Ginga-tetsudô no yoru (1985)'s comments

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the3rdman

I want to love this movie. The pensive, philosophical tone and beautiful, painterly animation really appeal to me. But I found the elements of Christian mysticism (for lack of a better term) to be mostly inscrutable and occasionally off-putting. A unique, intriguing, and somewhat frustrating film.

9 years 7 months ago

HyliaFischer

What if Tarkovsky made an anime?

3 years 3 months ago

soraxtm

amazing, the soundtrack was great. it took a while to really get on its wavelength though

4 years 4 months ago

Siskoid

Glacially-paced to the point of dullness, Night on the Galactic Railroad is made up of surreal vignettes starring a cipher who mostly stands there with his mouth open, staring at the action (or inaction). I respect what it's trying to do, a languorous goodbye to a loved one in a world that's equal parts Jung and Christianity, but unfortunately felt unengaged. Just like I understand the idea of using kitty cats as people to make things seem more fantastical, but then why bring in humans later? If the train ride is through a dreamscape that intersects with the afterlife, the use of colorful cats only makes us question the reality of what is presented as the main (real) world. If that's part of the point, it's a point that doesn't feel rounded, and it's not the only one (like, is the father on the train?). Which is frankly one of the problems with surrealism in a story-telling medium. What are these images? What do they mean? Is it possible they don't mean anything except to the author who dreamed them? I find my intellectual joy in interpreting art, but sometimes, there is no decoder ring. Either an image touches you, or it doesn't. On the Galactic Railroad, some did, but more didn't, experiences will vary. Even soft answers to one's questions are few and far between. (Pro tip: If you have a choice, use the Japanese soundtrack, as the English one has the dullest line deliveries ever.)

1 year 10 months ago