Jisatsu sâkuru (2001)

A detective is trying to find the cause of a string of suicides.

Director:

Sion Sono

Writer:

Sion Sono

Stars:

Ryo Ishibashi, Masatoshi Nagase, Mai Hosho

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ryo Ishibashi	...	Detective Toshiharu Kuroda (as Ryô Ishibashi)
Masatoshi Nagase	...	Detective Shibusawa
Mai Hosho	...	Nurse Atsuko Sawada (as Mai Hôshô)
Tamao Satô	...	Nurse Yôko Kawaguchi
Takashi Nomura	...	Security Guard Jirô
Rolly	...	Muneo 'Genesis' Suzuki
Joshua	...	Slave Boy
Masato Tsujioka	...	Genesis' Gang
Kôsuke Hamamoto	...	Genesis' Gang
Kei Nagase	...	Genesis' Gang
Yôko Kamon	...	'The Bat' Kiyoko
Maiko Mori	...	Kiyoko's Sister
Sayako Hagiwara	...	Mitsuko (as Saya Hagiwara)
Takatoshi Kaneko	...	H.S. Boy on the Roof
Mika Miyakawa	...	H.S. Girl on the Roof

Storyline

54 high school girls throw themselves in front of a subway train. This appears to be only the beginning of a string of suicides around the country. Does the new all-girl group Desert have anything to do with it? Detective Kuroda tries to find the answer, which isn't as simple as one could hope.

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Plot Keywords:

eye candy | miniskirt | short skirt | mini skirt | japanese schoolgirl | 

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Taglines:

Sore de wa minasan, sayonara [Well then, goodbye everybody.]

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing thematic elements, strong violence/grisly images and some language

Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

6 April 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Suicide Club

Filming Locations:

Shinjuku Station, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Box Office

Budget:

$250,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Omega Project, Biggubîto, For Peace Co. Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The pop group "Dezaato" receives different romanji spellings throughout the movie, probably on purpose. Even though it actually means "Dessert", it's also spelled "Dessart", "Dessret", and "Desert" in the movie.

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Goofs

When the students jump to their death on the school roof, you can clearly see crew-members throwing buckets of fake blood at the window.

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Quotes

Medical Examiner: There are several bodies here. We'll pry them apart later.

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Connections

References The Trial of Joan of Arc (1962)

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Soundtracks

Sûsaido kissu
Written by Haruko Momoi
Performed by Dessert

User Reviews

One of the most powerful thought-provoking films out there

Don't mind the negative comments some reviewers give this film; some people just need the typical linear plot formula to appreciate a movie. But for those who are willing to step outside this structure and open their minds to something more daring and intriguing, Suicide Club is just for you.

By the end you will wonder what the hell just happened, and you will be on the right road to understanding as long as you're willing to throw away the notion of an action-driven movie and allow the thematically constructed characters and powerful scenes to permeate your psyche and lead to reflection on the influences in teen's lives that give meaning to and strip meaning away from life.

As for the overly used blood sprays that give rise to some complaints, they just contribute to the surreality of the film and don't detract from the ultimate message if one is willing to seek it.