Rubber's Lover: A Japanese Cyber-Punk Trip

DVD review

By: Justin K. Bauer, Contributing Writer

Posted: 3/7/05

Renting a movie can be a hard decision, especially when one has no particular movie in mind. This is the perfect time to try the foreign film section.

"Rubber's Lover," a re-released Japanese film from 1997 could be difficult for some people to watch. An online synopsis described the movie as "gruesome" and "bizarre."

The movie does contain a scene featuring a man ripping off a woman's clothes, blood splattered walls and a man "inspecting" another's stomach. But the black-and-white film and low lighting numb the movie's potentially gruesome scenes, and give it a film noir feel.

The movie had a creative story line. A group of scientists use human beings as lab rats in their unethical and illegal underground research to unlock the secrets of the human mind and unleash psychic ability. The higher-ups tell the scientists the project has been cut and they can no longer continue their research. This motivates them to turn on one of their own.

A fellow scientist proves to be an effective guinea pig, as they break new ground while witnessing the man's transformation. With psychic abilities now obtained, their guinea pig gets a little too scary for them to handle.

Their research methods are interesting - including a drug called Ether and a device that looks similar to a virtual reality helmet. They also use a rubber suit (thus the title), which cuts off the wearer's oxygen supply in order to throw them into an altered state of consciousness. It's a high-concept, low-budget film.

One particular scene with a strobe light, while cool at first, could be headache-inducing for some viewers. Others might find it neater while under the right "influences."

The most challenging element of the film is the screaming. Screaming can be a simple but effective element in films like this, but the screaming in "Rubber's Lover" seems to never end. When it was over, I felt like I had just listened to 90 minutes of screaming, but with really awesome cinematography.

The feeling of isolation that these very well done shots bring is certainly appropriate.

Included in the DVD's special features is an interview with the director, Shozin Fukui, who is better known for his film "964 Pinocchio." Even if you hate the film, hearing Fukui explain his ideas behind it gives you some appreciation.

For example, he mentions preparation and inspiration for the film came from his talks with "real" psychics and people involved in the underground S&M (sadomasochism) scene. Despite all the S&M and drugs, I would say the film is worth checking out only if you truly appreciate Fukui's work. Otherwise, I would recommend David Lynch's "Eraserhead" or Darren Aronofsky's "Pi," as these two films have a similar style, but are much better.