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Galaxy Express 999: The Signature Edition |
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Review by Tasha Robinson
s a small child, Tetsuro dreamed of boarding the legendary Galaxy Express 999, the interstellar train to Andromeda, where humans receive free "machine bodies" and become immortal. But the dream became an obsession when the vicious machine-man Count Mecha slaughtered Tetsuro's mother in a trophy-hunt. Tetsuro became monomaniacal in his need to upgrade himself, gaining the power to kill the Count and avenge his mother.
Tetsuro is offered the chance to fulfill his dream in Viz's refurbished Galaxy Express 999, the classic 1979 adaptation of a manga series by Leiji Matsumoto (Star Blazers). A mysterious blonde named Maetel offers Tetsuro a 999 ticket, on the condition that they travel together. The lengthy trip quickly becomes both a metaphor for life and an object lesson, as Tetsuro eagerly heads out to get his new (or, symbolically, "adult") body, but begins to learn that the leap from human to machine has hidden psychological costs. There's a detailed adventure waiting at every train stop, from Titan to Pluto and beyond, and even when those are dealt with, there's still Mecha--not to mention Maetel's ulterior motives.
The sequel, Adieu Galaxy Express 999 (1981) opens two years after the first film's end. Earth (and seemingly the rest of the universe) has become a burning battlefield in the fight between organic and machine life. And Tetsuro, caught in the middle of the war, is called back to the 999 to fight all the same fights again.
We get the points...all of them...several times each
This ponderous but exciting space opera doesn't always meet its intended goals. The central metaphor--Tetsuro's train journey as a multifaceted coming-of-age pilgrimage--continually shines through the massive welter of plot twists. (Just to make absolutely sure, there are many overwrought monologues about the beauty of youth, the pain of growing, etc.)
But the moral messages are muddled. Tetsuro's initial dilemma is a beautifully crafted paradox--if he takes on a machine body to avenge his mother, he may become as inhuman as her killer--but the plotline saves him from having to make the decision himself. His growing maturity and the choices he makes are critical to the plot, but once he learns to choose, he repeatedly denies others the same right.
The story line is as convoluted as its lessons. The first of these films stands firmly on its own, with a solid, gripping, action-packed quest tale that wanders considerably in its movement toward the symbolic Holy Grail. Adieu just makes things more confusing, with a massively unnecessary reiteration of battles fought quite satisfactorily in the first movie. Both become even more complex with the addition of a handful of subplots and characters dragged in from the classic Captain Harlock anime series. (It's not critical to bone up on Captain Harlock's history--but it certainly does help.)
The train-trip as spiritual journey motif isn't new to anime--Night on the Galactic Railroad, a quiet fantasy film based on a 1927 literary classic, covered this same ground in a far more refined and restrained style. But Night can't match Galaxy Express for color, energy or textual complexity. Very little anime could.
My advice would be to skip Adieu altogether and pair Galaxy Express 999 as a double feature with the Harlock film Arcadia of My Youth. It'll all make a lot more sense--and you're less likely to feel like you watched the same movie twice. -- Tasha
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