ガス人間㐧1号 (The Human Vapor) 1960 Ages 15+
      Production still from The Human Vapor 1960 / Dir: Ishirō Honda / Image courtesy: Park Circus / View full image
When
6.00 pm, Wed 8 Mar 2023 (91 mins)Where
Gallery of Modern Art, Cinema A
Accessibility
- Wheelchair Accessible
 
About
While investigating a series of Tokyo bank robberies, Detective Okamoto is brought face to face with the enigmatic Mizuno, a librarian and former air force test pilot granted supernatural powers by a scientific experiment gone awry. Reborn as the unstoppable “gas man”, Mizuno uses his abilities in murderous fashion to help support his paramour, Fujichiyo, a wealthy heiress fallen on hard times. As events escalate, and with Mizuno toying with the media, the question on everyone’s mind remains: will justice prevail, or will the nefarious gas man continue to choke the city?
A sci-fi tokusatsu thriller from the master of kaiju cinema, Ishirō Honda’s The Human Vapor is a fun and unexpectedly moving film that interrogates the spectre of nuclearisation and the lives of those left behind in the country’s post-war modernisation. While not as well-known as his earlier film Godzilla 1954, Honda’s bold cinematic vision nevertheless simmers on screen – complemented by the practical effects of Ishirō’s long-time creative collaborator, special effects artist Eiji Tsuburaya, the “Father of Tokusatsu”.
The Human Vapor will screen from an imported 35mm print, with live English subtitles.
Ages 15+
Production Credits
- Director: Ishirō Honda
 - Script: Takeshi Kimura
 - Cinematographer: Hajime Koizumi
 - Editor: Kazuji Taira
 - Print Source: National Film Archive of Japan, Tokyo
 - Rights: Park Circus
 - Shooting Format: 35mm
 - Screening Format: 35mm
 - Year: 1960
 - Runtime: 91 minutes
 - Country: Japan
 - Language: Japanese
 - Subtitles: English
 - Colour: Colour