Shinkansen daibakuha (1975)

Criminals plant a bomb on a high-speed train. It will explode when the train slows down, unless a ransom is paid.

Director:

Jun'ya Satô

Writers:

Ryûnosuke Ono (screenplay), Jun'ya Satô (screenplay)

Stars:

Ken Takakura, Shin'ichi Chiba, Kei Yamamoto

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ken Takakura	...	Tetsuo Okita
Shin'ichi Chiba	...	Aoki (as Sonny Chiba)
Kei Yamamoto	...	Masaru Koga
Eiji Gô	...	Shinji Fujio
Akira Oda	...	Hiroshi Ôshiro
Raita Ryû	...	Kikuchi
Masayo Utsunomiya	...	Yasuko
Yumiko Fujita	...	Akiyama
Yumi Takigawa	...	SAS Staff
Etsuko Shiomi	...	Telephone Operator (as Etsuko Shihomi)
Fumio Watanabe	...	Miyashita
Toyoto Fukuda	...	Tashiro
Hiroko Fuji	...	Female Teacher
Junko Matsudaira	...	Cashier
Koreharu Hisatomi	...	Hirota

Storyline

One of the Japanese Shinkansen "Bullet Trains" is threatened with a bomb that will explode automatically if the train slows below 80 km/h, unless a ransom is paid. Police race to find the bombers and to learn how to defuse the bomb.

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Plot Keywords:

blackmail | bullet train | loot | railroad | conductor | 

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Taglines:

They said it couldn't happen... But for 1500 passengers Bullet Train 109 became a nightmare journey that just couldn't be stopped!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

1 January 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bullet Train

Filming Locations:

Airport, Chitose, Hokkaido, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Toei Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

152 min 115 min (DVD) 115 min (edited/dubbed) 96 min (cut theatrical) 98 min (Cut theatrical)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was picked up for distribution in the USA as it fitted into the mainstream Hollywood 1970s disaster movie cycle. Hollywood would soon reply with making their own 70s rail disaster films with Rollercoaster (1977), Avalanche Express (1979) and The Cassandra Crossing (1976).

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Alternate Versions

This film was released in the United States in a English dubbed version as "The Bullet Train." This version was heavily cut which reduced its running time to approximately 115 minutes.

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Connections

Referenced in Speed: Elevated Voltage (2018)

User Reviews

Predates "Speed" and Is The Much Better Drama...

`Bullet Train' (Orig. Title: Shinkansen Daibakuha) is a gripping thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Made in 1975, `Bullet Train' predates Jan De Bont's similar `Speed' by almost two decades and is the vastly superior drama. The wonderful Ken Takakura portrays the bomber with a grudge, while cult action star Shinichi `Sonny' Chiba portrays Shinkansen (Bullet Train) operator Aoki who must find the explosive device before his train explodes. Utsui Ken (who portrayed the serial hero Super Giant/Star Man) also puts in a great performance as Transit Chief Kuromochi who must not only deal with the demands of the bomber but must also deal with the political and public backlash and hysteria that ensues the crisis. While some of the SFX work does not really look all too convincing, the overall film is a joy to see. Ken Takakura's somber and tragic character of Okita is quite a contrast to Dennis Hopper's wacky and cartoonish villain in `Speed". While the film is not great, it certainly is worth a look. Blink and you could miss the cameo of Shihomi Etsuko as a transit telephone operator.