In a dystopian near-future Japan, law and order is enforced by a brutal paramilitary police unit known as the Kerberos Panzer Cops, aka ‘Watchdogs of Hell’, equipped with heavy weaponry and reinforced body armor called “Protect Gear.” However, when their extreme methods spark public outcry, the government moves to dismantle the unit. Disobeying orders to disband, a trio of officers stage a rebellion—but only one, Koichi Todome (Shigeru Chiba), escapes.
Three years later, Koichi returns to Tokyo after living in exile, carrying a mysterious suitcase. He seeks to reunite with his former comrades and uncover the truth behind the crackdown, but he soon finds himself in a surreal and dreamlike city—a shadow of its former self, filled with strange characters, elusive memories, and Kafkaesque absurdity. As reality begins to unravel, Koichi descends deeper into paranoia, unable to tell friend from foe, truth from illusion.
A philosophical blend of film noir, political allegory, and existential mystery, The Red Spectacles is a visually striking black comedy that meditates on justice, memory, and the cost of loyalty. It also serves as Mamoru Oshii’s foray into live-action filmmaking and his first feature installment in the Kerberos Saga. (Mamoru Oshii, Japan, 1987, 120 min.) In Japanese with English subtitles
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