Bullet Ballet
By Chris Hyde
March 8, 2005
Shinya Tsukamoto’s radical and personal Bullet Ballet finally sees the light of day in North America.
Of the filmmakers to emerge in Japan over the last 20 years or so, Shinya Tsukamoto’s career is perhaps the most individualistic of all. A true auteur who has a prominent role in every aspect of his productions, for most of his movies this director even pursues his own financing so that his unique vision can come to the screen relatively untrammeled. The end result is films of a somewhat difficult nature that in general revolve around a central theme: that of the contest between man and city, in particular the often mean streets of Tokyo.
Among Tsukamoto’s works, Bullet Ballet has long remained one of the most elusive for viewers in the West - although the director does have a fair reputation here, in the main for his Tetsuo films. However, Artsmagic has now given this one a release in Region 1, allowing fans to finally get a chance to see this uncompromising and visually stunning project. Shot in a stark black and white palette that reflects the hardness of the material, Bullet Ballet examines the interactions between a dead end youth gang and a 30-something protagonist who is played by Tsukamoto himself. Often bleak and edited in a harshly dissonant manner that can make the film a bit of a rough go at times, this movie is a fascinating bit of cinema that isn’t always easy to watch but that holds rewards for those who stick it out until the very bitter end.
Bullet Ballet opens with a scene of Goda (played by Tsukamoto) taking a phone call from his girlfriend of ten years as he sits having a drink; but unfortunately for him this will be the last he ever hears from her. Returning to his apartment to find his partner has shot herself, Goda’s seemingly standard life as an advertising man begins to unravel. Some time later he finds himself confronted in an alley by a cold young woman named Chisato (Kirina Mano), whom he has apparently met before. Their prior association doesn’t do Goda much good, though, as Chisato dials up her fellow gang members to come gather Goda’s wallet and give him a good stomping.
With both the loss of his partner and this assault fresh in his mind, our main character then begins to obsess about getting his hands on a gun of his own — specifically a .38 special, the same type used by his dead lady friend. Whether it’s to be used for revenge against the punks or for his own exit from the world remains unknown at first, but as the storyline unravels it may even end up that our hero will have to eventually work with the young thugs who beat him senseless. What it all ultimately amounts to is some violent intergenerational dynamics played out in an urban environment that is loaded with visual flair; whether our characters can survive this world — and each other—and forge some sort of a common understanding is the crux of what passes for story here.
It’s Tsukamoto’s penchant for form over content that has always been the toehold for critical disdain of the filmmaker’s work, and Bullet Ballet does little but provide more fodder for this angle. The characterizations are thinly drawn and plot development happens in quite a fitful manner, so those who sneer at the director’s lack of talent for story will likely have their perceptions reinforced with this outing. Still, the failure to attend to the finer niceties of plot in no way negates the artistic value of the film, as it contains within itself some truly breathtaking segments of cinema. While personally I sure wouldn’t disagree with the idea that the director is a little too dazzled by his visuals to make this one a complete success, the stunning brilliance of certain scenes coupled with the amazing — though jarring — editing scheme make the film a truly exciting piece of cinema.
While perhaps not the sort of project to appeal to viewers whose tastes run more towards the mainstream, Bullet Ballet is certainly worthwhile viewing for those who are open to an experimental approach in their film. Those so inclined should be completely thrilled with Artsmagic’s edition of this heretofore unavailable Tsukamoto work, as the anamorphic widescreen transfer looks great and brings the beautiful black and white cinematography into digital form in an ideal fashion. Also, as with most Artsmagic releases the extras included are quite attractive overall — you get your usual extensive bios and filmographies, a tasty 35 minute interview with the director of the film and yet another interesting Tom Mes commentary track. Though this Japanese film scholar at times lets his chats rummage a little further from what’s onscreen than I’d personally like, here he is well focused and dispenses a heap of quality information during his discussion of the movie. Closing out the bonus material is a roundup of some promo material and a pair of trailers that help add just a little more value to this nice release.
Known for his unconventional approach to his craft, director Shinya Tsukamoto has thus far in his career created a body of work quite unique among today’s leading Japanese filmmakers. A fierce individualist who truly takes the auteur approach to heart, he’s certainly not one whose movies will appeal to all viewers — but for those who can accept discordant editing, some unappealing characters and the sacrifice of story on the altar of the visual, then this one really delivers the goods. While Bullet Ballet is possibly not the best introduction to the cinema of this difficult artist for the uninitiated, this new digital version certainly shows the movie off in a most fitting manner and exists as a great representation of Tsukamoto’s iconoclastic vision for audiences in North America.
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