Phoenix 2772
Encyclopedia
is an animated
feature film
directed by Taku Sugiyama and co-scripted by Osamu Tezuka
, based on his manga
series Hi no Tori. It was then released in the UK in 1980 under the title Space Firebird, and later in the United States in 1983, shortened to 79 minutes and dubbed by British voice-actors. A French version had also been released under the title Firebird 2772.
The science fiction
film premiered on March 15, 1980 in Japan.
For his crime, Godo loses his citizenship and is sent to a labour camp in Iceland where mining energy from the Earth's core is being harnessed in a bid to save the world (but adversely causing earthquakes and speeding up the process). While interned and heart-broken over losing Rena, he meets Doctor Saruta, a prison professor who wishes to counsel the young pilot, only to secretly plot with him a plan to escape, search for the Phoenix themselves and save the Earth. Eventually, Godo is saved by Orga and Pincho (a pet creature of Rena that had helped the lost Orga), and they set into space.
During various displays of then-groundbreaking animation, Godo and the crew of the ship find it almost impossible to subdue the Phoenix and it changes into many monstrous shapes and sizes, from dragons to tentacular leeches. After learning that Rena is to marry Rock, Godo had become stricken with misery and pushes away Orga's advances when she shows signs of love (and previously jealousy) for Godo. With the crew all killed one-by-one by the Phoenix and the secret of its weakness lost in Saruta's last words the Phoenix finally destroys Orga by burning her to death, and Godo finally surrenders. As he cradles Orga, realizing how selfish he had been towards his only friend in the world, the Phoenix is subdued by the power of love and thus boards the ship in the form of what appears the cross between an angel and a peacock.
Amazed at Godo's love of living creatures, the Phoenix, speaking with a female voice "herself", falls in love with Godo and grants his wish of reviving Orga on the condition he gives her anything she wants of him (not knowing that this involves his carnal love and the Phoenix possessing the body of Orga to obtain this). After being reunited with Orga and given a paradisal planet to live on, Godo still has feelings towards the dying Earth and sets out to return with vegetables and resources, only to be met with Rock (and a now content and promiscuous Rena) and is arrested. But what follows is a series of earthquakes that level the whole world and bring about final destruction, Rena dying in the advent by trying to escape on Godo's ship and Rock blinded by a lava emission. Godo gives Rock his last rites and he and Orga appear as lone survivors, he then grieves that so much life has been destroyed.
The Phoenix reveals itself to Godo through Orga and requests his wish to lay down his life for the revival of the Earth and its creatures. After the sombre night changes to a starry dawn and after Godo's death the casualties are resurrected. Orga then lays Godo's corpse on the shore and is freed of the Phoenix, only to have her own dead body (beside Godo's) change into a human being. Godo himself is changed into a newborn baby again, and claimed by the new human Orga as a kind of virgin birth, is deified as a god.
Beyond Osamu Tezuka's style as a fantastic humanist writer, the film had a curious legacy as a deposit of Western animation influences, coupled with a beautiful score by Yasuo Higuchi. The influences can be seen with the prison mining set of Unisen minors (Fleischer Studios
), Pincho and other creatures dancing with a mop (Disney's Fantasia
) and the reference to Pinocchio
when Orga is given new life. But most importantly, the film had a flare of Eastern mystical philosophy that was not (and is still not) understood by most Westerners, which involves a likeness to Hindu
fairytale fancy and especially Buddhism
. With Godo's plight intimated as poor rebirth karma
compared to his antithesis Rock, the Phoenix as the symbol of rebirth and immortality, and also the final apotheosis of Godo and Tezuka's love of animal freedom are also evident Buddhist ideals.
Many of the characters themselves appear in Tezuka's past manga and at least one of these characters can be considered a reincarnation. Fans of Tezuka will find Saruta, Ban, Higeoyagi, Boon and Rock in other stories of Tezuka (the latter for instance is the evil assassin in Tezuka's modern epic Metropolis
). Black Jack however, who is the warden of the Iceland prison camp in Phoenix, was ambiguously taken from Tezuka's popular manga series Black Jack
as the otherwise heroic and macabre surgeon.
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
directed by Taku Sugiyama and co-scripted by Osamu Tezuka
Osamu Tezuka
was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...
, based on his manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series Hi no Tori. It was then released in the UK in 1980 under the title Space Firebird, and later in the United States in 1983, shortened to 79 minutes and dubbed by British voice-actors. A French version had also been released under the title Firebird 2772.
The science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
film premiered on March 15, 1980 in Japan.
Story
Phoenix 2772 is set in the distant future where the planet Earth is dying from a lack of energy resources and a disheartening political climate sees all human beings produced by computers to live out certain social roles, the colour of the eyes determining the baby's rank, from pilot to politician, etc. Godo is one such child brought up to be a cadet and nursed by the beautiful robot-maid Orga. After noticing his exceptional abilities, Rock, a dictatorial candidate for prime minister, selects Godo to fulfill his agenda and travel into deep space and capture the mystical Phoenix, its blood will manifestly heal the Earth (and selfishly make Rock prime minister). This eventually proves hard for Godo for many reasons, partly because he has a love of all living creatures and he detests his being trained for what appears to be that of a ruthless hunter. He is also to leave his one friend in his adolescence, Orga, to deletion. Most importantly he elopes with Rena, a "daughter of the elite" and bride-to-be of Rock when it is forbidden for his rank to communicate with such a woman.For his crime, Godo loses his citizenship and is sent to a labour camp in Iceland where mining energy from the Earth's core is being harnessed in a bid to save the world (but adversely causing earthquakes and speeding up the process). While interned and heart-broken over losing Rena, he meets Doctor Saruta, a prison professor who wishes to counsel the young pilot, only to secretly plot with him a plan to escape, search for the Phoenix themselves and save the Earth. Eventually, Godo is saved by Orga and Pincho (a pet creature of Rena that had helped the lost Orga), and they set into space.
