The Man Who Stole the Sun

Set in a contemporary late-1970s Japan, a period of rapid economic growth and rising media influence. The plot hinges on modern technologies like a voice scrambler and live nationwide broadcasts that drive the extortion scheme. The era reflects a society fascinated with sensational crime and public spectacle.

The story moves between the secluded Tōkai Nuclear Power Plant and the bustling urban landscape of Tokyo, highlighting a Japan immersed in rapid modernization. The plant represents dangerous scientific power, while the city offers a stage for media-driven spectacle and public manipulation. Public spaces such as buses, rooftops, and lavatories become arenas where crime unfolds and the line between hero and threat blurs.

📺 Media Manipulation

The extortion thrives on controlling mass broadcasts and shaping public narratives, turning news and sports into leverage. The media amplifies Makoto's actions, influencing how society views him and the events around him. The film critiques how information can be weaponized when entertainment and authority intersect.

⚖️ Power and Ethics

Power is pursued through technocratic means—stealing plutonium and coercing the state—raising questions about ethics and responsibility. The government's response exposes the fragility of order and the consequences of unchecked ambition. The story blurs the line between heroism and criminal action in a world where influence can override law.

⚛️ Science and Destruction

The plot centers on the dangerous potential of scientific knowledge when divorced from morality. Makoto's creation of bombs from stolen isotopes embodies how innovation can threaten society. Nuclear imagery is used to critique the seductive lure of technological power.