Bakuretsu toshi

Without the work of Sogo Ishii there would be no Takashi Miike or Shinya Tsukamoto. That becomes quite clear in the opening minutes of BURST CITY. The hyper-kinetic beginning of the film with its lightning fast editing and violent images together with the use of music were obvious influences on Miike's DEAD OR ALIVE and BLUES HARP as well as a number of other films. And the camera-work, use of black and white photography and cyberpunk imagery were later recycled in Tsukamoto's TETSUO films as well as SNAKE OF JUNE.

BURST CITY is essentially a feature length punk rock music clip. The film is set in a kind of post-apocalyptic Japan where everyone is a punk, a freak or a brutal cop. There are non-stop riots in the streets, non-stop punk concerts, non-stop gang warfare, non-stop police brutality and non-stop car chases. This film is one hell of a wild ride and it left me feeling spun. The soundtrack is made up entirely of awesome Japanese punk rock and fits the images perfectly.

BURST CITY is powerful, frenetic, feral, rabid cinema that feels like a transmission from the gutter of the future.

I'd like to start this comment section by first off saying I do enjoy and appreciate to a certain extent the cinematic agenda of "cyberpunk cinema". I really enjoyed Fukui's "Rubber's Lover" and I appreciate the aesthetic genius of films like "Tetsuo", "Pinocchio 964", even the recent "Bottled Fools". But with that said and done, that is basically what all these films are, simply aesthetically pleasing. That statement reaches its height with this earlier film called Burst City by cyberpunk pioneer Sogo Ishii. With so clever, innovative and kinetic cinematography Ishii just creates a clash between Mad Max and Rock n Roll High School. There is no substance to this style, not even some of the obscure images that one may be used to from seeing Tsukamoto's earlier films. And actually in some ways, Burst City's style obstructs the viewer from any type of cohesion so what ensues is total anarchy. I was really excited about seeing this early film from Ishii too because I first really enjoyed the psychological thriller "Angel Dust" and then came to enjoy his return to form in "Dead End Run" but "Burst City" turned out to be a major disappointment.

A shame few will get the chance to see this movie. It was suggested to me as a Japanese Death Race 2000. Oh, but it is so much more. A dystopian future against a backdrop of angry Japanese punk rock. Burst City is a raw look at an overamped society with its frantic, hyper camera work and loud brash music. As a fictional peek into punk rock, Burst City is still leaps and bounds above any other attempts. Well worth the look. Be prepared to search, however, and I don't believe there is a subtitled or dubbed version in existence. This is a shame as the film deserves greater exposure.

Sometimes pictures possess value beyond the story they tell, the themes they explore, or the people who are involved in making it, or how it was made. Sometimes there's an ephemeral quality to a production that makes it a snapshot in time, capturing or representative of a particular cultural moment, or a mood, or a look at something that thereafter ceased to exist in the same manner. It quite seems to me that viewed forty years on, 'Burst City' is a title that can be described in the latter terms more than the former - not exclusively, but with heavy predominance. There are aspects of this that are very appreciable in and of themselves, but at the same time, unless one has a major interest in the cultural moment being spotlighted, or was involved in its creation, it doesn't necessarily hold up in the same way that other films do years after their release.

To wit: in both Norimichi Kasamatsu's cinematography and the editing of filmmaker Gakuryu Ishii and co-editors Naoto Yamakawa and Junji Sakamoto, we see a wild, inventive freneticism that inherently adds some spice and vigor to the presentation. It's a style that would inform and be adopted by Shinya Tsukamoto within a few years, and perfected. Within these two hours we're also given a setting of sci-fi dystopia (although, it's not really sci-fi any more, is it), and a story of fights by ordinary people against corruption, oppression, and state violence. Alongside these aspects we're treated to outstanding art direction - and costume design, hair and makeup, and stunts and effects - that blend together punk aesthetics, urban sprawl and decay, industrial environments, and a certain post-apocalyptic madness. Of course, there's also the fact that various contemporary Japanese punk bands were involved in making this, and were centered in various capacities. Yet the latter is quite specifically the key to the whole production, isn't it? Between songs used on the soundtrack, performances rendered in a music video style that are woven into the active narrative, and performances that are allowed to transpire more akin to a straightforward concert film, punk music is the lifeblood of 'Burst City'; for as much as punk aesthetics and attitudes influences the craftsmanship and storytelling, the entire vibe can be neatly summed up as simply Punk.

There's substantial value here in that alone, and the approach to the cinematography and editing bolsters it. I do hope you like Japanese punk circa 1980, however, because the thing is - beyond the music, which I do love and which I wish were featured more completely, there's not much of a movie here.

