TWILIGHT OF THE COCKROACHES

The offbeat-Japanese-animated film TWILIGHT OF THE COCKROACHES presents a roach-eye view of the world and operates on two levels: that of a simple adventure and also as a complex social allegory. As such, it can be enjoyed either as clever live/animation or as a provocative fable. The movie takes place in bachelor Saito’s apartment where the roaches live the good life as they enjoy food particles on Saito’s unwashed dishes and remaining dregs from his wine bottles. The arrival of Saito’s girlfriend results in all-out war on the roaches, and a final showdown takes place resulting in the nearly complete extermination of the roach kingdom except for an unborn litter in roachette Naomi’s belly.

The film director has said that TWILIGHT OF THE COCKROACHES is about Japan, that the concept of a “hated” species is not unlike the racial and cultural enmity with which Japan is perceived. This Fascist idea gives the film a new dimension and becomes somewhat troubling with its concepts of militarism, purity of the species, survival of the fittest, genetic adaptation, cultural accommodation, social conformity, moral repression, and even the generation gap. The animation is clever and combines animation with realism, and the director maintains the roaches’ physical point of view from the ground level up so that a messy kitchen table crowded with bottles, cans and boxes looks like Las Vegas–all glitz and free choice.