Kimi ga wakamono nara (1970) Online

A great and wise director (whom shall remain nameless) once remarked A movie is dangerous if only for the mood it may evoke, and the choice of when to see a movie is just as important as the movie you choose to see. IF YOU WERE YOUNG, is the kind of movie that will definitely change your mood, no matter the mood you were in prior to viewing it. Fukusaku Kinji, the director of this wonderful lesson, has remarked that during the time of this film the Japanese Social System was concerned with encouraging the youth of the country to try and find a way for themselves, to NOT be so easily discouraged by failure and that failure in reality is a path to starting again. Fukusaku not only explores the potential possessed by youth but he also wades through the delicate subject of the criminal nature that exists in us all.

What starts out as a GROUP of friends eventually BOILS (literally) down to ONE. Only one friend remains standing at the end of this film and his remark to himself is that HE TOO WILL START OVER because after all there is always hope. Perhaps in a cheeky kind of way Mr. Fukusaku was being cynical in his portrayal of youth in this film.

For example: after spending a night in Jail the young men of youth are released, bounding with energy and full of Hope deciding to pool their monies to buy a truck. HERE Fukusaku shows us that JAIL for wayward youth can be a wonderful opportunity for self discovery. I doubt many youth would find that to be the case, Nevertheless this is where the story begins...EVENTUALLY each youth is lost---victims of crime, circumstance or missed opportunity after each of which Mr. Fukusaku would have us believe that underneath disappointment lies opportunity. Cynical? Perhaps. YET Fukusaku also shows us that YOUTH by it's very nature is NOT a time to RAGE (most likely because of how simple it is for disaster to strike) BUT a time for introspection, a time to TRY and challenge oneself--- to be something one may not believe one can be. Quite simply... there is always hope.

RAGE is a subtle bittersweet film. To be watched on an early rainy afternoon with the lights out and the curtains open. A film that is both cynical and optimistic. Perhaps in his end, Fukusaku Kinji realized, like that great director who lectured on whispers in film language, that films in themselves ARE moods, slaves to the Genre they must obey. Sure there may be many who will never consider RAGE to be one of the great directors best but in my humble opinion it is easily the most enlightening picture in his masterful oeuvre.

While not denying the criticisms leveled by other reviewers, I found a resonance in this movie that transcends the narrow framework on which it is set, the economic challenges of Japan in the 1960's.

The situation has been fairly well laid out--five friends, drawn together in a dream of hope for the future in a heartless city, the weak are weeded out, the two who succeed find no happiness.

But the film is not about the story of a dream deferred, it is the story of the individuals. Each of these characters is defined not by what they are striving for together, although that is the one thing they share in common, but by the weaknesses in their characters, the baggage they have brought with them from childhood, that have made them who they are and conspire to defeat their goals. One was traumatized by his mother's promiscuity, which creates an insurmountable barrier in forming intimate relationships; one was twisted by his insecurities into becoming a chronic liar and vicious coward. These characters rage more against their personal demons that betray them at every turn more than they are fighting against society.

They want to fit in, to form loving families, to trust and sustain their friends, but they end up betraying one another. It would be accidental if it weren't consciously decided upon, and even they are unable to articulate why they must behave as they do. Their own confusion is translated to the audience, and the cinematography contributes to this.

There is a bleakness to the film despite the vivid colors, but at the same time there is a sense that the surviving characters have not given up hope for the future, and the final message in this film is the same as in "Battle Royale"--Run for all you're worth. Run!

Director Kinji Fukasaku was a champion for Japans post-war youth, posing and protesting why they were exploited so by business and government alike. It's easy to see the context in which the film is based. After WW2, Japan's youth were often disadvantaged in opportunities, whether in education, family or simply rootlessness; and from this felt discouraged. The government zoned in on this and ushered a lot of juveniles into cities such as Tokyo, where the film is based, to fuel the growing, yet still unstable economy. And so we have our context.

Imagine four Johnny Boys from Scorsese's mean Streets. Imagine them on a road to establish their own careers in what was still a fragile lower class and an envious one at that, especially if they were to establish their own independence. Would you think them to succeed? The economy dropped, and our flint five, jobless and impecunious, are hoarding themselves up in their old post-bust warehouse. They lack inspiration, they lack ideas. Their 'nook' in the workforce that was promised to them by the Government has morphed into a ditch. At this point, and since they are exited from their shanty condominium, we would expect them to become like the yakuzas of a Miike film, destroying themselves. And they do, yet they destroy themselves through their dreams. It's this that is the powerful theme that Fukasaku injects into our ruddy faces: that the impuissant, though they may dream of success, when on the road to it will destroy themselves inevitably and possibly only one will live the dreams of the outcasts he slipped from.

When one hits upon a plan- that they are able to create their own nook in the workforce by purchasing a truck if each of them labors for it, becoming their own bosses, deleting the dust around their trodden existence, we see hope with their eyes and wait for the purchasing of 'Independence 1' and ride with their eagerness.

But Johnny Boys they are, and their low brows are the voracious magnets for obstacles unhoppable: one falls into jail, another is cut-down by the police and the third becomes to much of a gynophiliac. Only two are left with their goal completed. Was all worthwhile? They dreamed. They tried. They faced adversity. They were willing to destroy themselves for one another. But is this what Fukasaku is aiming his camera for? To simply make a statement of will? No, in the end the two are weighed down by what has amounted to be their destiny from all their friends failings; they are left waiting for the tidal wave. The two do not jump for joy like the door-porter in Murnau's 'The Last Laugh', as he wears his suit which gives him worth, but simply feel destroyed and useless still.

