Sore dake is a zany, unique movie with flair.

 

The subject of today's blog post is a rather unique movie made back in 2015. From the mind of prolific punk enthusiast and director, Gakuryu Ishii, it's a movie inspired by the 1999 song, Sore dake by punk band The Bloodthirsty Butchers. In fact, the movie came out on May 27, 2015, two years after the lead singer, Hideki Yoshimura died. When I came across Sore dake and read about it, I was simply fascinated and had to watch. So, let's dive in, shall we? 

The plot of Sore dake follows homeless kid, Samao Daikoku. Daikoku has had a rough life, with his father having been abusive and hitting him with a bottle of Jack Daniels. His father also sold his birth certificate to some gangsters and as a result, Daikoku has been trapped in the underground life and homeless. The lack of certification papers means that he cannot be a proper citizen in Japan. This forces him to break into a coin locker belonging to information broker, and gang boss, Daikichi Ebisu. Whilst he successfully manages to break into the locker and steal the wallet and hard disk within, Ebisu catches him in the act and unsuccessfully pursues him. As it turns out, that hard disk contains birth-rate papers and other information that could be used for money. Ebisu eventually manages to capture Daikoku momentarily, only for Daikoku to reunite with prostitute and former love, Ami Nanmu and escape. Unfortunately for the pair, their escape and theft of the hard disk draws the eyes of one gang boss named Kan Senju. Senju wants the hard disk in order to cement control over the city as he already takes a cut of Ebisu's and pimp Inogami's profits. 

Sore dake is a fascinating movie not unlike director Gakuryu Ishii's previous work. The movie has a certain punkish aesthetic and boundless energy. There's plenty of flair and dynamic use of a variety of camera angles and shots. One of my favourite sequences in the movie is the chase at the beginning as it encapsulates the energy and tone perfectly. The camera work is frantic and shaky, whilst quite close to both the chased and the chaser. I love the way the chase is shot as it allows the audience to see both guys reacting to events whilst also capturing the desperation of the scenario. It really brings the scene to life in a way that most static shots could never. 

                            

 

Along with the dynamic flair of the camera work, the movie also makes great use of colour. It might seem odd considering that around half of the movie is in black and white with nary a colour in sight for lengthy periods but allow me to attempt to explain. The black and white beginning adds to the bleak, almost hopelessness of Daikoku and Ami's situation and at times makes the city of Kobe look like a massive concrete prison. The sparce use of colour also helps the torture scene as one of the first things we see in colour is blood. 

The sudden use of colour in the second half might seem jarring, but it serves a purpose. Ironically, it coincides with Daikoku's "rebirth" and him gaining a newfound goal to strive for. His mind is made up and the situation doesn't seem as bleak and hopeless as it once did. Naturally, the action helps. 

Also helping to keep the boundless energy and atmosphere of the movie is the soundtrack. Anyone who knows of Gakuryu Ishii's work knows that he's a big fan of punk and with Sore dake being based on a Bloodthirsty Butchers song, the soundtrack was bound to be full of energetic punk tracks. There is of course, Bloodthirsty Butchers songs throughout the movie and other artists of their ilk. Of course, music is subjective, and this will divide people. I am into punk, rock and metal and so the choice of music appealed to me. I will say however, that there are times in the movie where the sound mixing feels a little off with the music perhaps being a little too loud in the mix. 

What really stands out in Sore Dake, is the performance of Kiyohiko Shibukawa as Daikichi Ebisu. Shibukawa stole every scene he was involved in with an exception at the end of the movie. The man brought energy worthy of punk cinema; the man brought both a comedic edge for moments of levity and violence in equal measure. He almost always has a smile on his face and his scenes where he's talking to the bartender are a joy to watch as he's essentially talking to himself. 

Apart from Shibusawa, Go Ayano is also a standout as Kan Senju. His delivery is on point, he feels like a major threat when he is on screen and a monster. His first appearance is a masterclass in portraying a villain. In contrast to Go Ayano, Shota Sometani puts in a compelling performance as protagonist, Daikoku. He hits the emotional beats when needed and looks dreary and jaded when necessary. 

Erina Mizuno is solid as Ami Nanmu and is very easy on the eyes. 

Overall, I would definitely recommend Sore sake to anyone who is a fan of experimental cinema, punk rock, Gakuryu Ishii's work or just likes a good thriller. It's very impressive what Ishii was able to accomplish with a song as inspiration and it's a fitting tribute to Hideki Yoshimura. The camerawork alone is worth the watch as it's simply tremendous.