Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem

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Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem

Directed by	Kazuhisa Takenouchi
Produced by	Thomas Bangalter Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo Cédric Hervet Emmanuel de Buretel Shinji Shimizu
Written by	Thomas Bangalter Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo Cédric Hervet
Music by	Daft Punk (Featuring) Romanthony DJ Sneak Todd Edwards
Distributed by	Virgin Music
Release date(s)	December 1, 2003
Running time	68 min
Language	English
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Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem (インターステラ5555^?) is a feature-length Japanese animated film originally released in December 1, 2003. The film is the visual realization of Discovery, an album by Daft Punk. Each track from the album has been animated as an episode in the story of the abduction and rescue of an interstellar pop band. The film was produced by the creators of the Discovery album, along with Toei Animation, under the supervision of Leiji Matsumoto. The film has no dialogue and minimal sound effects.

1 History
2 Plot summary
3 Music and film relationship
4 Past influences
5 Additional notes
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] History

As detailed in the insert included with the 2003 DVD, the idea for Interstella 5555 formed during the early Discovery recording sessions. Daft Punk's concept for the film involved the merging of science fiction with entertainment industry culture and was further developed with their collaborator Cédric Hervet. All three brought the album and the completed story to Tokyo in the hope of creating the film with their childhood hero, Leiji Matsumoto. After Matsumoto joined the team as visual supervisor, Shinji Shimizu had been contacted to produce the animation and Kazuhisa Takenouchi to direct the film. With the translation coordination of Spike Sugiyama, production began in October 2000 and ended in April 2003.

The first four episodes from the film were shown on MTV and Cartoon Network in 2001. Cartoon Network hosted the episodes online as part of their short-lived Toonami Reactor project (later revived as "Toonami Jetstream"). In December 2003 Interstella 5555 was released along with the album Daft Club, which served to promote the film and provide previously unreleased remixes of tracks from the Discovery album.

[edit] Plot summary

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The story begins in a distant galaxy where four blue-skinned music stars on an alien planet are performing the song "One More Time" to a similarly blue-skinned audience. A team of elite humanoids appear and subdue everyone with gas, including the band on stage. The four musicians are kidnapped and beamed aboard a large space vessel.

A distress signal is sent out to a nearby ship piloted by Shep. When we first meet Shep he is daydreaming of Stella (bass player of the kidnapped band). He dozes off and is visited by an apparition of Stella. Just as the couple are about to kiss, the alert finally reaches him and brings Shep out of his dream. After receiving the call, Shep is determined to save the band (including his love) and rockets off in pursuit of the kidnappers. During a chase sequence, Shep and the kidnapping vessel travel through a wormhole and eventually land on Earth. The kidnappers quickly bring the band off as an unidentified leader watches. Shep and his ship crash into a dense forest.

The Crescendolls (from left to right) Octave, Baryl, Arpegius, and Stella)

Within a large underground facility, the band is treated to an entirely automated process. Each member of the group is stripped of their alien garb and have their memories replaced. The old memories are archived and stored in disks. The band is then skin-painted and hair-dyed to resemble humans. They are redressed and implanted with mind control devices. The band's captor (Earl de Darkwood), dressed in formal attire and presenting himself as their elderly manager, takes them to a recording studio where a record deal is made. The band (now named The Crescendolls) star in a photo shoot and produce their hit single "One More Time". We learn the names of our protagonists: Stella (bass guitarist), Arpegius (guitarist), Baryl (drummer), and Octave (keyboardist / vocalist). In no time, The Crescendolls are a worldwide phenomenon.

The band later appear in concert at a crowded arena. Earl de Darkwood appears on the stage and directs an orchestra. Shep appears and fires a device at Arpegius, Baryl and Octave, freeing them from the effects of their mind control devices. Aiming at Stella, he hesitates before pulling the trigger; this allows Darkwood to block the beam with his arm and draw out his pistol. Leaving Stella behind, Shep and the others hijack a van and attempt an escape. In the process, two bodyguards catch up to the vehicle and mortally wound Shep.

Still under the control of the Earl, Stella is later taken to a "Gold Record Award" awards ceremony, for which The Crescendolls have received a nomination. When the Golden Record is awarded to The Crescendolls, Baryl uses the anti-mind control device on Stella and beckons her to follow. The two enter a waiting taxicab and escape.

The reunited band gathers around a dying Shep. Even as his life slips away, he manages to raise his injured arm out to Stella. She takes it and experiences a dream sequence similar to the one Shep experienced earlier. Shep then reveals the Crecendolls' true identity. The band expresses their gratitude as Shep draws his final breath. The Crescendolls later find a giant tree and lay their savior to rest. At night, the band watches Shep's spiritual essence emerging from the ground and rocketing into the stars. While driving away, the band screeches to a halt in front of a road sign to Darkwood Manor. This is the same place which appeared on a card Stella found earlier. The foursome agrees to check it and drive off.

The four band members eventually reach a great castle-like mansion. They happen upon a journal entitled "Veridis Quo" that describes in great detail exactly what Earl de Darkwood's origins and plans are. In brief the book reveals that the Earl will unleash a tremendous power when 5,555 Gold Records have been claimed, which will allow him to rule the universe. The Crescendolls themselves were awarded Gold Record number 5555. The band find themselves surrounded by the Earl's guards, who escort them to the chamber of an underground chasm. Earl grabs Stella and thrusts her into a massive device lined with his Gold Records. The remaining members free themselves from the guards. In a rage, the Earl rushes Arpegius, but he misses and plunges into the boiling chasm. Arpegius rescues Stella from the device and the band flees from the castle, which collapses on itself.

