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| Release
Year: 1993 |
Runtime:
80 min. |
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| Directed
by: Kazuo Yamazaki |
| Written
by: Yoshiaki Kawajiri |
| Based
on the Story by: Hideyuki Kikuchi |
| Music
by: Kazuhiko Toyama, Suenobu Takimoto |
| Distributed
by: U.S. Manga Corps |
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| Parental
Warning: Nudity and
sexual situations as well as some violence are a part of
this film. The company line says 13 and up, but I
might suggest 16 and up. This is definitely not a
film for kids, but neither is it something that should
cause parents to worry if they find it in their kids'
DVD player. |
| Rating: Super |
Review
by: Mark
Capitelli |
| Life
was pretty much what we know it to be today. Then
the wind came. It came out of nowhere. When
it swept through the communities of the world it also
swept away the memories of every living thing on the
planet. The people of the world remembered
nothing: language, tools, technology, science, their own
children...nothing. Modern civilization came to a
complete halt and regressed to its most primal
nature. It was no different for a young man named
Wataru. Not until he met Johnny. |
| Johnny
was a military experiment. He was a young man whose
brain was part computer. He was unaffected by the
wind. Using a computer, he upgrades Wataru's mind
to that of a five-year-old. With this basic
knowledge installed in Wataru's brain, Johnny builds
upon it until Wataru becomes knowledgeable enough to
survive on his own. Then, Johnny passes away
leaving Wataru to pass this knowledge on to his fellow
man. Along the way Wataru meets a mysterious young
woman who acts as his guide in their cross-country (USA)
quest to find what remains of mankind and create a new
civilization. Truly a daunting task considering
that mankind has returned to a caveman mentality that deifies
construction vehicles. All the while they are
chased by a relentless machine, known as a
"Guardian," that is convinced that Wataru is a
criminal and must be destroyed. |
"...the true merit of this
film is how the characters learn what human nature becomes
when it is stripped of its technology, and also what it
becomes when technology exists without community."
|
| This
anime is a real science fiction story. Sure there
is plenty of action, adventure, and romance, but the
true merit of this film is how the characters learn what
human nature becomes when it is stripped of its
technology, and also what it becomes when technology
exists without community. Some characters revert
to dumb beasts while others still demonstrate nobility
and humanity. Wataru is left with choices to
make. Should he try to restore mankind to what it
was? Should he form something new out of it?
Or perhaps, should he hold back and let the chips fall
where they may? |
|
"They could have examined
and explored and challenged and done so much more.
There is too much unused potential in this anime."
|
This
anime is not what I would call unique. Many anime
focus on philosophical themes set in a ultra-modern or
post-apocalyptic setting. The difference with A
Wind Named Amnesia, is that it succeeds in its
purpose without confusing the audience or distracting
them with style over substance. It's not the sort
of film that will impress a philosopher, but it provides
a well-conceived glimpse into what might happen if
humanity's collective memory was ever swept away.
I think it is one of the best made anime I have ever
seen. Its only real downfall is that it is too
brief. This should have been a TV series, not a
single film. Wataru's trip across America was too
quick. They could have examined and explored and
challenged and done so much more. There is too
much unused potential in this anime. |
| It
seems only fair to warn you that if you're looking for
some kind of fast action, sci-fi, anime, then you are
barking up the wrong tree. If you'd prefer
something a little less intense and a little more
thought-provoking, then I strongly recommend A Wind
Named Amnesia. |
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