Crazed Fruit (1956) Kurutta Kajitsu

Movie Rating NR Contains: Strong Language Mature Situations

Director: Ko Nakahira Movie Genre: Drama, Character Study Country: Japan Crazed Fruit Score Card The following scores are based on a 0.0 to 10.0 rating scale Hover your mouse pointer over the name of each scoring category below for a description Direction: 6.0 Writing: 6.5 Acting: 5.7 Cinematography: 6.5 Sound and Score: 5.4 Functionality: 8.0 Presentation: 7.0 Genre Comparison: 6.4 General Comparison: 6.2 Overall: 6.4 Reviewed 2005-12-14 05:20:46

Crazed Fruit, directed by Ko Nakihara and adapted from the novel by Shintaro Ishihara, is a story about two brothers competing for the affection of one woman. The brothers are part of a group of teenagers who congregate around their wealthy American friend. Things take a turn for the worse when each brother realizes that the object of his affection is not as innocent as she seems.

This movie was made to shock viewers by depicting a group of rootless kids with no direction in post World War II Japan. These adolescents smoke, drink, party, stay out all night in clubs, and have casual sex as if it were a hobby. These kids behave as though their youth allows them to live a consequence free life.

As a whole, the cinematography is excellent. The symbolic use of lighting enhances the narrative. The fades and wipes that transition between scenes are extremely effective. The helicopter shot near the end of the movie brilliantly conveys a feeling of detachment that parallels both the attitudes of the main characters and the sentiments of postwar Japan. There are moments when the set design is compromised due to the technological limitations of the time. The boating and driving scenes, which were shot in the studio with projected backgrounds, look silly and detract slightly from the mood of the film.

When it was made in 1956, Crazed Fruit was a bold movie. The misogynistic attitudes of the main characters, mixed with their matter-of-fact accounts of their sexual exploits, are somewhat shocking. This movie has charm similar to the American screwball comedies of the 1950s. The more carefree scenes may have been included to soften the blow of the narrative for the films initial viewers. The grittiness of the subject matter along with the beach party atmosphere makes this movie seem indecisive.

Crazed Fruit was a wake up call for Japanese moviegoers of that time. Before this movie, most of the cinema was tame and innocent. This movie opened doors for some of Japan's more flamboyant filmmakers, namely, Seijun Suzuki and Takashi Miike. Even though some of the overall effectiveness is lost in the more childish elements of Crazed Fruit, the devil-may-care attitudes toward the subject matter are still just as relevant today as they were in 1956.