The best sci-fi film I have ever seen, and it features music by Toru Takemitsu!

This movie may be better than I betrayed, but I was expecting something different when I first saw this. It turned out to be more methodical and precise rather than fast and ruthless, so I really need to rewatch this to give it a true score.

A fine looking film that tells its story well, but I can't help but feel that the message of fluidity of identity isn't one that has been expressed many times before. Not that any picture has to have a completely fresh idea, but the message is repeated often enough, and slowly enough, that it feels as if they thought it was. It's still a good picture, though.

An interesting examination of identity. A man who's left with a disfigured face uses a mask to reclaim his life, but finds himself starting a new one instead. Not only is there an interesting story, but the examination of the reasons for the lead character taking on a new face are quite thought provoking. In the hands of another director this could have become a fun but silly scifi movie, but Teshigahara manages to keep the focus on the characters and lets us focus on the personal transformation

Utterly outstanding and thought-provoking. Explores the splintering of identity to great depths, aided by numerous shots through windows, frames, mirrors and other distortions. The photography, especially the artful sense of composition, is stunning. The music and surreal flourishes create an unsettling mood. Normally, I might think of the secondary plotline as a distraction, but I actually thought it fit in quite well. The way it pops in and out the narrative was like a movie-within-a-movie.

Fresh and dynamic exploration of faces, masks, and identity. The camerawork and editing are striking and imaginative (a little unrestrained, but not terribly ostentatious) and the premise is wonderfully provocative.

A very abstract pondering of identity, examining both the social and personal crises that come along with it. Sometimes it's tedious and simply weird, but usually the said abstractions make this all the more effective. The technique on display here is as jarring and fractured as the protagonist's own outlook, full of quick cuts, sharp angles, and freeze frames. Teshigahara gives us a surreal, almost haunting depiction of splintered perspective.

Every repeated viewing makes the subplot seem more important.

I found the film a bit heavy-handed, it could've been trimmed down. And did the protagonist have to be such a self-pitying asshole? Still, the premise and the visuals are fascinating, and Takemitsu delivers a predictably great score.

A bit abstract and high-concept, sometimes to its detriment, but nonetheless a very engaging and interesting examination of identity. There seems to be a strong theatrical influence here, especially in scenes where the characters are isolated with bright lights against dark backdrops. The technique on display is very effective. There's a subplot that mirrors the main strand in a number of ways, but feels a bit shoehorned in, and isn't particularly effective. Still, ambitious and impressive.

This is a powerful movie about the importance we place on faces as the source of our identity. The stellar acting, the intelligent dialogue, the more than competent cinematography, the immersive camerawork, and the subtle, industrial soundtrack all contribute to the excellence of the film, but it's the premise that makes it a winner. Does our face reflect our personality, or does our personality reflect our face? When our face changes, does our personality change with it?