Too much of everything

Memorable, crazy movie

Just perfect...

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Ever read a novel with missing pages? Perhaps a vague abstraction confused you... Whatever the circumstances, ambiguity resides in relation to this films details and lack thereof; so, if you find yourself asking a lot of questions--especially during the opening half--then don't be surprised. Whether it was deliberately done or not is another debate, but this is a "student film" apparently. Let's hack into the meat of the celluloid now, shall we?!?After losing their leader (Aizawa) to jail time, A group of leftist stalwarts (whose true cause we're never quite sure of, aside from the fact they're seemingly at odds with the prevailing authoritative paradigms, and who may be displeased with the Vietnam war, as one reviewer mentioned), set forth on what becomes a violent power struggle with catastrophic and sanguinary consequences. The aftermath of the aforementioned imprisonment results in an order from Aizawa that his girlfriend is to head the group until his release. A decision that's met with some resistance, but things really turn when the head of the snake is cut off, so to speak. Witness the descent spiral into the abyss of oblivion (barring, you have the patience.) Character-wise, a somewhat diverse ensemble, the rebels are made up of. A nerdy fellow newcomer, A strong silent type with a sword, an annoying female lead with an unsightly countenance, one underling to the incarcerated who asserts his bravado, and a few tag-alongs.*Urgent bulletin*: The first hour is S-L-O-W. *End bulletin*. Well, with the introductory information out of the way, you're probably wondering about the political allegory, symbolism, and profuse gore Kichiku is noted for. Fret not, for there are some impressions--a few drenched in crimson--that this reviewer would like to notify the reader about.-The last member to join the group before its complete and utter combustion seemed to represent traditional values, to an extent. The mute observer seemingly skirting the precipice. Somewhat like he belongs to a bygone samurai age (He wields a nice blade), while those around him represent a new-world pariah mindset. One of youth & contempt for control/authority. Perhaps a product of what they hate (the latter); thus, making them mere reactionaries unsure of what they really want. Are they confused? Eh, maybe.-A Japanese flag with a bloodstain on it, subject to 'stabbings'. I don't think I need to explain that... -Related: Anarchists? Anti-war demonstrators? Te**o*ists? You figure it out.-You'll be forced to reconsider the context of rifles in relation to female genitalia. Heh. -Related: A scene in the mountains, it reminds of Scanners. What a mess of that cranium! Bloody hell! Literally!-Lastly, We see the self destruction of powermongering and the hysteria it brings. Regardless of status or political persuasion, the cycle always ends the same way. Leftist, Reactionary, Staunch Right-Winger, it's all the same when infighting & an inherent lack of discipline clash with egodrama over that elusive thing called control. The affiliations and labels of such cabals render themselves irrelevant in the face of human savagery and animalistic thrashings. Anyways, Kumakiri made a decent flick with both shock appeal and political leanings. Give it a look you cast iron stomachs, you.

I have to admit, I didn't know a lot about this film except that those who had seen it cited it as the most disturbing film they'd seen. So when I found one solitary copy at my local Virgin Records, I snapped it up immediately. The first half of the film is relatively violence-free, with a very memorable sequence where Masami dances in a mask. Considering how low the budget is, the film is impressive. The acting may be flawed, but the visuals more than make up for it. There are a few scenes where you feel the crew went a bit overboard (shotgun rape, anyone?) but I genuinely enjoyed it and am proud to have it in my DVD collection.

This was far and away one of the worst movies I've ever seen. it wasn't bad in a good way, it was bad in a very bad way. nonexistent plot, BORING up until the end. 2 hrs long full of over-stylized nonsense up until a completely disgusting finale. sure, if you like gore it has it, but you have to fast-forward through 1:30 of pointless dialogue and pretentious lens filters to get there. for example, WHY do we have to watch some guy get dressed for 3 minutes? WHY do we have to watch the group drive SLOWLY up a mountain with swirling camera views of the very pretty treetops? WHY are there like three scenes of the group eating noodles in silence? The mood was set from the very beginning--the filmmaker sadly decided to drive this mood home continuously with a parade of boring shots. this is what happens when filmmakers unsuccessfully try to fuse high art and splatter--an experiment tried often but rarely executed successfully. If you're thinking of renting this movie, just read the back of the box, save yr $5 and pretend you did.

this movie is as violent as it will get. if you really want to get rid of somebody, show it to them. except if they like watching people eating other people's brain out after having them tortured to death. but, IF you can stand it, its a great movie. it was first shown on a film festival with a good reputation, and like everybody walked out. afterwards, the director of the festival apologized in public and said that they had not seen the film before.among other things, kichiku shows some aspects of japan that maybe you did not realize before.