If You Were Young: Rage

Rating:
Summary: The lost Fukasaku film
Review: Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Duration: 89 minutes

For the most part I believe individuals who are familiar with the name Fukasaku Kinji probably know it through the excellent movie _Battle Royale_, however, of course, during his 40+ year career as a film director, he created a number of other noteable films including _Blackmail is My Life_ and _Tora! Tora! Tora!_ a joint venture with director Richard Fleischer, director of _Soylent Green_, _20,00 Leagues Under the Sea, etc. _Rage_, however, definately is not one of Fukasaku's better known films. In fact it was thought to be lost until only a few years ago.

The film stars five friends who, unable to find work in their seaside home, move to Tokyo in order to find work, however, because of their lack of education, they are unable to find decent jobs. After the group of friends is put in prison because the main character, Asao, attacks a man heckling his friend, Ryuji, during a boxing match, they come up with the idea to buy a dumptruck and eventually expand their business. Unfortunately, Ryuji is killed by police when he comes to the defence of a striking workers, Ichiro gets a woman pregnant and is forced to drop out of the group, and Kiyoshi is put in jail for beating up a security guard. On the other hand, Asao and Kikuo are able to get a truck and it seems that their lives are on the road to improvement until friends and family of the past begin to show up.

At first I did not know what to think of this film because of the campy music and the overwhelming good cheer of Asao and Kikuo. However, when Kiyoshi mother and sister show up looking for their relative, the movie takes on a much more serious tone. This is a good film that gives the viewer a good view at the Japanese lower working class and their everyday struggles, and while the film has a note of optimism about overcoming ones obstacles, it also shows that no matter how much one struggles to improve, one might never accomplish anything worthwhile.

If I sound a bit negative here it is because I am only paraphrasing Fukasaku in the director's commentary.