After learning the technology that the Earl of Darkwood had used on them, the band travels back to the Record company. Octave breaks in and finds the master recording of "One More Time", under which the band's archived memory disks are found. Octave attempts to leave with the disks but is surrounded by guards. He reaches into his jacket, but one of the guards uses a stun gun on him. Due to the electric shock, Octave falls to the ground and turns into his original blue skin color, much to the surprise of the witnesses. A note is retrieved from Octave's hand that reveals what the disks are.

Construction crews unearth Shep's ship and the police investigate the Record company. Police also search every part of Darkwood Manor. A news report is later shown and depicts scenes of an operation to send The Crescendolls back home. The report also explains the situation and even shows that The Crescendolls were not the only group to have this happen to them. Octave wakes up and is greeted by the band, who are back to normal. As the band prepares to leave, people wave goodbye to the band from all over the world.

When the band's ship is heading to the wormhole, the Earl's essence engulfs and attacks the ship. Shep's essence flies up to the Earl and defeats him, which frees the band. They successfully return to their home planet and are welcomed by its inhabitants. The band is again on the stage and the audience is dancing to their song. Everyone on Earth is also seen dancing to the performance shown on television screens. Outside the stadium, a heroic statue of Shep is unveiled. The camera pans out of the celebration. The viewer experiences a zoom out from the alien planet, to a large star cluster, and then stops with a record player. This reveals a vinyl record playing Daft Punk's album Discovery. A sleeping little boy is shown surrounded by Crescendolls and Daft Punk memorabilia. The needle is moved off the record and the music stops.

[edit] Music and film relationship

This is how the tracks from Discovery divide the film.

One More Time

The song starts the film and ends when the kidnappers arrive.

Aerodynamic

It starts with the kidnappers storming the concert and spraying the gas. It ends with the distress signal being sent to Shep.

Digital Love

It starts with Shep outside his spacecraft, singing the song. We are meant to think that the song is a single from the alien band, as it is playing in Shep's stereo. The song ends when Shep crashes on Earth.

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

It starts with the alien band being carried through a conveyor belt and stripped of their clothes (save their undergarments). The song ends with the humanized and hypnotized aliens standing in front of Earl de Darkwood.

Crescendolls

This song starts with the band being brought to the recording studio. It ends in the midst of The Crescendolls' commercial success.

Nightvision

This song shows the aliens in a hotel room signing staggering amounts of marketing material. Then it goes to Shep in the streets at night discovering what has been done to his heroes.

Superheroes

The song starts with the beginning of The Crescendolls show. It ends with Shep escaping with the band, without Stella.

High Life

It begins with a fashion show, with Stella in attendance. The track ends with Stella escaping the "Gold Record Awards" show.

Something About Us

This song begins with the band arriving at the warehouse where they are hiding. The song ends as Shep dies.

Voyager

The song begins with the band driving through the country on their way to bury Shep. It ends with the aliens finding the sign that says "Darkwood Manor".

Veridis Quo

It begins with the aliens driving through the woods into Darkwood Manor. It ends with the Earl of Darkwood falling into the lava pit.

Short Circuit

It begins with the lava pit's eruption that causes havoc. It ends with Octave being zapped by the security guards at the Record company and turning blue again.

Face to Face

It begins with the global revelation that The Crescendolls are aliens. It ends with their shuttle taking off.

Too Long

It starts with the ship leaving Earth's atmosphere. As the song comes to an end, it fades out except for the bass (a noticeably different ending from the original song). The 12" version of Discovery that the sleeping child was listening to comes to an end as the film does.

Aerodynamic

A remixed version of the track plays as the end credits roll up.

[edit] Past influences

Many elements common to Leiji Matsumoto's stories, such as a romanticism of noble sacrifice and remembrance of fallen friends, predictably appear here as well. Similar to many of Matsumoto's other heroes, the band includes a tall slender woman and a short guy with a big grin (who at one point appears wearing a pirate's cape like Harlock's and a wide-brimmed hat like Tochiro's). At one point, a spaceship blasts off on a long, tall track like Galaxy Express 999. Some characters salute with the same fist-over-heart gesture used in Space Battleship Yamato, and the blue-skinned aliens resemble a more peaceful version of the Gamilons in this series.

[edit] Additional notes

Daft Punk as they appear in the film

Daft Punk themselves make a brief cameo appearance in the film during the Golden Record Awards scene (obviously, losing to The Crescendolls); as the candidates are being named, their robotic faces say "Happy" and "?", followed by "Great" and a broken heart emoticon once the winner is announced.
The car the band traveled to the Earl's castle in closely resembles a 1972 Honda Life Step Van.
When Octave enters the record company's building, the security guard is watching a football match between France and Japan, with the score being even 1 - 1. The score later changes to 2 -1 as France scores. Both members of Daft Punk are French, and Matsumoto is Japanese.
The only times The Crescendolls perform on their home planet is during "One More Time" and "Too Long", which feature vocalist Romanthony.
The last scene of the movie contains lots of Daft Punk merchandise. What can be seen are 12" copies of Homework, Discovery (with side D being played on the record player), Alive 1997, and a DVD copy of D.A.F.T..
A little boy strongly reminiscent of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart appeared as one of the previous victims of Darkwood. Other aliens seem to be reminiscent of popular musicians such as Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Robert Plant, and Janis Joplin, and all have deaths covered up with alcohol, depression, and other reasons.
The song featured in the end credits is listed as "Aerodynamic (Daft Punk Remix)", though this version differs from the remix featured in Daft Club.