Vital (2004) - Artistic Expressions, Philosophical Depth and Excellent Acting Performances - 8/10 (20/12/21)

Vital is a profound Japanese psychological drama that oozes with atmosphere. Directed by veteran Tsukamoto Shinya, the man behind cult movies such as science-fiction horror movie Tetsuo: The Iron Man, dramatic action thriller Tokyo Fist and dramatic mystery movie A Snake of June, this film stars charismatic Asano Tadanobu, known for his involvement in critically acclaimed films such as Ichi the Killer and The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi, as well as two strong female lead actresses with actress, architect and model Kiki and professional ballet dancer Tsukamoto Nami.

The story revolves around a young man who has had a car accident and awakens in a hospital without remembering what has happened and who he is. His family gradually nurses him back to health when the young man decides to join a medical school. He becomes one of the very best students along with an ambitious female student who develops an obsessive love interest in him. Things however take a sinister turn when the students perform autopsies on recently deceased people as the young man recognizes his corpse as his former girlfriend. Painful memories soon come back haunting the unstable student as he realizes that the woman died in that fateful car accident. With the help of his parents, the mourning family of his former girlfriend and the female student who observes his every move, the young student will have to be strong to remember the most sinister memories of his life, grieve his lover's passing and ultimately overcome her tragic demise.

This movie has at times been advertised as a thriller or even as a horror movie but that's certainly not what it is. The only creepy elements in this film are the constantly gloomy atmosphere that however also shows that there is always hope in despair and the dissection scenes of the corpses that are slightly graphic but never exaggerated. This film convinces with difficult topics such as grief, guilt and obsession that are treated with care, empathy and intellect. This movie is essentially a wonderful romance that shows that love can even survive death. The film has several artistic and surreal scenes involving wonderful drawings and haunting dream sequences. The acting performances are absolutely stellar because they avoid lengthy dialogues and rather focus on body language, dance choreographies and facial expressions. The movie's soundtrack blends in perfectly and the title song Blue Bird by renowned Japanese pop and folk singer Cocco is a timeless masterpiece.

At the end of the day, Vital is a slow-paced drama with artistic expressions, philosophical depth and excellent acting performances. This timeless movie has aged very well and deserves more attention and recognition. The slow-paced movie entices you with its mysterious atmosphere from start to finish and won't let you go. Its unique trademarks will even make you want to revisit this brilliant movie. Anyone interested in gloomy dramas with depth should give this overlooked gem a fair try.