A Birthday Celebration 40 Years Later: A Review of Macoto Tezka's 'The Legend of the Stardust Brothers'
In 1980, Haruo Chikada released a strange album: 'The Legend of the Stardust Brothers'. It was the soundtrack to a movie that did not exist. Based on Brian De Palma's 'Phantom of the Paradise' (1974), which Chikada adored, it was planned as a 'soundtrack for a fictional rock musical film.' In other words, at the time, the movie 'The Legend of the Stardust Brothers' existed only in Chikada's mind.
Five years later, in 1985, 23-year-old Macoto Tezka turned this fictional film into reality. Tezka, the son of Osamu Tezuka, was a young director who had been gaining attention for his independent 8mm films. At the time, he was called a member of the 'New Humanity.' 'The Legend of the Stardust Brothers' became Tezka's commercial film debut.
This film is a 100-minute rock musical comedy. However, it ignores genre. It is a musical, a comedy, a sci-fi special effects film, an animation, and an avant-garde experimental film all at once. It is impossible to describe this film in a single word.
A story? There is no such thing.
The plot is simple. Budding musicians Shingo (Shingo Kubota) and Kan (Kan Takagi) were each serving as vocalists for different bands at live music clubs. The two, who were rivals, are scouted by a big-time producer, Atomic Minami (Kiyohiko Ozaki), and debut as the 'Stardust Brothers.' Under the production of Minami, who holds immense power in the entertainment industry, the two are instantly turned into stars. However, the glory does not last long.
This is the official story. However, when you actually watch the film, the story becomes irrelevant. This is because the film has no interest in telling a story.
For 100 minutes, Macoto Tezka relentlessly repeats visual experiments. Special effects, animation, stop-motion, collage, miniatures, monster makeup, and stop-motion photography—every conceivable visual technique is poured in without restraint. The screen never stays still for even a moment. Something is always moving, changing, and exploding.
This is not storytelling. It is visual chaos.
The Total Mobilization of 1985 Subculture
The greatest appeal of this film is the star-studded cast. However, it is not the kind of star-studded cast you would find in Hollywood. It is a total mobilization of the 1985 Tokyo subculture scene.
The leads, Shingo Kubota and Kan Takagi, are indie rockers and DJs. They are not actors. Kyoko Togawa (Jun Togawa's sister) plays an idol, and Kiyohiko Ozaki delivers a masterful vocal performance. And then there is the parade of cameos: Tamori, Fumio Takada, Sunplaza Nakano, Ramo Nakajima, Kiyoshi Kurosawa (film director), and Yosuke Takahashi (manga artist). Celebrities from every genre—musicians, TV personalities, cultural figures, film directors, manga artists, and novelists—pop up all over the screen.
This is not a movie. It is a time capsule of 1985 Tokyo subculture.
A Different Dimension Called Kiyohiko Ozaki
The only person in this film who exists in a different dimension is Kiyohiko Ozaki.
Ozaki is a singer who has been active since the 1960s. He had a massive hit with 'Mata Au Hi Made' (Until We Meet Again) in 1970 and was known for his overwhelming vocal ability. However, by the 1980s, he was already considered a 'person of the past.'
Macoto Tezka placed this 'person of the past' at the climax of the film. The scene where Ozaki sings feels out of place in the movie. It is too good. It is too serious. While the amateurs around him are goofing off and dancing, only Ozaki sings with genuine sincerity.
This contrast creates a strange sense of emotion. The audience laughs while crying. Is this a comedy? Is it a moving drama? It is neither. It is 'The Legend of the Stardust Brothers'.
The relationship with 'Phantom of the Paradise'
When Haruo Chikada planned 'The Legend of the Stardust Brothers,' he used Brian De Palma's 'Phantom of the Paradise' as a foundation. This film is a rock musical that depicts the dark side of the music industry.
Macoto Tezka was also influenced by this. The producer, Atomic Minami, is a demonic figure who controls the entertainment world. At the stage greeting that day, Chikada described him as a person like 'Kitagawa.' He manipulates Shingo and Kan, turns them into stars, and then discards them. This is the same structure as Swan (Paul Williams) in 'Phantom of the Paradise'.
However, Tezka transformed De Palma's darkness into a Japanese-style comedy. 'Phantom of the Paradise' is a tragedy. But 'The Legend of the Stardust Brothers' is a comedy. No, it is not even a comedy. It is nonsense.
Broken, yet abnormally pure
Critics described this film as 'broken.' And that is correct. The story is scattered, the direction lacks unity, and the acting is at an amateur level. However, at the same time, critics also described this film as 'abnormally pure.'
Macoto Tezka was 23 years old. He was obsessed with the joy of making a film. He did not want to tell a story. He wanted to explore the possibilities of imagery. He wanted to test what could be done with the medium of film.
As a result, this film broke down. But that breakdown is beautiful. Because it was born from a pure love of cinema.
The fate of a cult movie
At the time of its release, 'The Legend of the Stardust Brothers' was a commercial failure. However, it gained a group of enthusiastic fans. And now, more than 30 years later, this film has become a legendary cult movie.
In 2018, Macoto Tezka produced 'The Legend of the Stardust Brothers: New Legend.' This is neither a remake nor a sequel. It is a new cult movie based on a completely new concept. 33 years after the original, Tezka returned to the Stardust Brothers once again.
Why is this film so loved? It is because this film possesses 'something' that transcends time. That 'something' cannot be put into words. It is the madness of the visuals, the power of the music, and the reckless passion of youth.
The pressure of being Osamu Tezuka's son
Macoto Tezka is the son of Osamu Tezuka. This fact has always weighed heavily on his life. No matter what he does, he is called 'Osamu Tezuka's son.' No matter what he creates, he is compared to his father.
However, when you watch 'The Legend of the Stardust Brothers,' you realize that Macoto Tezka is not trying to escape his father's influence. Rather, he is practicing the 'experimental spirit' that his father possessed through film. Osamu Tezuka performed every kind of experiment in manga. Macoto Tezka performs every kind of experiment in film.
Father and son share the same DNA. It is the DNA of 'pursuing the possibilities of expression to the absolute limit.'
Conclusion - Film as a 'toy box'
'The Legend of the Stardust Brothers' is not a perfect film. No, it is actually a film full of flaws.
However, this film is filled with the joy of making movies. Macoto Tezka treated film as a 'toy box.' He packed everything into it: special effects, animation, stop-motion, collage, miniatures, and monsters. And then, he showed it to the audience for 100 minutes.
Some people laugh when they watch this film, while others find it boring. But no one can forget this film. Because this film is just too unique.
In 1985, 23-year-old Macoto Tezka left a strange footprint in the history of Japanese cinema. It is the footprint of a cult. And cult movies never die.
Even 40 years later, 'The Legend of the Stardust Brothers' continues to live on.
And the figures of Kyoko Togawa and ISSAY in heaven will continue to shine forever within the film.
