Kichiku dai enkai

An impressive student work, made over a period of two years by Kazuyoshi Kumakiri, also its writer and editor. The storyline is inspired by the so-called 'Asno Sanso incident', a widely televised event when members of the United Red Army took a hostage and seized a mountain lodge near Karuizawa. (The film 'A Choice of Hercules' (2002) reconstructs that crime more factually.) Kumakiri took from this the idea of radicalism in moral collapse, and group violence escalating out of control. Amplifying matters stylistically, some use is made of what looks like contemporary news footage, grounding the narrative in the radicalism and feel of the 1970s, when the Japanese student revolutionary movement was at its height.

With its peculiar combination of dialectic and dismemberment, at times Kumakiri's film resembles Nagisa Oshima doing Herschell Gordon Lewis, and certainly contains a self-awareness which, in their own different ways the two directors also share. The first half is almost entirely taken up with claustrophobic and sweaty scenes set indoors as the group stresses, then fractures, under the leadership of the newly elevated girlfriend Masami (Sumiko Mikami). In addition to subjugating her crew with her dubious charms she also sends them out robbing, before organising a limited invitation wild party where she dances and seduces wearing a ceremonial mask. Trapped thus behind the metaphorical bars of their ideologies and allegiances the radicals are, arguably, just as imprisoned (and ultimately, as doomed) as their leader Azawa proves to be in his prison cell.

Its been suggested that at the heart of the film is a demonstration of what can happen when strong leadership is removed, creating a power vacuum, thereby reducing a body of followers to nightmarish dissolution. This being so, it appears to posit a dictatorial solution to contemporary Japanese social problems. However, one can also argue that the narrative demonstrates reactionary bias in other ways, for instance by demonstrating that females are unable to control a radical agenda, even with the lowest persuasive denominator, the drastic application of sexual wiles. As critics have pointed out, a weakness of Kumakiri's story is that it fails to provide the radicals - and the audience - with a clear agenda for their actions. We never know about what they are protesting, let alone the philosophy that presumably binds them.

For many viewers, the lack of any real social dynamic means that the first part moves very slowly indeed and, while initially the too-vague motivation of those we see is intriguing, by the end of the film such lack of sympathy is telling; we are left simply with unattractive people doing bloody things to each other.

It's the violence of Kichiku that has made it so notorious. Tagged a 'political gore' film, the film has divided viewers into those who have dismissed it as alternating confusingly between boring and violent, and those others who see between these extremes a pertinent political allegory. For the latter camp at least, as one of the characters says, it is a case of having to "face the reality and get the message." As part of the special features to the Artsmagic edition (it has formerly appeared in a far less grand single disc release on the continent) critic Tom Mes does a good job of special pleading for a narrative scheme to which some credence at least can be given, and some of the film's obscurities can certainly be ascribed to the first-time nature of the project. Mes is too kind though to mention the weak performance by lead actress Mikami, whose manic laughter is especially unconvincing in her central, if underwritten part, even while he allows for doubts as the film's occasional obscure play on the theme of chickens (sic). But at the very least Kumakiri is to be congratulated in producing a work that at least raises the discussion of gore films above the techniques of grisly special effects, while his film has been widely exhibited around the world, including the festival circuit.

The problem with the last part of Kichiku is that much of the bloodletting is so gratuitous and occurs after such unfocused interaction that, if it intends to make a point, then it is a very blunt one indeed, and hammered home insistently. Some have theorised that the student rebels are a microcosmic version of Japan's ultra-conformist society at large, and that ultimately all they have done is recapitulate all of its worst tendencies. Conversely it might also just as easily be argued that the final internecine devastation ironically reflects the only violent 'revolution' of which they are really capable, while Azawa's former cell mate (the independent witness to the group's last days) samurai sword and all, reflects the mute judgement of traditional values.

The newly enlightened BBFC clearly believes it all has some merit too, as the new Artsmagic two-disc DVD set apparently reaches UK viewers uncut, despite the inclusion of what one fansite has gushingly described as "the greatest head explosion of all time!" - not to mention one notorious scene involving a shotgun barrel's penetration, and discharge, into a very delicate female anatomical area. It has even been suggested that the 'boredom' of the first part is a deliberate attempt to balance and contextualise the extended mayhem that follows. It's an idea which has been applied, but in reverse (and to my mind more successfully), to Takashi Miike's Dead Or Alive where the kinetic editing of the opening and extreme comic climax bookend a more leisurely main section. Certainly for a more robust 'political gore film' one may look no further than the scenes of consumer zombiedom which make up Romero's Dawn Of The Dead.

