My journey through Asian cinema continues with a break from Hong Kong and a foray into the mean streets of early 1970s Japan in Sadao Nakajima’s Aesthetics of a Bullet (available from Radiance on June 2).
The summary of the film had me immediately excited: a young fuckhead (Tsunehiko Watase) is given a bunch of money and a gun and sent into enemy gang territory to stir things up and start a war. In Yakuza terms, he is a bullet. A tool to be used and discarded. But instead of gang warfare anarchy, Aesthetics is a character study of Watase and his inability to even pretend to be a big deal.
I would have loved to see a couple hours of unhinged Yakuza gang violence, but Aesthetics provides a much more thoughtful and interesting story. It is essentially a journey for Watase learning that he is not special, and no amount of money or pretending can change that.
Aesthetics is compared to Taxi Driver in promotional materials by pointing out that it predates Scorsese’s film by three years. This isn’t a plagiarism claim; it’s meant to point out that this film is just as effective of a character study of a delusional man. But where Taxi Driver has this moment of catharsis at the end for Bickle (though there are still hints that he’s not well), Aesthetics of a Bullet has a much more somber, realistic ending for Watase.
This is truly Watase’s film because his character is not a good person. He’s physically abusive to his supportive girlfriend, and he’s one of those annoying losers that doesn’t understand why he’s a loser. One of those people that blame the world for their problems and never look inward. This guy fucks up being a fuckup. It should be an unbearable movie, following this guy around. But Watase makes him compelling. I won’t say I was rooting for him by the end, but I wanted to know how his story ended whereas in lesser hands I would’ve just been waiting for my time with the character to end.
Aesthetics of a Bullet certainly isn’t as well-known as Taxi Driver (I had never heard of it before I received this advance copy for review), but it’s easily on the same level. It doesn’t contain the violence you might expect, but it will still leave you reflecting on humanity and purpose in life.
Random Thoughts
Watase is the draw here, but Nakajima puts his stamp on the film, as well. My favorite was the opening montage set to “Don’t Mess Around with Me” by Brain Police as footage of excess is shown cutting back and forth from overindulging in food and drink and garbage. Gross and effective, perfectly setting up the world of the film.
Transfer and Special Features
Radiance is up there with Arrow and other heavy hitters in the physical media world. Everything they make is going to look great, and the special features will be extensive. That said, this film is on the forgotten side, so there are just three interviews included. Two are with filmmakers Robert Schwentke and Kazuyoshi Kamakiri in which they praise Nakajima’s work. Those are new for this release. The third interview is archival from a few years ago with Nakajima himself, and it mainly focuses on working with Watase.