The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979) | Region-Free (Blu-Ray)

Rare HD stream with an upgraded translation – the best of both worlds.

Title: The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979)

Alternate Title: Taiyō o Nusunda Otoko

Genre: Thriller, Black Comedy, Crime

Plot Synopsis:
A high school science teacher, Makoto Kido, becomes disillusioned with society and decides to construct his own atomic bomb. After successfully stealing plutonium from a nuclear power plant, he assembles the bomb in his apartment. With the power of mass destruction at his fingertips, he grapples with how to leverage his creation, leading to a tense game of cat-and-mouse with a determined police detective, Inspector Yamashita. The film delves into themes of power, societal disillusionment, and the individual’s role within a technologically advanced society.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Kazuhiko Hasegawa
• Writers: Leonard Schrader, Kazuhiko Hasegawa
• Cast:
  • Kenji Sawada as Makoto Kido
  • Bunta Sugawara as Inspector Yamashita
  • Kimiko Ikegami as Zero Sawai
  • Kazuo Kitamura as Tanaka, Director of the National Police Agency
  • Shigeru Kôyama as Nakayama

YouTube Trailer:
The Man Who Stole the Sun | Trailer

IMDb Link:
The Man Who Stole the Sun (1979)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Josh Lewis – ★★★★☆
   “A completely deranged, genre-bending post-New Wave epic that is part slapstick nuclear anxiety satire, part hard-boiled 70s cat-and-mouse rivalry cop procedural about a dorky, lonely science teacher (pop-singer-turned-actor Kenji Sawada loosely doing his own goofy version of Travis Bickle—not surprised to see Leonard Schrader was the co-writer here) who in his obsession with the all-consuming power of the atomic bomb decides to build one himself and use it to extort the government into granting him increasingly absurd demands (like getting The Rolling Stones to play Satisfaction on the radio). The film is a bit overlong and meandering in places but the sheer audacity and energy of it is undeniable, and the final 30 minutes are genuinely thrilling and unhinged in a way that only 70s cinema can be.”
2. dankwit – ★★★★★
   “This movie genuinely felt like contraband… I had to utilize every one of my internet tricks and then some to find a lofi copy of this (and English subs), but I’d advise anyone else reading this to do the same. One of my new favorites. No spoilers. Wow.”
3. ghostdinosaur – ★★★☆☆
   “I’m guessing this is the only movie I will ever see in which the protagonist falls asleep cuddling his homemade atomic bomb.”

Meta Description:
“The Man Who Stole the Sun” (1979), directed by Kazuhiko Hasegawa, is a Japanese thriller that follows a high school science teacher who builds an atomic bomb, leading to a suspenseful confrontation with law enforcement.