Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth (1997)
新世紀エヴァンゲリオン劇場版 シト新生
Film details
Animation · Drama · Science Fiction · Hideaki Anno · 1h 41min
Synopsis
Originally a collection of clips from the Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series, Death was created as a precursor to the re-worked ending of the series. Rebirth was intended as that re-worked ending, but after production overruns Rebirth became only the first half of the first part of The End of Evangelion, with some minor differences.
Verdict
Dense psychological science fiction exploring trauma and existential loneliness with maturity.
In-depth analysis
Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death and Rebirth is a work of science fiction that condenses and continues a series known for its extreme psychological depth. The first half recapitulates previous episodes; the second advances towards the conclusion. The film starkly explores childhood trauma, depression, radical solitude, and the fear of rejection. The characters are adolescents forced to pilot combat machines while grappling with absent parents, existential void, and despair. The religious symbolism (crosses, angels, biblical references) functions as narrative aesthetics, not as theology or an attack on faith — it is Judeo-Christian mythology used as a framework for a science fiction story. The work does not celebrate the nihilism it depicts, but neither does it offer easy answers. It requires a mature viewer capable of discerning between the exposition of suffering and its validation. The violence is robotic combat with visceral moments (berserk units, non-human blood), and some scenes can be disturbing due to their psychological weight. Not recommended for those under 16. For adults or mature young people with accompaniment to help process the themes.