During various displays of then-groundbreaking animation, Godo and the crew of the ship find it almost impossible to subdue the Phoenix and it changes into many monstrous shapes and sizes, from dragons to tentacular leeches. After learning that Rena is to marry Rock, Godo had become stricken with misery and pushes away Orga's advances when she shows signs of love (and previously jealousy) for Godo. With the crew all killed one-by-one by the Phoenix and the secret of its weakness lost in Saruta's last words the Phoenix finally destroys Orga by burning her to death, and Godo finally surrenders. As he cradles Orga, realizing how selfish he had been towards his only friend in the world, the Phoenix is subdued by the power of love and thus boards the ship in the form of what appears the cross between an angel and a peacock.
Amazed at Godo's love of living creatures, the Phoenix, speaking with a female voice "herself", falls in love with Godo and grants his wish of reviving Orga on the condition he gives her anything she wants of him (not knowing that this involves his carnal love and the Phoenix possessing the body of Orga to obtain this). After being reunited with Orga and given a paradisal planet to live on, Godo still has feelings towards the dying Earth and sets out to return with vegetables and resources, only to be met with Rock (and a now content and promiscuous Rena) and is arrested. But what follows is a series of earthquakes that level the whole world and bring about final destruction, Rena dying in the advent by trying to escape on Godo's ship and Rock blinded by a lava emission. Godo gives Rock his last rites and he and Orga appear as lone survivors, he then grieves that so much life has been destroyed.
The Phoenix reveals itself to Godo through Orga and requests his wish to lay down his life for the revival of the Earth and its creatures. After the sombre night changes to a starry dawn and after Godo's death the casualties are resurrected. Orga then lays Godo's corpse on the shore and is freed of the Phoenix, only to have her own dead body (beside Godo's) change into a human being. Godo himself is changed into a newborn baby again, and claimed by the new human Orga as a kind of virgin birth, is deified as a god.
Beyond Osamu Tezuka's style as a fantastic humanist writer, the film had a curious legacy as a deposit of Western animation influences, coupled with a beautiful score by Yasuo Higuchi. The influences can be seen with the prison mining set of Unisen minors (Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios
Fleischer Studios, Inc., was an American corporation which originated as an Animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York...
), Pincho and other creatures dancing with a mop (Disney's Fantasia
Fantasia (film)
Fantasia is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by Walt Disney Productions. The third feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film consists of eight animated segments set to pieces of classical music conducted by Leopold Stokowski, seven of which are...
) and the reference to Pinocchio
Pinocchio
The Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Florence. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an...
when Orga is given new life. But most importantly, the film had a flare of Eastern mystical philosophy that was not (and is still not) understood by most Westerners, which involves a likeness to Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
fairytale fancy and especially Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. With Godo's plight intimated as poor rebirth karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
compared to his antithesis Rock, the Phoenix as the symbol of rebirth and immortality, and also the final apotheosis of Godo and Tezuka's love of animal freedom are also evident Buddhist ideals.
Many of the characters themselves appear in Tezuka's past manga and at least one of these characters can be considered a reincarnation. Fans of Tezuka will find Saruta, Ban, Higeoyagi, Boon and Rock in other stories of Tezuka (the latter for instance is the evil assassin in Tezuka's modern epic Metropolis
Metropolis (manga)
, also known as Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis or Robotic Angel is a Japanese manga by Osamu Tezuka published in 1949. It has been adapted into a feature length anime, released in 2001...
). Black Jack however, who is the warden of the Iceland prison camp in Phoenix, was ambiguously taken from Tezuka's popular manga series Black Jack
Black Jack
Black Jack or Blackjack may refer to:- Games and cards :* Blackjack, the gambling game* Black Jack , also known as Switch, a name given to some variations of Crazy Eights in United Kingdom* The black Jack playing card- Products :...
as the otherwise heroic and macabre surgeon.
Characters
- Godo; pilot.
- Olga; female robot, Godo's caretaker.
- RockRock (manga character)Rock is a recurrent major character in most of Osamu Tezuka's manga series, and he is an important part of Osamu Tezuka's Star System...
; political leader and chief science officer. - Rena; daughter of Lord Eat.
- Lord Eat; political leader, chief of elders.
- Borukan; a supervisor and trainer of pilots.
- Ban, or Higeoyaji; resident of the planet Tears.
- Black JackBlack Jack (character)is a fictional character created by Osamu Tezuka, introduced in Weekly Shōnen Champion on November 19, 1973.-Character:Black Jack is a medical mercenary, selling his skills to the highest bidder. He is a shadowy figure, with a black cape, eerie black-and-white hair, and stitched-up scars worming...
; warden at Iceland labor camp prison. - Dr. Saruta; prisoner at Iceland labor camp prison.
- Boon; prison guard at Iceland labor camp prison.
- Pincho; an alien servant of Rena.
- Crack; an alien resident of the planet Tears.
- The PhoenixPhoenix (manga)is a manga series by Osamu Tezuka. Tezuka considered Phoenix his "life's work"; it consists of 12 books, each of which tells a separate, self-contained story and takes place in a different era. The plots go back and forth from the remote future to prehistoric times. The cycle remains unfinished...
; the mythical bird of legend.
Awards and nominations
The film won the Inkpot Award at the 1980 San Diego Comic Convention and the Animation Award at the 1980 Las Vegas Film Festival. It was a Best Animated Film nominee at the 1983 Saturn Awards.External links
- Phoenix 2772 in the Tezuka World database.