DbcultAccessing Vault...
6.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Modern Tokyo remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you have a weird obsession with history or mid-century travelogues. It’s not really a "movie" in the way we think about Renegades of the West or anything with a plot. If you like seeing people in suits drinking tea while planes fly overhead, you’ll dig it. If you want action, look away.
The whole thing has this strange, polite energy. It’s trying to show us that Tokyo is just like the West, but different. You see these guys in fedoras standing next to people in kimonos, and it feels like a glitch in the matrix. Everything is so clean, almost scrubbed, which is wild considering what was about to happen to the city.
There’s a moment where the narrator talks about the "new" buildings. They look like generic concrete blocks, but he treats them like they’re the peak of human progress. It’s hilarious in a sad way. You just want to yell at the screen, but the projector keeps humming along.
The pacing is… well, it’s a Traveltalks film. It goes exactly as fast as a turtle on a treadmill. But there’s something hypnotizing about the way they frame the dance halls. Everyone looks like they’re trying really hard to look like they’re having a great time, but their faces say they’d rather be literally anywhere else.
It’s not as polished as Wild Primrose, but it has this haunting quality. You see a city that feels like it’s holding its breath. It’s not a deep look at the culture—it’s more like a postcard from a ghost. If you catch it, don't overthink it. Just watch the hats. Everyone in 1930s Tokyo had such great hats. 🎩