Phoenix 2772

aka Space Firebird 2772. 1980. Movie. 121 min. Science fiction. org Osamu Tezuka (manga). dir Taku Sugiyama. scr Taku Sugiyama, Osamu Tezuka. -bc

Phoenix 2772 is a spectacular movie adaptation of Osamu Tezuka’s long running Phoenix (Hi no Tori) manga. Part space epic, part apocalyptic fable and part Disney-style cartoon, it was one of the first stand-alone anime features to make a significant impact on observers in the West and show how an animated movie could be artistically beautiful but also far-reaching in theme and scope.

On Earth in the far future, a space cadet named Godo runs afoul of the Council of Elders and is sentenced to work in the mines of Iceland, where engineers seek to harness the power of the Earth’s molten core to provide power to a ravaged, polluted world desperately in need of new sources of energy. Godo and another prisoner, Dr. Saruta, steal a spaceship and travel the galaxy seeking to capture the legendary Phoenix (Firebird) and bring it back to Earth to rejuvenate the planet. Accompanied by Olga, Godo’s female robot companion, and Pincho, a furry little alien helper from Earth, they are joined by Crack and Pooks, two little alien sidekicks. After numerous adventures and a life-altering encounter with the Phoenix, Godo returns to Earth with fruits, vegetables, and seeds in the hopes of restoring the planet in a more time-consuming, old-fashioned manner. But his longtime rival Rock has other plans. And so does the Phoenix.

Phoenix 2772 has the rich colors, detailed design, and fluid animation that one might have encountered in a classic Disney film. There are scenes of towering architecture, beautiful gardens, and flower- and light-filled landscapes. But it also has a stark look and tragic undertone that moves it closer to the style of Soviet animation, à la The Snow Queen (1957). In fact, had the Soviets made a space-themed animated feature in the 1950s, it might well have looked like Phoenix 2772.

Some of the characters are distinct Tezuka types, including the short, bulbous Dr. Saruta and prison commander Black Jack, normally seen as a maverick, unlicensed 20th-century surgeon in his own manga line. The main characters, however, have stronger and sharper design than is typical of Tezuka manga adaptations. Certainly Godo and Lena, the woman he falls in love with on Earth, have expressive faces and attractive features and are seen frequently in close-up, including a kissing scene that represents quite a passionate departure from the understated norm for anime. Rock, Godo’s rival, is a worthy opponent and a strong character in his own right, not least because he and Godo look similar, having been born in the same batch of test tube babies. Olga, the blond robot, has a beautifully crafted face that is impassive enough to be mechanical, but also capable of the kinds of subtle shift in expression that would allow Godo to become attached and think of her as more than just a robot. Her body and costume are also designed in a way to make plausible her frequent transformations into driving and flying vehicles.

There are distinct elements that recall Disney and other classic American cartoons. Three comical alien cartoon creatures, two of whom talk, make up six of the characters constituting the crew of the Space Shark, which Godo pilots around the galaxy. They are Pincho, a furry little creature who carries an ever-present duster and uses it on any- and everything she can find; Crack, a dyspeptic little Dr. Seuss–like creation whose shell is a die with the right sets of holes on each of its six sides; and Pooks, a heavy blob that looks like a bagpipe and has holes all over which emit sounds. They spend lots of time squabbling and engaging in slapstick antics that will make children laugh. Pincho pulls out a flower every so often and embarks on musical interludes using the flower as a trumpet. These sequences offer the kind of bright colors, fluid movement, and classic cartoon look that evoke a much earlier era of animation and inspire a certain amount of nostalgia in some viewers.

The symphonic score by Yasuo Higuchi is often so lovely that the animators devote whole sequences to it without the use of any other sound, including one scene of the Phoenix on a wordless, graceful flight, spreading its wings and taking us with it.

Additional animated adaptations of Tezuka’s Phoenix (Hi no Tori) manga include:

Phoenix Karma (1986, movie)

Phoenix Yamato (1987, OAV)

Phoenix Space (1987, OAV)

Hi No Tori (Phoenix) (2004, TV, 13 eps.)

Despite its cartoonish moments, Phoenix 2772 has great power because of its mix of familiar sci-fi elements with the larger metaphysical themes of Tezuka’s manga. The Phoenix itself, so beautifully designed and animated, represents a mystical force, the notion that a planet has a living soul, a concept that differentiates this piece from so much other sci-fi anime. This is more like a fairy tale set in the future than a straightforward account of political conflict in outer space as in Gundam, or human-vs.-alien conflict as in Yamato or Macross.

Godo’s struggle is a common one in anime, that of retaining the values and virtues of being human in a world where technological advance has not only diminished humanity but threatens to destroy it. We feel for Godo during a breathtaking opening seven-minute sequence as we watch him growing up from birth to young manhood in a closed-off automated chamber that supplies every need except the human one. The addition of a robot nursemaid, Olga, gives him some contact with another entity and he becomes so attached that he comes to see her as more than just a machine. Later, during advanced space hunter training, Godo is ordered by the brutal instructor, Captain Vulcan, to slaughter a group of alien captives in cold blood, sentient beings who huddle together and try to protect each other. When Godo refuses, Vulcan does the shooting and blasts the creatures to pieces, a harsh scene of violence that further illustrates the kind of cruel, unfeeling dystopia where human “progress” will take us over the centuries.

The more cartoonish characters, Pincho, Crack, and Pooks, may seem wildly out of place in a serious science fiction saga, and their “musical” interludes, in which cute little Pincho plays his flower “trumpet,” might seem jarring to adult viewers gripped by the film’s intense drama. Still, there is a welcome sense of playfulness in these sequences, a degree of charm to be found in alien life, a conviction that life is worth preserving in all species. Humanity is worth saving, Tezuka insists to us, but so are other species and forms of life, a message that is distinctly conveyed in the manga.

Phoenix 2772 was derived from Osamu Tezuka’s long-running manga, Phoenix (Hi No Tori). Tezuka cowrote the screenplay and served as one of the producers. Throughout his career, he supervised much of the animation based on his manga and cre­ated a lot of original animation as well, including the experimental art pieces, Pictures at an Exhibition (1966) and Legend of the Forest (1987).

Any of the scenes involving the elusive Phoenix of the title are among the film’s highlights. She is a beautifully animated majestic creation and a work of utter fairy-tale enchantment. Of particular note is the scene showing the attempt by the space-suit-clad Godo to capture the bird in a crater on a dark, empty moon, the first time he encounters it up close.

Phoenix: A Tale of the Future was the first volume of Tezuka’s Phoenix (Hi no Tori) series to be published in English by Viz Communications (later Viz Media) in 2002. Originally published in Japan in 1967–68, this story of a devastated future Earth and a young space patrol officer who escapes an oppressive underground city with his shape-shifting alien “girlfriend” offered elements that found their way into Phoenix 2772, including the characters of Rock and Dr. Saruta, and the hero’s attachment to his non-human female companion.

advisory There are apocalyptic scenes of mass death and destruction. There are scenes of violence between humans and, as described above, the slaughter of cute, innocent creatures, which may disturb very young viewers (under eight) who may not comprehend the thematic intent.