Gendai Sei Hanzai Zekkyô Hen: Riyû Naki Bôkô
1969 / 71m - Japan
Action, Crime
3.0*/5.0*
Violence without a Cause poster

Watches

February 21, 2014

3.0*/5.0*

One of the 7 films Wakamatsu directed in '69. It's not the best one, if you make that many films in a single year some are bound to be a bit less polished than others, but it's still a pretty intriguing and relentless film with Wakamatsu's signature style plastered all over it. That's the benefit of having a unique point of view, it's something to fall back on.

Three kids have moved to Tokyo to study. They come from up north and they're not used to the city life. They are poor and don't have much success with the ladies and they don't feel like they fit in. Slowly they begin to lose touch with society. In an act of desperation, they rape a girl, which hurls them on a dangerous path they won't be able to return from.

Wakamatsu's favorite themes are present, the soundtrack feels familiar, the performances are relatively natural (for their time) and the stark black-and-white cinematography helps to add a bit of extra flair. If you're a fan of Wakamatsu's films this is an easy recommendation, but it's not a film that will win him any new fans.