Angel’s Egg

(天使のたまご, Tenshi no Tamago) 1985 | Directed by Mamoru Oshii

This is a strange film, with barely any dialogue, discernible plot, or explanations of any kind. It’s like a dream, with several strange concepts, like a long sequence where ghostly fishermen try in vain to harpoon shadow fish without bodies, an eye-shaped spaceship leaving the world with a cargo of human statues, and of course, the titular egg itself.

The girl character’s only purpose in life seems to be caring for the egg, with the hope that it’ll one day hatch. This hope is what keeps her alive in this bleak world, where she wanders the empty ruins in search of food and the glass vases she collects with the egg hidden inside her dress. It’s clear that water is important to her, and when she stops to meditate for a brief moment, she’s transported to an underwater realm where she’s surrounded by seaweed.

The movie’s other character, a young man carrying a strange cross-shaped weapon of some kind, is just as vague. He arrives with several military-looking vehicles with antennae-like shapes, making them appear almost organic, and starts following the girl, whom he knows nothing about. In one scene he gives something resembling an explanation about the fishes, telling the girl that they are nowhere and thus cannot be caught, which doesn’t stop the fishermen from trying. 

To navigate this strange world as a viewer, one has to see the world for themself. See the fish statues in the abandoned cities, the countless bones in the girl’s ruined home, and the shape of what might be a ship’s hull in the landscape itself. The man’s biblical monologue cements the relation of Angel’s Egg to christian iconography. The water- and rain-filled world might be a world where God decided to drown humanity, and the shadows that still fight against the fishes and the water are doing so without any hope of success. Or, perhaps, the characters are in a realm of death, in limbo, or in a shared dream of some kind. The strangeness of it all is probably the movie’s strongest factor for success, or failure depending on who you are. The meaning is unclear, but the numerous hints throughout lets you construct your own meaning as you watch and rewatch it. This movie reminded me of the FromSoftware games Dark Souls and Bloodborne, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it partially inspired them.

More than anything else, Angel’s Egg is an experience and a source of inspiration. Not entirely unlike waking up from a strange dream with new creative ideas. To get the most out of it, just sit back, relax, and interpret what’s happening for yourself as you see it occur.

If you’re looking for an action adventure where the plot is stated explicitly, you better look elsewhere.