简介：*ShinjukuMad*wasoneof KojiWakamatsu'ssixfilmsfrom1970.Grimandgritty,starkandsteady,burdenedwithanti-moralizing,generouslypaddedwithsex,andtotallyredeemedbyasoundtrackthatneedstobereleasedNOW.Iknewnothingaboutthisfilm,loadingitupontomylaptop,andeverylastoneofthisfilm'ssixty-sixtyminuteskeptmeriveted. Bearwithme.Thefilmopenswiththebandcyclingthroughajazzyrave-up,theblackandimagesdepictdeadJapanesethroughoutamoderncity.Fromthealleywaysoftheslums,tocenterofthepark,youcatchglimpsesofbodieseverywhere.Thisintroductioniscappedoffbyalingeringshotofablood-soakednakedwoman,facedown.Bythispoint,thebandhasreachedasortofpeak.There'sacut,thebandchangesthedirectionofthesongabit,andthenwe'retreatedtoaseriesofexteriorshotsfromdowntown,thelunchhour,maybe.Youseealotofstorefrontsandstairwells,peoplemovingabout.Allofthepeopleinthesesplicesaredoneinnegativeimage. Whatfollowscanonlybedescribedasharrowing.Afterthecredits,thereelswitchestocolor.We'retreatedtotheon-screenstabbingofayoungmaninatoga,hisattackersstriphisspeciallady-friendofhertoga,spendabouttwominutessmearingherbreastswithstill-warmblood,andthentaketurnsrapingher.Shedoesn'tseemtoputupmuchofafight.Thesceneislensedwithalloftheenthusiasmofatelevisionspotforawholefoodsmarket. Well,that'safuckedupwaytostartamovie.Ifyou'restillreading,I'llhaveyouknowthebrutalityeasesupalittle,butthecamera'stendencytoseekouteachscene'smoreluriddetailsisrelentless.Thebandneverletsup,either.Anotherconstantfeatureofthefilmistheprotagonist'salienationfromsociety.That'saprettydated-concept,inaway.ThisfilmiscashinginonwhatcouldlooselybecalledtheExistentialdemographicin1970'sJapan.PartsofitcouldhavebeenwrittenbyOe.OthersbyMishima.Itdefinitely,attimes,addressesabitofthatlingeringairofrevolution,butmoreonthatlater. ThefatherofthekidstabbedinTechnicolorshowsupinthenestreel,inthesameapartmenthissonwasmurderedin.Thisconfused,grievingfatherasksatotallybakedShokoAsaharaforinformationabouttheeventsleadinguptohisson'sdeath.Thelong-hairedno-goodnikistokingonaSharpie-sizeddoobie.Hegetssofuckinghighhepassesoutandthedadisleftthereintheemptyapartment,gettingamajorcontact-buzz. So,theplotisbasicallythatkindofexchangeinlargerandlargersettings,intercutwithgloriousshotsofthedisillusionedfatherwalkingthroughindustrialslums.Thefather,searchingforthe"Why"tohisson'sdeathgoesonhisquestandpissesjustabouteveryonehecomesintocontactwithoff.Hegoesintosubwaystationsandtotallykillssomebeatniks'buzzes.ThenhebulliesaHareKrishnaROCKANDROLLSUPERSTARandhisbelly-dancingpercussionistatapark.Thenheheadsofftoabar,andwe'retreatedtowhatmusthavebeenTokyo'sGreatestGarageBandgettinglow-downandsleazyhere.Thissceneprettymuchsumsupwhatthefilmisabout.Asyoudigthescuzzandthefuzz,thecameracatchesallmannerofdegeneracyandwantonreefer-use.Andthebarhasnolessthanthreegroupsofpeoplemakingout.Andtheygetexcessivewiththegroping. Eventually,thefathercatchestheringleaderoftheviciousbandofmurderer-rapists."ShinjukuMad,"ishisname.AfteranunbelievablylongandconvolutedexchangebetweentheprotagonistandShinjukuMad,itcomesoutthatMadandtheboysarerebellingagainstallofJapan.It'sopenseasononeveryonebutthem.Hissonwasonlyacasualty,nothingpersonal.Theirintentistogoonrebellingagainstsocietythroughrandomactsofviolenceagainstpeopleandproperty. AftergoingthroughallthetroubleoffindingShinjukuMad,theoldman'smindisblownbyrevolutionforrevolution'ssake.Afterafewpummellings,hemanagestoturnthefightaround.Hewindsupleavingwithanudegirlthathadbeentiedtoapostfortheentirescene. Hegoesbacktotheapartmenthissonwasmurderedintofindhisspeciallady-friendnakedwithsixotherdope-smokingcatsgroovingonfreeloveandblueballs. Hedecideshe'shappierwithShinjukuMadaliveandkicking,thebandisatanotheroneofitshighpoints,andthecamerapansouttotherailroadyard,telephoneswires,andthebaresidesofmodernbuildings. ThatwasJapan,thirty-sevenyearsago.…