by James Fletcher
You could say Macoto Tezuka was destined for fame… if you believe in that kind of thing. Either way, the gene pool that produced the filmmaker, writer, animator and visual artist certainly helped define his path.
With a family tree that can be traced back to the great samurai Hattori “The Demon” Hanzō of the Sengoku era (1467 – 1600), the subject of numerous movies and pop-culture exaggerations himself, Macoto-san also boasts the honour of calling the prolific manga artist and the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba The White Lion and Black Jack, Osamu Tezuka, his father.
So it was no surprise that Macoto, upon entering university embraced the camera, directing, producing and editing a number of short films on 8mm, but it was in 1985, while still studying at Nihon University in Tokyo that Tezuka directed his first feature length theatrical release, the counter-culture rock musical The Legend of the Stardust Brothers. A film, which like many of his father’s works, has found a longevity that continues to resonate with today’s global audience.
“It’s a very strange feeling, like I’m living in a dream,” reveals the 58-year-old self-proclaimed visualist. “At the same time, I’m a bit proud of my past self for making this film.”
Screening as part of this year’s Japanese Film Festival, The Legend of the Stardust Brothers is certainly one of the more idiosyncratic films in the line-up. The film follows the adventures of rival amateur musicians, Kan, a disciple of the punk movement, and Shingo, a new-wave enthusiast, as the two are fused into a singular act by a music industry producer in the hopes of achieving fame and glory.
Part Spinal Tap with a sprinkling of Hedwig & The Angry Inch and Xanadu, The Legend of the Stardust Brothers is a glorious, toe-tapping time capsule of Japan’s indie film scene circa mid 1980s.
“The concept came from Haruo Chikada-san’s album,” explains Tezuka, referring to his friend who had produced a fake soundtrack for a movie that didn’t exist. “There’s too many different films and music to mention them all, but I was influenced by many directors from the ‘70s such as Robert Altman, Hal Ashby, Ken Russell, and Jim Sharman. Also, Monty Python, as well.”
Having shot the film at 23 years of age, while also acting as co-producer, editor and writer, Macoto-san remains enamoured with the eventual success of his first feature, having watched it bomb upon its initial release.
“We didn’t have much of a budget, but we put in effort to make it look like an extravagant film. We shot in 16mm. It’s absolutely an indie movie, even though I think there were over 100 people involved. Of course, it doesn’t look like a Hollywood film, but we did things Hollywood wasn’t doing.”
