“Born Under Crossed Stars” Japanese Theatrical Poster
Director: Seijun Suzuki
Cast: Ken Yamauchi, Yumiko Nogawa, Masako Izumi, Masao Mishima, Ruriko Ito, Chikako Miyagi, Michio Hino, Michi Azuma, Yoko Benisawa, Keisuke Noro
Running Time: 98 min.
By Kelly Warner
Filmed just two years later, featuring the same leading man in Ken Yamauchi, and based on a book by the same author in Toko Kon, Born Under Crossed Stars is something of a spiritual sequel to the angst-driven youth drama The Incorrigible. There are differences that make it impossible to consider it a direct sequel – Yamauchi plays a character with a different name, for one – but the similarities are plentiful enough for fans of either film to make a connection if they like.
The Incorrigible was a rather dark story about a bastard who didn’t fit in and clashed with not only his elders but also the rising fascism in the student body. Born Under Crossed Stars takes place during the same period when ultra-conservatism was beginning to become dangerous in Japan. However, its intent is not to rage against the world but rather to laugh at it. Born Under Crossed Stars is a strange little movie. It’s a horny teen romance dramedy set on a backdrop of a nation in a state of transition. You don’t see that every day.
Ken Yamauchi plays a teen named Jukichi Suzuki this time around (the last name of Suzuki forces one to wonder if this was not only a semi-autobiographical tale about author Toko Kon’s life but also director Seijun Suzuki’s. But this may be me digging where I shouldn’t be). Jukichi, like the Yamauchi’s character from The Incorrigible, doesn’t quite fit in. He’s a big fan of foreign novelists and spends his after-school time delivering milk to his small town. We learned from The Incorrigible that books were considered controversial in 1920’s Japan, but now we learn that so was milk. Seriously, milk. It’s my understanding that Japan (and presumably other nations) were not into milk at the time and that the rapid modernization/westernization of the Taisho period encouraged Japanese citizens to give cow milk a try (I’m lactose intolerant, so I say they were doing things the right way before all those Western milkmen showed up and started cramming unwanted phlegm water in everybody’s faces).
Jukichi gets in a shoving match with his friend Yoshio after he catches the dude making out in public with Taneko (Yumiko Nogawa). Yoshio doesn’t appreciate it and he’s like, damn you Jukichi, don’t deliver milk to our house anymore. But this gets complicated when Yoshio’s sister Suzuko (Masako Izumi) confronts Jukichi and asks why her family’s not getting milk deliveries anymore. High and mighty Jukichi explains it’s because of her brother. “The truth is, milk’s too good for someone of his low morals!” is a real line from the film.
And it was at this point where I scratched my head, uncertain of whether this was a comedy or a drama or… what. The scene where Jukichi explains why Yoshio is not good enough for milk is done with a straight face. Very melodramatic. But it’s so absurd and laughable. And then, at points where I obviously was meant to laugh (the cast is full of weirdo supporting characters), I usually just stared blankly at the screen. The film is too manic for my tastes.
Much of the story is about Jukichi trying to choose between the proper girl-next-door in Suzuko and the flirtatious naughty girl Taneko (the same girl he caught his former friend Yoshio making out with). There’s some good stuff here, even if it’s surrounded by nonsense. But this central plot gets derailed in the final act after a feud with a yakuza enters the story. Jukichi takes a violent turn in these later moments, and though he is forced to face the consequences for his actions, the lesson he takes from it (and thus, the lesson the film wishes to impart) doesn’t register as honest to me.
I enjoyed Ken Yamauchi’s work in The Incorrigible more. Jukichi is less of an ass, but he’s not very interesting to me. The film’s best moments come from the little asides featuring the supporting cast. Yumiko Nogawa (Gate of Flesh) is the film’s most compelling character in Taneko, who portrays youthful desire with a devilish grin but also is capable of being wounded by the men she courts. I also enjoyed Masako Izumi (Tattooed Life) as her well-mannered rival. Masao Mishima (Pigs and Battleships) has a great role as a hypocritical Buddhist monk. The dairy farmer who employs Jukichi (I’m unaware of the actor’s name) is also fun. He spent a year in America and feels the need to remind everyone slacking on the job that “that’s not the Texas Way!”
Director Seijun Suzuki shows some interesting visual flourishes. The film is edited in the style of a Jean-Luc Godard comedy. It’s playful. But again, the film’s frenzied script made it difficult for me to like.
About this release: I’ve come to think of this Arrow box set of Seijun Suzuki’s ‘Youth Movies’ as a fancy Eclipse series set. Eclipse is a series of box sets put out by Criterion either focusing on masterpieces by overlooked artists or minor films by celebrated masters. I can’t help but see these five films (The Boy Who Came Back, The Wind-of-Youth Group Crosses the Mountain Pass, Teenage Yakuza, The Incorrigible, and Born Under Crossed Stars) as minor Suzuki films. Even so, it might have actually enhanced my appreciation for Suzuki, because it showcased his range as a storyteller. The limited edition set, which is quickly selling out, features a new commentary on Born Under Crossed Stars by Japanese film historian Jasper Sharp, a short video on the five films by critic Tony Rayn and a 60-page booklet.
Kelly Warner’s Rating 6/10
Great review to round off the set Kyle.
& I’ll tell you someone else who has trouble with the “phlegm water”….Jack Devlin!
I never knew I had so much in common with Dolph before! DOLPH, WE ARE LIKE BROTHERS, YOU AND I. But seriously, that trailer was kind of awesome? I still haven’t seen BlackJack. Man, I miss when the name John Woo used to be a selling point for a movie, even in the States.