I said the entire vibe can be "neatly" summed up. Given the stated overarching ethos in the film-making and storytelling of Punk First, I suppose it's appropriate that the description of the vibe is the only thing about this flick that is "neat," but it does make it harder to engage with and enjoy. Sometimes the editing and especially the cinematography abandons reason altogether, and the slightest sense of order, and becomes so frenzied that the best points of comparison are found footage flicks where the camerawork is so sloppy that we as viewers can't even see what's going on. Sometimes even Ishii's direction, his orchestration fo shots and scenes, inhibits visualization of whatever it is he wants to show us. There is a story here, as I've noted, and distinct themes, but the narrative is extremely loose in the first place, and is furthermore told in such an extremely disjointed fashion that the best we can do is to vaguely guess at the course of events even such as they are. If you're here for the inevitable spectacle of violence to follow when rebellious youths clash with brutal state agents, well, you'll get it, but even the action sequences are undercut by the most wild, overzealous flailing that characterizes the camerawork and editing. The result is that in much the same way as the overall vibe can be chalked up to Punk First, trying to give an earnest, full description of what 'Burst City' is an represents is not just difficult but almost impossible, and I'm reduced to offering exactly three words, expressed just so: "Punk! Dystopia! Violence!"

Like some other films that have been made over the years, I'm sure all involved had a blast making this and can look back on the experience with fondness. For anyone that had especial ties to the punk scene of Japan in the late 70s or early 80s, or for whom it was very important, there's no doubt in my mind that this holds a special place in their hearts, just as would be true if the production had been American or English and centered bands and music from the United States or United Kingdom. Yet there comes a point where even the discrete descriptors I used above start to break down, and all that's left to say is that, well, they sure did make a thing. I see what Ishii intended, and what he really did make, and I admire the effort and the notion. The simple fact of the matter is that the choices that were made in telling this story (insofar as there is one), and in bringing it to life with Punk First, render the total affair so scattered, muddled, disordered, incohesive, and even downright incoherent that its lasting value is as a snapshot of the contemporary music scene and the folks involved, and nothing more. And if that in and of itself has no major meaning for a viewer, then one is just kind of at a loss.

I don't dislike 'Burst City.' I just think that, removed temporally, geographically, and culturally from The Moment, there's not really anything to be gained from watching. I'm glad for those who do get more out of this. I'm inclined to believe, however, that one is better served by just finding the soundtrack to listen to as one will, and appreciate the music all by its glorious self, rather than try to sit with a picture that almost seems like it doesn't want to make any sense at all. And as far as the punk values of nonconformity, resistance, etc - well, either you're out on the streets fighting the good fight instead of watching movies in the first place, or you're someone who can't make the bodily sacrifice and supports from the sidelines, in which case my assessment remains.

The premise of the story is vague and there seems to be a couple different plot lines. First, a pimp and one of his girls are trying to get out of the slums. He pimps her out to a crime boss whose into S&M. That boss and his syndicate are trying to destroy the slums in a crooked construction scheme. For labor, the syndicate enslaves the city's population of mentally disabled homeless. Meanwhile, two rival gangs/bands drag race, fight, and crash each other's gigs to dominate the punk rock scene. The rivals are also fighting against the police because, well, you know, it's the police.

Burst City uses a lot of shaky hand-held camera-work. Not because they were going for some aesthetic effect but because it's cheap. In much the same way, there is an overall lack of lighting. Burst City jumps between plot lines and characters spending little time establishing either. The combination results in a movie that has the potential to be very confusing, if not incoherent.

In all honesty, I've seen this one and a half times. A few years ago, I attempted to watch it but I was too sleepy. I couldn't concentrate. This time I watched it on a flight from Baton Rouge to Lincoln. Unfortunately, I was a little sleepy this time too. I zoned out for just a minute and when I zoned back in, some character (I didn't know who) was killed (somehow) by someone (probably the syndicate) and, in response, the two rival gangs started fighting each other. The character was never mentioned again so I don't think it was that important.

"80's Japanese Sci-fi Punk Rock Musical, need I say more?" I wanted that to be my bottom line but I thought it might be a little misleading. Sometimes it can be fun to get together with some friends, get some pizza, and put on a low budget movie. But when you do that, you ought to choose a movie that is easy to watch. After all, the focus is hanging out with friends. This won't work if you try it with Burst City. It may just be a little too much to simply throw on the TV. That said, I give it a 4.5/5 because of its spirit.

From what I've read, Burst City was created by a couple punk bands who wanted to put out a movie featuring their music. The film's potential shortcomings are necessary evils when you consider this motivation. They didn't have the budget for smooth sophisticated cinematography or lighting but so what? They wanted to make a movie and they did it. It also helps that the music is awesome.

After watching this movie, I got into a punk rock mood so I re-watched the big budget, mainstream, Brass Knuckle Boys which is about a punk band from the 80's reuniting and rediscovering punk. Speaking of Brass Knuckle Boys, looking over my posts, it seems I never wrote a review about it. I will post that soon as well. Anyway, I am working on a post the compares and contrasts the depiction of punk rock in Burst City and Brass Knuckle Boys. In the meantime, I would recommend Burst City particularly if you are a fan of punk rock; it is a cool movie.