A misfit high-school science teacher decides to build his own atomic bomb. He steals isotopes from a nuclear reactor and manages to create two warheads, but at the same time is present at a botched school-bus hijacking and is publicly coronated as a hero. Nevertheless, he uses the bombs to extort the police, first by demanding that baseball games be shown without commercial interruptions and then by having the Rolling Stones play in Japan despite their drug bust. Soon it's a race to see what wins first: the determined cop who's after him, the bomb he's carrying, or a burgeoning case of radiation poisoning... Edit Translation
- English
- magyar / magyar nyelv
- dansk
- Norsk
- Native Title: 太陽を盗んだ男
- Also Known As: Taiyo o Nusunda Otoko
- Screenwriter & Director: Hasegawa Kazuhiko
- Genres: Action, Thriller, Crime
Cast & Credits
-
![Sawada Kenji in The Man Who Stole the Sun Japanese Movie (1979)]( "Sawada Kenji in The Man Who Stole the Sun Japanese Movie (1979)")
Sawada KenjiKido MakotoMain Role -
![Sugawara Bunta in The Man Who Stole the Sun Japanese Movie (1979)]( "Sugawara Bunta in The Man Who Stole the Sun Japanese Movie (1979)")
Sugawara Bunta Support Role -
![Ikegami Kimiko in The Man Who Stole the Sun Japanese Movie (1979)]( "Ikegami Kimiko in The Man Who Stole the Sun Japanese Movie (1979)")
Ikegami KimikoZero SawaiSupport Role -
![Mizutani Yutaka in The Man Who Stole the Sun Japanese Movie (1979)]( "Mizutani Yutaka in The Man Who Stole the Sun Japanese Movie (1979)")
Mizutani Yutaka[Police officer at Police Box]Support Role -
![Ishiyama Yudai in The Man Who Stole the Sun Japanese Movie (1979)]( "Ishiyama Yudai in The Man Who Stole the Sun Japanese Movie (1979)")
Ishiyama YudaiDetective IshikawaSupport Role -
![Koyama Shigeru in The Man Who Stole the Sun Japanese Movie (1979)]( "Koyama Shigeru in The Man Who Stole the Sun Japanese Movie (1979)")
Koyama ShigeruNakayamaGuest Role
Photos
Reviews
A perfect companion to Oppenheimer
The Man Who Stole the Sun treads the finest of lines in trying to balance its subject matter and tone, but Kazuhiko Hasegawa's controversial movie about nuclear terrorism is a darkly comedic and thrilling satire on a subject once considered unsatiriseable annihilating any form of genre borders in the process. Holding particular resonance for Japanese audiences, as while the country does use nuclear power, it has long held against amassing a nuclear arsenal due to the devastating effects that ended World War II. The movie doesn't stop dead for any form of long-winded nationalistic or philosophical speeches and instead insists on a conceivable reality with seemingly no motivation.One of only two movies directed by Kazuhiko Hasegawa, which in turn feels like a crime in itself, Hasegawa rewards the viewer with some utterly sublime direction and excellent framing, with plenty of thrilling action set pieces to command his viewer's attention at all times (the car chase feels like it was ripped right out of a Ringo Lam movie). It balances the unorthodox nature and tone of the movie exceptionally well, juxtaposing the shifts with unnatural ease. Complimented by funky and often ill-fitting music by Takayuki Inoue to glorious success.
The performances are all excellent, with Kenji Sawada playing the everyman gone rogue with an endless amount of animosity slowly succumbing to the effects of radiation poisoning making him more and more unpredictable as the movie goes on. But it's the award-winning performance from the stoic and hardened Bunta Sugawara that really captivates me as he normally does in his roles, single-minded and exceptionally driven.
Overall, The Man Who Stole the Sun, even at two and a half hours long, never feels overly long or bloated. The film absolutely refuses to limit itself, and that's why it's so entertaining and impressive.
Was this review helpful to you?
Recommendations
There have been no recommendations submitted. Be the first and add one.
