Kurôzu zero (2007)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Takashi Miike

Writers:

Hiroshi Takahashi (comic) and
Shogo Muto (screenplay)

Release Date:

October 2007 (South Korea)

Genre:

Action

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

First Part | Based On Comic | Number In Title

Cast

Shun Oguri	...	Genji Takaya
Kyôsuke Yabe	...	Ken Katagiri
Meisa Kuroki	...	Luca Aizawa
Takayuki Yamada	...	Tamao Serizawa
Sansei Shiomi	...	Yoshinobu Kuroiwa
Kenichi Endo	...	Joji Yazaki
Gorô Kishitani	...	Hideo Takitani
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shunsuke Daitô	...	Hiromi Kirishima
Kaname Endo	...	Yuji Tokaji
Erina	...	Yû
Motoki Fukami	...	Megumi Hayashida
Hisato Izaki	...	Go Mikami
Yûsuke Izaki	...	Manabu Mikami
Yusuke Kamiji	...	Shoji Tsutsumoto
Kenta Kiritani	...	Tokio Tatsukawa
Yû Koyanagi	...	Makoto Sugihara
Camille LaBry	...	Ruka (voice)
Yutaka Matsushige	...	Ushiyama
Suzunosuke	...	Chuta Tamura
Tsutomu Takahashi	...	Takashi Makise
Sosuke Takaoka	...	Shun Izaki
Hiroshi Watanabe	...	Hideto Bando

Directed by
Takashi Miike

Writing credits
Hiroshi Takahashi		(comic)
Shogo Muto		screenplay

Produced by
Mataichiro Yamamoto	....	producer

Original Music by
Naoki Otsubo

Cinematography by
Takumi Furuya

Film Editing by
Shuichi Kakesu
Tomoki Nagasaka

Production Design by
Yuji Hayashida

Art Direction by
Yuji Hayashida

Sound Department
Peter McDonald	....	sound editor

Stunts
Hidetaka Ichiyama	....	stunts

Production Companies

• Akita Publishing
• Happinet Pictures
• Toho Company
• Tristone Entertainment Inc.

Distributors

• Toho Company (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Encore Films (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Golden Village Entertainment (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Media Blasters (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Media Blasters (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Mediatres Estudio (2007) (Spain) (all media)
• Mei Ah Entertainment (2008) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• Mei Ah Entertainment (2009) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Mei Ah Entertainment (2009) (Hong Kong) (video) (VCD)
• Rialto Distribution (2009) (Australia) (DVD)
• Splendid Film (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) (2007) (Japan) (TV)
• Vendetta Films (2007) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• Visual Filmes (2008) (Brazil) (DVD) (TV)

Special Effects

• NTT Media Lab (visual effects)
• OLM Digital (visual effects)
• Pipeline (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Akita Publishing  photo book
• Aoi Studio  post-production sound services
• Continental Far East  Dolby consultant
• For Life Music Entertainment  soundtrack
• Hulk Entertainment  planning cooperation
• Imagica  film processing
• Jay Film Company  editing facility
• Kodak Japan  film stock supplied by
• Sanwa Cine Equipment  camera and lighting equipment supplied by

Also Known As:

Crows Zero (International: English title) (Singapore: English title)
Crows: Episode 0 (International: English title)

Runtime:

Japan:130 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Japan:PG-12 | South Korea:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Australia:MA (2008) | New Zealand:R16

Company:

Akita Publishing

Movie Connections:

Followed by Kurôzu zero II (2009)

A Nutshell Review: Crows: Episode 0

Directing a movie based on a manga isn't something new for Japanese auteur Takashi Miike, who also adapted the ultra-violent Ichi the Killer for the big screen. However, with Crows: Episode 0, gone are the extreme violence, though it still retains some flavour normally found in a typical action flick. Known for movies like Audition and Big Bang Love, Juvenile A, both which were released here, this is probably one of his more accessible films to date, even though it treads on familiar territory with elements of the yakuza.

Crows: Episode 0 is set in an all boys Japanese high school, where instead of having educational classes and courses, what gets put on screen (I haven't read the manga obviously) happens to be an ecosystem of triad society split into different turfs according to grade levels, classes and reputation. Unification of all levels in the school is a challenge, and new boy Genji Takaya (Shun Oguri) throws down the gauntlet on the first day to take down reigning school gangster Tamao Serizawa (Takayuki Yamada), which he finds impossible given that the latter's picked up by the police.

But of course there are unwritten rules to follow in order to engage the top, and he enlists the help of a two-bit average Yakuza hoodlum Ken Katagiri (Kyosuke Yabe) to help plot his path of success. For the most parts, the story is simple to follow, as we shadow Genji in his quest to conquer the high school class by class, through sheer brute force, gaining of respect, or simply just friendship established. As his reputation grows, so does his threat towards Serizawa, which sets up the inevitable climatic showdown where the rival gangs gotta settle who's gonna rule the school. As the saying goes, one mountain cannot hide 2 tigers.

You can't help it but Korea's Volcano High comes to mind for comparison. However, this is without the effects laden stylistic fight sequences where the exponents possess superhuman powers and abilities. Here, it's the good old fisticuffs without a lot of frills, though styled to make the characters seem to have super-strength, no thanks to the sound effects of course. The art direction is beautifully peppered with plenty of graffiti art, and your eyes would just automatically wander off to read just about every word that's spray painted out there. Oozing plenty of testosterone and machismo, there are still enough tender moments to make you cringe, bearing in mind that after all, these are pretty looking boys with mean and tough looking exteriors, but sometimes still softies at heart.

It's fight club in schools where black leather is the new uniform. If you're a fan of no holds barred street fighting with camaraderie elements thrown in, sprinkled with a dash of humour (from sight gags to the toilet variety), then Crows: Episode 0 would be right up your alley.