. The
bats. The bats are just plain awful, the undisputed
low point of the film is when these plush toys
with painted, unblinking eyes, and foil wings
swing down on tethers and attack the New Guinea
expedition. The only redeeming aspect of this
scene is the fact that it ends so quickly. Getting
off that subject, the other, more sci-fi elements
of the film are often accomplished with simple
techniques such as filters and/or simple superimposing:
the nuclear explosions, the reflection of the
city in the sky, and other aerial phenomena. While
they're obviously not as realistic as modern digital
effects, the visual tone they produce is a clear
signal of message portrayed.
On visuals alone, a plot cannot
rely. The acting in this film is excellent, with
some exceptions (although often the weird parts
are more or less oddities, required by the script,
as compared to the actual acting). Tetsuro
Tamba, who plays Dr. Niyashima, is the breakaway
performance. He really puts a passion into his
dialogue that gives the firm notion that this
character actually cares about what he's saying.
Tetsuro was also capable of some tear-jerking
scenes, such as having to put a member of the
first New Guinea expedition out of his misery.
His reactions are heartbreaking. Tetsuro's character's
reaction to his wife's death and her final dialogue,
is also a scene that is sure to produce some tears.
Yoko Tsukasa, the actress who plays his wife,
does very well with her character, who has gained
acceptance of her passing. These two members of
the cast have the most tragic roles of the main
characters, and each pull off their respective
performance brilliantly. Toshio
Kurosawa, who plays the role of the inquisitive
photographer and boyfriend to Kaoru
Yumi's character, is a little more deadpan.
He conveys emotion, but not really to the same
degree as Tetsuro. Although, besides this fact,
there really aren't any complaints about his performance.
The final main actress, Kaoru
Yumi's character, gives her role a nice eclectic
blend of emotions, from the heartbroken to the
sublime, even to the degree of playfulness (although
the sand dune performance was over the top, it
is clearly direction as opposed to acting, and
she does very well with which she's given to work).
Jun Hammura, who plays Kida, gives a terribly
heartbreaking performance. His reaction to the
doomed, deformed baby to which his character's
daughter gives birth is frightening in its realism.
While Takashi
Shimura isn't given an extremely involved
role, as always, it's excellent just to have his
unique presense and superb acting experience on
board. Finally, there's the narration, which is
absolutely stunning in its chilling nature. When
Kyouku Kishida speaks the prophecies in such an
eerie manner, it is very difficult to keep the
goose pimples down.
Social commentary is the real key
of this film. It's a disaster flick, true, but
it's far more than that. First, and though this
is probably not a very clear message conveyed
to Western viewers, there is the secretive nature
of the higher echelons of the Japanese government,
which was in the past a far more prevalent issue
than nowadays (Prime Minister Koizumi's administration
appears to be breaking the boundaries). Another
strong message is the oppression of ideas, which
is revealed before the opening montage as the
opposition to the Nishiyamas' predictions are
documented for over a century. The government's
non-chalant attitude to increasing ecological
concerns, and their inability to change course
in the pursuit of "progress" is yet
another message conveyed by the film. In even
a darker realm, there is the suicidal nature of
man. In recent years especially, this has become
a rising problem in Japan, and hints of this crisis
have seeped into popular media (i.e. Godzilla,
Mothra & King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out
Attack [2001] ). In a more bizarre form
of commentary, the opening montage is frequently
peppered with prophecies that have come to fruition,
which shows that the film makers had more than
just a mild fancy towards the purported prophetic
nature of Nostradamus' texts. Most importantly,
above all in the plot, the film expresses the
need for accountability for the pollution problem
and the dedication to see to it that its resolution
is swift.
Despite what the film does have
going for it, there are some structural flaws.
The plot is a little jittery at times, as it takes
a flying leap from one subject to the next (although
most things are pieced together nicely as the
plot progresses). However, the first-time viewers
will undoubtedly find themselves taken off guard
by the sudden scene shift from New Guinea to the
explosion of the SST over Japan. The sudden global
annihilation sequence, although simply a visual
narrative of Nishiyama's soliloquy, is a little
too confusing at times, as it makes it look as
though what's happening is actually going
on (i.e. the scene with dead inside the missile
silos) and it can get a little confusing and distracting
trying to decipher what's real and what isn't.
Other such scenes of confusion include Machiko's
dance on the beach, the nightclub hallucination
(a la Godzilla
vs. Hedorah [1971] ), and the question
as to the specifics of the physical state of the
first New Guinea exploration team (the immobile
undead, perhaps?). Sudden revelations, like the
discovery of children with almost superhero mutations
or the suicide missions of the teenagers also
take the audience by surprise. Most of the concerns
with flow aren't of concern in subsequent viewings
of the film however, as much is explained as time
progresses, but some of these events can be quite
jarring, especially during the first go-around.
The music is just, wow... it's
something else in this one. Took a while on the
guitar to track down just exactly what scale Isao
Tomita was using, because it sounds so exotic
and intense. The main riff runs smoothly along
the E Harmonic Minor. It really captures the oddity
and unorthodox nature of this very unique disaster
film. The "Prayer to the Future" theme,
however, couldn't sound more different, and for
a solid reason. It's a softer tune that appears
to adhere to the B Major scale, giving it almost
a lullaby effect. But the fact that this is does
run along the Locrian mode, which has a diminished
bass and is rarely heard in popular music, does
make the theme a bit out of the ordinary, but
it is so pleasant that it is definitely a triumph
that proves the Locrian can be more than successful
in the modern realm. Tomita knew exactly what
he was doing, and it looks as though he had some
fun with melodic and harmonic experimentation
along the way.
In the end, Prophecies of Nostradamus
is a fantastic representation of the dark roads
that society travels, the consequences of our
actions, and the absolute need for accountability
and policy-change in regard to the horrors of
human "progress". Some of the film's
content is a little fantastical, but so much of
it strikes home, that when watching it in this
decade, it is bone-chilling to see the modern,
real-life similarities. Are dangerous, enlarged
mutants out of the realm of possibility? Mosquitos
have become larger and more resistant to pesticides
in Athens, Greece, due to the high pollution.
Are melting polar ice caps just conjecture? Recent
evidence shows that polar ice is melting at a
far higher rate than ever, due to the greenhouse
gasses... possibly giving birth to the intense
storms of recent times (Century 10, Prophecy 1:
Both the earth and the sky will freeze a great
sea.... great storms will come to torment the
four corners and the skies will never be so fair
again...). How about famines in Africa, or earthquakes
in Asia, or political upheaval in regards to failing
government policies relating to food crises and
general failure concerning governing? Or even
the possibility of nuclear devastation, which
becomes an all-the-more prevalent threat with
unchecked nations such as Iran and North Korea?
Prophecies of Nostradamus is more than
just the Inconvenient Truth of its time...
the eerie similarities between the current events
of today and the conjecture of yesteryear only
become clearer and clearer as one observes the
events this movie portrays. Despite its flaws,
this film is a timeless testament to the state
of planet Earth, and a reflection of the ever-increasing
worries of its self-destructive inhabitants. |
(3.5/5)