Line #26 Film/TheRedSpectacles


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rs_dvd.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''Take off your rose-tinted glasses, and look hard at reality'']]
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4	''The Red Spectacles'' (紅い眼鏡 Akai Megane) is a 1987 Japanese science fiction directed by Creator/MamoruOshii and written by him and Kazunori Ito. It stars Shigeru Chiba and Mako Hyodo. This film would be in the first entry in the ''Franchise/KerberosSaga'' before ''Film/StrayDogKerberosPanzerCops'' and ''Anime/JinRohTheWolfBrigade''. The following entry, ''Film/StrayDogKerberosPanzerCops'', is a prequel to this film.
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6	The movie starts in the aftermath of [[Manga/KerberosPanzerCop The Kerberos Riot]] when Koichi Todome is forced to flee from a Tokyo-led crackdown on Special Armed Garrison "Kerberos" unit after a Kerberos officer [[PoliceBrutality has brutally killed a civilian while on official duty]]. This was one of the main reasons why Tokyo wanted the unit to surrender, turn their gear in and disband. Years later, Koichi returns back to Japan secretly in the hopes that he can link up with his ex-comrades who have survived the siege and/or have been released after being incarcerated for mutiny. As he returns to the country, he finds that the city has started to decay at a rapid pace and everything seems surreal and strange. From here on out, [[MindScrew the film goes completely insane]] and turns into an David Lynch esque arthouse film.
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8	Much of the film's cast is composed of voice actors whom Oshii had previously worked with in the anime industry, most notably Creator/ShigeruChiba and Creator/HideyukiTanaka.
9	----
10	!!This film provides examples of:
11	* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: Contrary to the rest of the ''Kerberos Saga'' which has an AlternateHistory DieselPunk setting, this film takes palace in the dystopian future of [[YearX 199X]] where technology is mostly at the same level as the year it was made, but has also made some advancements, like the Protect Gear armor.
12	* {{Chickification}}: This happens to Midori [[spoiler: but the fact that Midori ends up this way is actually something that Koichi is dreaming up.]]
13	* DeconReconSwitch: Inverted into a Recon-Decon Switch. The movie initially seems to be a straight up 80s' action flick with a cool and badass sunglasses wearing action hero, heroes wearing cool armor and mowing down dozens of mooks with ease. Then the film seems to turn into an over the top arthouse parody where Koichi takes down his opponents in completety ridicilous manners and finally [[spoiler:in the end we see the results of what would really happen to such heroes in a ruthless totalitarian country]].
14	* DrunkenMaster: Koichi, after enduring a harsh interrogation, breaks free after being force-fed some cheap alcohol.
15	* DeliberatelyMonochrome: The film removes all color after Koichi returns to Japan to signal how things are about to get surreal.
16	* DyingDream: [[spoiler:It turns out that Koichi died when he was first ambushed in the hotel.]]
17	* EnemyMime: Koichi gets attacked by a whole army of these while staying in the hotel.
18	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Notice the FullFrontalAssault sequence? How a fairly grounded drama has this out of place moment and gets increasingly more absurd as it goes along? [[spoiler: The absurd nature is a hint as to movie we're watching is not quite reality, but Koichi's DyingDream.]]
19	* FullFrontalAssault: Koichi fights off a lot of armed mooks with just a handgun and exaggerated martial arts.
20	* GainaxEnding: [[spoiler: The entire movie in itself. It also has this purpose for the whole franchise if you approach them in the order of their in-universe chronology.]]
21	* GenreShift: The movie starts as a science fiction action film and transitions into a surreal film noir after the 10 minute mark.
22	* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: PlayedForLaughs as Koichi hilariously slaps and strips the clothes off of a gangster.
23	* LeFilmArtistique: Considering that it has a sepia gradient, a very small budget, several [[{{Postmodernism}} postmodernist elements]], and the fact that all the characters speak primarily in metaphors, this film fits this trope. Not surprising, considering how much influence it takes from the UsefulNotes/FrenchNewWave.
24	* MacGuffin: [[spoiler: It turns out that the main reason Bunmei was hunting for Koichi was to get his suitcase which is supposed to contain a suit of Protect Gear, but the suitcase was actually full of ''[[TitleDrop Red Spectacles]]''.]]
25	* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: is the The Red Riding Hood girl really a supernatural entity or [[spoiler:is she just another part of Koichi's DyingDream?]]
26	* MindScrew: Hoo boy. It's about as close to a Creator/DavidLynch film as you can get without the man himself directing it.
27	* MysteriousWoman: The Red Riding Hood who shows up in the movie - nothing is ever explained about her, or why she appears in the situations that she does. [[WildMassGuessing Some reviewers did mention that she's there because of something supernatural]].
28	* ShootTheShaggyDog: [[spoiler: (No metaphor intended) Koichi's years of preparation for his return ultimately amount to nothing as he's almost immediately gunned down after he arrives to the country.]]
29	* SurrealHorror: The film gets increasingly Creator/DavidLynch like as it approaches the end. Borders on SurrealHumor most of the time.
30	* WorldOfHam: Especially evident with various characters in the movie, although Koichi tends to shout and yell when he fights (then again, [[Creator/ShigeruChiba considering who he’s played by,]] that’s pretty much to be expected).

Context Film / TheRedSpectacles