Whatever the case, gorehounds have been, and will be, content to fast-forward through the first parts onto where the body count begins to mount, while those who are content extracting a more thoughtful framework from Kumakiri's broken backed scenario will hesitate at calling his scheme a complete success.

I really liked this film for what it is. As far as being a student film, I feel that it's very ambitious and professional. The camera-work is good, as well as the acting and storyline. KICHIKU is basically about a group of radicals whose group begins to disintegrate when their leader is arrested. The leaders girlfriend is handed control of the group, and it all goes to hell from there. KICHIKU can be dull at times, so I can see why a lot of people don't feel this film. Personally, I think that overall it is very atmospheric and dark, and has some very well done scenes of violence. If you are into non-stop blood and guts - don't bother with this one - it will be too long and tedious for you (all the violence happens in the last half hour or so...), but if you have some patience I would at least suggest this as a rental - there are definitely some good gore scenes that are worth checking out. 7 1/2 out of 10

This is a very weird flick. Were as the first part is extremely boring the second part is full of gore. The thing that makes it almost not watchable is the fact that it was filmed badly and the translation in the subtitles came too late or wasn't done for some parts.

It's easy to spot that it's all about politics and that one crazy girl has the lead. She bangs everyone that she come across and she even give head with a chickens head. Further she does that again with a man but unlucky for him she bites his weener off. And that's were the gore comes in. She's as mad as hell and shoots one in the head in a gory way to perform some kind of necrophilia with the corps.

I wasn't really into it because the first part is as stated rather boring. But I was told about the extreme gore and I must admit that that was done in a pure old school way. But still, even as I like gore this isn't one of my favourites due the way it was shot and the bad acting. If one is ready to be killed you just don't care or the girl being opened in different ways, who cares.

But gorehounds will adore it but please skip to the 40 minute to see it slowly come in all the glory gore.

Gore 4/5 Nudity 1,5/5 Effects 4/5 Story 2/5 Comedy 0/5

Oh man, this one took me by surprise. I bought this movie because I heard it was one of the more graphic movies in the past 10 years. That kind of talk always peeks my interest since I love action and horror films. I was bored after watching the first hour or so of this movie. I was thinking about sending it back and demanding a refund (even though I knew that would never happen). I was told to be patient, most of the gore was at the end of the movie. Well, that was totally correct. What I didn't know was that the gore was so over the top. I have a very strong stomach, and this movie made me want to turn away. I don't like to write a movie comment with spoilers so I wont get into the different things you could see at the end of this movie. I will say after I saw this movie to completion, I felt like I needed a shower. This movie makes you feel dirty. I makes you feel nauseous. I really cant see myself watching this movie again, but I don't think I will sell it to anyone either. I think I will keep it and lend it out to friends. This way I can be the guy who has one of the most graphic and disgusting movies ever made. I want to see my friends faces when the return this movie to me. I'm sure I will get a phone call right after they watch it, with them telling me how nasty it is. Thats why I will keep it, because it is the nastiest, most vile movie I have seen in a long, long time.

This was certainly one watchable unique movie but also one that leaves a quite redundant impression in the end. I'm just not sure what this movie tried to achieve and what for a type of story it tried to tell.

It's definitely a bit of a weird movie, especially toward the ending. It becomes all kind of arty, with all some, I suppose, deeper meanings to it but I just don't really get it.

I think you can just rather say that this is a student-film, that isn't really constantly trying to make sense at all. The movie looks definitely amateur-like and as if got shot by a bunch of friends in their spare time, while they were working with a shoestring budget. In that regard, this movie is all the more a real accomplishment from them but it also makes the movie a bit of an odd one to follow at times.

The movie begins sort of slow but suddenly in about the middle of it the movie suddenly turns very violent. This is a movie that is mostly known for its bold gore and violence. And yes, it's all rather good looking and original at times with its gore and violence. Can't really say that this is a very consistent movie but overall it still is a good watch.

A bit of a pointless movie but still a good enough watch.

6/10

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