
Commercial War
COMMERCIAL WAR
A frenetic collage of cut-out and hand-drawn animation assaults the senses with symbols of American consumer culture: Coca Cola, Superman, Space Age astronauts, and hamburgers, occasionally punctuated by Japanese iconography like a squat toilet. The rapid-fire pace, catchy slogans, and songs on the soundtrack mimic the relentless energy of television commercials.
A hand-drawn CRT television monitor occasionally frames the images, blurring the line between advertisement and art. The film critiques the invasion of American commercialism into Japanese society, using the very techniques of advertising to expose its absurdity and overwhelming influence.