This
one has been difficult to find uncut. Most all prints coming out of Japan
[for world distribution] run at a paltry 73 minutes. This means a lot
of controversial footage was left behind. But
finally, here is the rare 100 minute version!
Young
loner Tatsuo (Sosuke Takaoka) drops out of school after getting bullied
by tough classmates. When mom asks about his wounds, he retaliates by
beating her with his belt. Tatsuo is not a nice guy. He takes a job in
a small tile company that seems to be connected to the Yakuza. During
this time, he meets several gangsters who introduce him to the big boss.
Even though he doesn't really like being with a gang, he's impressed by
the promise of easy money. The mob boss, a bit underwhelmed by Tatsuo's
young age and lack-of-experience, tells him to go and start recruiting
among the teenagers. Tatsuo likes the idea, but only because he really
wants to start his own youth gang with him as boss. He gathers a group
of young misfits. They start their "activity" with petty
thefts and extortion. Soon their hooligan antics intensify as they move
to assaults and rapes. Then, one day, Tatsuo decides to kidnap high school
girl Junko Furuta (Mika Mifune). The girl is held captive in the house
of one of the boys, where she is beaten and repeatedly raped until her
death many weeks later.
The
film [Hiromu Nakamura's debut in 2004] is based on the true-life massacre
of Junko Furuta at the hands of Tatsuo and his youth gang in 1988. Interestingly,
the girl playing Junko is Mika Mifune, the daughter of Japan's legendary
movie star Toshiro Mifune. However, her stoic performance did not keep
critics from condemning this film.
A
Japanese
film
with English subtitles; widescreen, (100 minutes) in DVD encoded for
ALL REGION NTSC, playable on any American DVD machine;
Extras include selected
Japanese theatrical
trailers.
Graphic Violence/Rape/Drugs/Nudity/Sexual
Brutality
for Adult Audiences
