Kyouki no Sakura revolves around three seeminly right-wing Japanese individuals: Yamaguchi (the unoffical head of the clan), Aota (the brains) and Saburo (the brawn). All three are unforgiving, patriots who believe their actions of violence and brutality are a way to cleanse Japan of it’s association with the contamination of all things non-Japanese.

Whether it’s someone with dreadlocks, loud mouthed youths, people eating foreign food, drug users or just rich kids in their Americana gear, the three are intent on “purifying” these Japanese and to “liberate” them from their shackles of cultural brainwashing. Although the intent is to do good, they are themselves flawed characters and often inconsistent with their ideals. They believe in their ideology, and stick together like blood brothers, rather than just friends who believe in the same vision.

The violence is brutal, but this is tamed with some great drama and humour both on the part of the three youths, and those around them. Their reputation proceeds them, and soon the Yakuza decide to use the three as political pawns in a game of territory, rival gang war, and and internal conspiracies. It’s almost predictable that the three youths would meet three Yakuza members, all of whom would cultivate and use their preferred youth.

There’s a touch of romance, but it’s the sort of abstract, insignificant romance that really goes nowhere and has no place in the film other than as pretty foilage for the onscreen protagonists. Perhaps I’ve been a little harsh in that statement; the female role is the peaceful balance to the out and out chaotic anarachy displayed by the three youths. Her comments are important, but in the end the strenth in her comments are never displayed onscreen – within the context of the film, they could never work and there is only one inevitable conclusion as to the outcome of what would happen.

With Kyouki no Sakura’s violence, although humour is involved at times, the vast majority of scenes incorporating violence are sometimes quite brutal and realistic

You may find the opening a little strange, and there are many moments where the film seems to be purposely put together with missing frames, or frames from different cameras thrown together in quick succession to create a modern, contemporary feel. Even the script, with the violence and action that takes place on screen has a very contemporary feel. How often do you see a character turn in to a superhero, with cheesy Japanese music in a scene which involves the vicious beating of other individuals?

There’s an enourmous amount of energy and ideas that are flowing throughout Kyouki no Sakura, and it shows with the direction and pacing of the film. The use of cutting and fast frame shots, along with Japanese gangster rap music (bar the lack of understanding of what was being said, the music is good), and many variations in filming throughout – from vivid and stark colours, to starched and almost washed out raw imagery. Director Kenji Sonoda has certainly made a mark with a very different thriller/drama.

With films like Ichi the Killer, the violence was usually offset with humour and comic book deaths. It was comedy and never realistic violence, whether it was women getting beaten, or men being sliced up, curshed up and annihilated. Those that found the film tasteless, perhaps require a lesson in understand the term “film”.

Although the intent is to do good, they are themselves flawed characters and often inconsistent with their ideals

With Kyouki no Sakura’s violence, although humour is involved at times, the vast majority of scenes incorporating violence are sometimes quite brutal and realistic. The opening scene involves a brutal murder of a woman. It didn’t make me fidget, as it is a film after all, but I can see how the conservative types would jockey for position to just leap on the “glamourisng violence against women” or the “sick film” bandwagon. It’s all within in context, and we just happen to see the more harsher side of a world that probably exists, but we shut our eyes to.

Digressing aside, the performances throughout the film are excellent. The opening introduction, with the drummers drumming and then Yamaguchi punching the hell out of the screen is really superb to watch. Although the entire film isn’t as high octane or as manic, it serves as a taster for the rage that is displayed, and furhter exasperated by the tragedy that befalls the three friends in their naivety to understand what they’ve brought themselves into.

There are some electrifying moments of action, mixed with some very creepy sceens between the protagonists – occassionally suggesting some homosexual undertones. It’s an enjoyable and refreshing take on the the disassociated youth genre, albeit at the rather extreme end, but one that proves as entertaining as it is engaging. Just as a footnote, remember to watch the entire credits, as there is a final scene of about a minute at the end of the credits.

Verdict: A violent, contemporary Yakuza film echoing Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, and offering striking visual beauty