He has made a statement about inevitability: it is not only that the youth should will, but that the government should be willing to help them, otherwise we are left 'with kids raised to die'.

Though Fukasaku is aligned in his film-making to the New Wave, with his editing styles, gangster stories and even Godardian tales of youth-here the cinematography of Takamoto Ezure, whether or not by order from Fukasuku, with it's jaunty angles, tempo-like movements and the montage and editing, reading like a New Wave piece, makes it unnecessarily seem like we are riding with their destruction for the Freanch pleasure of the site itself. This is wholly inadequate, for what Fukasaku seemed to really be trying to do was make a crashing impact of social brutality and lacrimation at what may be recurring social forces, how the failings repeat themselves, again and again. He fails here, and by watching it seems more like the crashing impact of the car crash at the end of Godards' Le Mepris, a statement about film. We can't get past the dolly droll of stylizations to the simplistic, raw statement that was so near to cinematic disclosure. Instead it reads like Pierre Belmondo and Anna Karenina in a Godard film, colorful sticky tape stuck upon the day with no mind for the day after tomorrow, holding up a line of stylized celluloid sunglasses for our pleasure.

However, it comes down to the viewer to gain something from a film, and if you watch this you will see and feel the social discussions I have talked about. They may or may not affect you strongly, since the film is muddled and confused, ununified- yet the story exists, it is strong. The celluloid exists, it is stylistic.

Group of guys grow up together, go different ways...couple go bad, couple buy a truck. Act like it's the greatest thing in the world until the end when one decides he needs a new start. The big conflict was when they scratched the truck...I just didn't get it. Other than the fact that the director went on to do Battle Royale I can't think of any reason to see this. Ending made no sense to me at all.

This film is a gritty; low budget title portraying the lives; profits and perils of 5 young youths searching for their way of life. The film follows five outcasts whom have little education (middle school at best) and a tough upbringing. Plot so frequent with Fukasaku's Yakuza films of the 70's and a definite signature blue print for his other films.

The film is also a great perspective of hard tough life of working class young men in Japan. They end up in jail early on and decide to form an alliance to acquire a truck. They will use the truck and their skills at building sites for manual labour gain and profit. They have an aid at the site who acts like a semi business man semi control freak hence workers' union coming into play later in the film in vengeance of their workers' rights.

The film is a great example of the techniques Fukasaku is a master at. Lots of close up camera angles; excellent drawbacks-pausing and movements mimicking the object-person in question. For instance the last scenes is of one of the young men running on the beach. Fukasaku employs a shaky control of the camera on the man running. Far more realistic impression as someone following from close by instead of the smooth track usage which gets boring in my opinion.

For those of you into Yakuza films yet wonder what many mobsters may face from early in life this film is an ideal acquisition to discover a master in his pre film rich era of the 70's. The film is also an early form of Takashi Miike's Young Thugs double bill which is ever so interesting. I can see why Miike got the concept form.

The film is a great show of young men coming from the bottom trying in vain with extremes to make a better life. It is an interesting critical analysis of the economic structure of Japan and a thoroughly engaging and entertaining piece at that. The casting is good and the violence is as ever extremely authentic.

I recommend this film as a must for anyone eager to see a signature yakuza Fukasaku film or just a great straight up youth gangsta-tough guy life-style document of an unhealthy aspect of Japan's social past. Great watch.

In general, the idea behind this movie is REALLY good--it could have been a fantastic movie with only one major change.

The story involves five undereducated friends who have few hopes other than menial work for the rest of their young lives. One of them has a plan that they should all pool their money and buy a truck to start their own business. Then, with the profits they can buy more trucks and then avoid a life of menial jobs. However, they are mostly flawed individuals and despite an excellent plan to get them out of their precarious economic situation, their own psychological and emotional problems tend to sabotage their efforts. This is by far the best aspect of the film as you see them one-by-one destroy themselves until only two remain and they are able to eventually get the truck. But, even though all looks great, the fundamental problems they still have come back to haunt them--almost like they feel they MUST screw up because that is what they have convinced themselves is their destiny.

This is all very powerful, but I really had hoped the movie would have ended on a more positive note. However, this is NOT my complaint about the film. No, the biggest problem was the "hip" style of film making that they chose to employ. Horrible camera-work by drunk chimpanzees probably would have been better--with lots of jerky and cheap camera shots. This just looked amateurish--not "artsy" and really distracted from the overall effort.

If the movie were ever remade, fixing the camera problems and perhaps ironing out the story a little to make the characters a bit more realistic would really improve the effort. As it was, it still is enjoyable and worth seeing--just not great.

another fukasaku film that sorta reminded me of Suzuki's style. like "blackmail is my life," this film focuses on the younger generation. it tells the story of four young men who can't quite stay out of trouble. eventually the get the idea of putting together some money in order to buy a dump truck and work for themselves. the story is told in a jumbled time structure - retelling the story of how they came to buy the truck and how two of them ended up dropping out of their business venture. really it's the story of japan and the potential the country had in the years following the American occupation. as Kurosawa's High And Low showed the best and worst of Japanese society in the early 60s, this film shows the potential of a country that was newly industrialized, but still coping with the changes of capitalism and being humiliated by world war II. fukasaku successfully shows hope and fatalism, optimism and pessimism, the power of the group and the importance of finding one's own path. the ending reaffirms these themes and adds a poignancy and power that the rest of the film only skirts. B.