THE WARPED ONES

I was totally unfamiliar with THE WARPED ONES, a 1960 Japanese film, until it recently showed up on TCM. It sounded interesting so I recorded it and watched it this afternoon. 

Wow.

THE WARPED ONES is a head on collision between the visual styles of the then current French New Wave, with every frame of the film full to bursting with frenetic, hand held camerawork, dizzying, disorienting shots, abrupt jump cuts and edits, freeze frames and more. It's a veritable encyclopedia of mid-century cutting edge, Avant Garde film styles.

What all of those eye popping visuals collide with is an incessant musical score of West Coast American jazz. Jazz music is heard throughout the film, both in a way cool, multi leveled Tokyo jazz club where black American jazz musicians are revered as gods to the soundtrack in general. The few times classical, European music is heard, the effect is jarring, after being sonically assaulted by the propulsive, never-ending jazz. 

The camera and the score become characters in the film which follows the activities of Akira (Tamio Kawachi), a street punk with no future. He's thrown in jail at the beginning of the film due to the interference of a reporter named Kashiwagi (Hiroyuki Nagato). Akira is released from jail in the company of Masaru (Eiji Go), another two-bit hood and the two of them are joined by Akira's prostitute girlfriend Yuki (Yuko Chishiro). 

The unholy trio roams the streets of Tokyo like wild animals on the prowl. They constantly scream and howl in their search for kicks. They steal a car and, while driving on the beach, spot Kashiwagi and his girlfriend Fumiko (Noriko Matsumoto). They kidnap Fumiko, whom Akira then rapes, an act which sets in motion an inevitable downward spiral for all of the characters. 

To detail more would only spoil the surprises, twists and turns to come but suffice it to say that THE WARPED ONES truly lives up to its' name with an ending that is saturated with soul crushing, nihilistic irony.

THE WARPED ONES was part of a cycle in Japanese cinema known as "Sun Tribe" films. They are basically juvenile delinquent stories and while I have yet to see any more of these types of film, I doubt any of them are as deliriously intoxicating as THE WARPED ONES. 

The film was successful in Japan but it didn't' reach American screens until 1963, under the extremely misleading title THE WEIRD LOVEMAKERS. No doubt members of the raincoat brigade who ponied up a couple of bucks to see it in a 42nd  Street grindhouse were extremely disappointed. 

Kudos to director Koreyoshi Kurahara, cinematographer Yoshio Mamiya, composer Toshiro Mayuzumi and the nameless genius who designed the Saul Bass inspired title credits. 

THE WARPED ONES is not a film for everyone. It's populated by unlikeable people doing very bad things and there's' not a glimmer of redemption to be seen. But if you're in the mood for something different, something challenging and daring, THE WARPED ONES is an absolute must see film. 

Highest recommendation.