Tezuka’s Barbara

Released on the 90th anniversary of Osamu Tezuka's birth, Tezuka's Barbara, directed by the animator's son Macoto Tezuka, is an eerie and enigmatic thriller that subjects its audience to watch madness develop and take shape first hand.

The tone of Tezuka's Barbara is nothing short of wild. It is both uncertain and pedantic, yet elevates and heightens the material at hand. Nevertheless, it is continually a surprising and daunting aspect to behold. It unravels and develops in a manner that shocks the viewer to the core. For good or for wicked, it elicits an emotional response from its audience. 

Not only does the tone fluctuate, but as does the genre. It is never quite clear what Tezuka's Barbara actually is. However, before long – specifically in the second act – it becomes clear this attribute works in the feature's favour as a hint of enigmatic mystery begins to grow. That being said, such narrative decisions may come to some surprise and evolve at a rate that becomes convoluted, but it is that shocking nature that keeps Tezuka's Barbara captivating to watch in all its bravado and provocation.

However, Tezuka's Barbara does not solely have shock value up its sleeve. It houses two excellent central performances from Gorô Inagaki and Fumi Nikaidô as Yosuke Mikura and Barbara, respectively. The former crafts the performance that has the most predominate depth, and the actor works with the material at hand to create an emotional conundrum of a character. Yet the character is never as ambiguous with the material than what the screenplay and direction, perhaps, entail. Fumi Nikaidô puts forward a wonderfully coy and engaging performance as Barbara. An emotionally flirtatious and cryptic role that actress Nikaidô strives with developing in a unique and captivating manner. 

Tezuka's Barbara is a headache for all the right reasons. While Macoto Tezuka's feature may be a convoluted tonally and narratively speaking, it is a vibrant and captivating feature that explores its enigmatic nature to full effect. Coupled with two strong lead performances from Gorô Inagaki and Fumi Nikaidô and an effectively subtle Jazz composed score from Ichiko Hashimoto, Macoto Tezuka's film is an often dark but effective storm into the descent into madness.