Go, Go Second Time Virgin

Ive seen alot of films from Japan and other countries. But this has got to be one of the most bizare,yet interesting films that has come out of japan in recent years. Its like a teen angst film gone awry. unlike American teen angst films were you just have a bunch of dialog and crying this one has action and visual imagery that follows the characters though out the whole film the combination of both color and black and white film is a rare treat indeed.

GO, GO, SECOND-TIME VIRGIN! (1969): First things first - quite possibly the best name for a movie ever! A strangely jaunty, optimistic sounding title for such a grim and nihilistic movie though.

"If you tell me why you want to die, then I'll kill you"

"Really?" "Yes?" "It's because I'm so hopelessly unhappy in this life"

(Bit of a rough quote there I'm afraid). GGSTV! opens with a 17 year old girl being dragged to a rooftop and raped by a gang of thugs, whilst a boy of a similar age watches on expressionless. The sun rises the next day to find boy and girl still in the same positions, sat in silence until the girl rises and wishes him "Good morning". Awkward conversation arises, and the girl reveals that this is the second time she's been raped. She is surprised to find that she has bled this time too (hence the title, which is actually a line from a song she sings to herself). The conversation progresses little better when she asks the boy to kill him. Throughout the course of the day, the boy lets her into his own life a little, which we find to be at least as f***ed up as hers. I don't know what it is about the Japanese, but they seem to have a knack of producing the strangest and most disturbed movies in the world. Takashi Miike might be shocking audiences and provoking walk outs now, but 32 years ago Koji Wakamatsu was producing movies that were at least as dysfunctional and disturbing. Whilst the west was having flower power and free love, Japan appears to have had quite a different approach to the hippy movement (though this may not be an entirely representative sample!). If GGSTV! were to be made now, it could only be a student film, and it would be largely criticised for its naivety, probably accused of being self-indulgent. And for having some truly awful acting. But movies in general were different in 1969, and GGSTV! was certainly a pioneering film and seemingly quite sincere in its bleak world view. It feels in many ways more 'film' like than most movies today... the cinematography is all very photographic, and the way the interesting soundtrack is blended with the movie - definitely 'cinema as art'. I'm not going to suggest it's a great movie, but it is fascinating and provocative, and deeply bleak and depressing, so that might appeal to some .

Given that we are dealing with a no budget production shot in a couple of days on top of a roof, the result is astonishing. Koji Wakamatsu has a visual style that outdoes any avantgarde director/photographer with a bigger name. In beautifully shot black and white with some gory color sequences this film takes you on a compelling, nihilistic trip through the claustrophobic existence of two teenagers living on the edge of society. The extreme violence is sometimes lightened by unexpected moments of haunting, morbid poetry. Always true to the characters he has created, Wakamatsu finds beauty where others would only seek for sleaze. This underground masterpiece transcends its humble beginnings and can easily stand comparison with the works of Nagisha Oshima and Seijun Suzuki.

As other reviewers have mentioned, it's difficult to know what to make of this film - and I suffered from the same problem! Go Go Second Time Virgin is as surreal and strange as its title suggests it is. The basis behind the plot is relatively simple, but I have no idea what the film is trying to say and that's what enforces the weirdness of the film. Go Go Second Tim Virgin starts with a rape sequence and from there we focus on two teenagers; one of which being the girl that was raped. The pair of them are depressed, and the girl insists that she wants to die and asks the boy to do it, but he refuses, preferring a different solution to the problem. The film is stylishly shot; most of it is in black and white although certain sequences are portrayed in colour. The bleak atmosphere is the main point of the film; this film is extremely bleak throughout and not a great deal of fun, which might not please anyone going into this film expecting something more fun, considering the film's 'pinku' origins. There's not a great deal of sleaze in the film - the rape scenes are not overly graphic and there's not a great deal of gore either. I won't name this film as a favourite or anything like that, but it's an interesting little flick that is definitely worth seeing, and therefore comes recommended.

I remember finally getting to see "Assault: Jack the Ripper" after hearing about how brutal it was. Personally i find "Second Time Virgin" more disturbing though. Very minimalist film, almost entirely shot on a grimy rooftop, where a young woman gets raped repeatedly, mostly because after the first rape, she decides to STAY on the roof, to wait for someone to kill her or rape her again! She meets a young, shy man who is harboring an incredibly morbid, violent secret. The two depressed, death-obsessed teens find solace in each other, and form a kind of bond against their brutal surroundings. Effectively filmed in black and white, with some jarring color flashback scenes, this film can really get under the skin. Many people die, and the casual way the deaths are filmed makes for a surreal and unpleasant mood. Worth mentioning too is the sultry, moody jazz soundtrack that is featured. Recommended for all those obsessed with rape and murder.