With a film like “Kichiku,” you have to wonder if its political and social commentary were intentionally wrapped into a nice package of gore, or if its extreme gore was sprinkled with the slightest touch of political and social commentary. Which came first: the intention and message of the film, or the mind-numbing violence? Rest assured, all the violence was done for the sake of art.

I could ramble on and on about the irony of these group of kids. I could also ramble on and on about the archetypes each characters adopts. But I know that the only reason that you are even considering to see this movie is for the infamous gore. You don’t want to hear about the political and social undertones of this film, you want to hear about the gut-busting gore. So for you short-spanned, reading-loathing curiosity seekers, I’ll provide you with what you want to hear.

The gore is, for the lack of a better phrase, ass-hazing-mind-destroying violent.

Although the violence is kicked up to 11, the actual acts aren’t all-too-new. Aside from the female genital and firearm scene, the actual act of slaughtering is pretty tame. You have your typical gunshot to the head, bashing of the head, forced nurturing, gunshot to the gut, samurai sword slashing, etc. Yes they may not be original, but the special effects will coward you into a region of your mind empty of this humanity-corrupting filth. If you are all about the ultra violence, then I recommend this film to you. The price you have to pay is a slow first half devoted to tension development before the roller-coaster ride kicks you into high gear for the rest of the film. Trust me, I’ve seen my fair share of sickening gore and this baby is the next best thing to real snuff. It’s like a “Guinea Pig” film with a brain and up-to-date special effects.

Now, on to the latent meaning in this film!

This films message is more so directed at Japanese society rather than the whole. Sure, some of it can be universal, like how human-beings will always resort to some sort of leadership and order when detached from society itself. But this new order will crumble within time because of the human niche for resorting to chaos and barbaric standards when removed from the set society. Aside from this, the message, from what I am told, not only depicts the environment of Japan in the 70’s, but also sets a mirror to catch all the hidden emotional turmoil in current Japanese society now. The film assigns a static personality to each character with unaffecting dialogue, but when all the pieces are put against the right backdrop, the simple lines and gestures made by these characters suddenly take on a whole different meaning. Rather than give a traditional story where there is a beginning, conflict, climax, and resolution, this film takes its time to introduce its characters informally and then throws them into three events that will forever change their lives. 

At the end of the movie, I wasn’t really knocked out by the incredible amount of gore in this film, but the method in which it conveyed its message. After the encounter of the “second party,” the dialogue ceases and the final act of the film remains pretty much empty of dialogue. But like the clichéd terms says, a picture can speak a thousand words. The one prop that haunts the frames of the final act is the torn up and busted Japanese flag. The message is clear and delivered with ferociousness. It is in these moments that you suddenly feel that you are watching a film about the hopelessness of people, rather than just another gore film.

“Kichiku” really is a breath-taking film. Some people may dismiss this as another exploitation film with a simple message that tries to vindicate itself from what it truly is. Others will find a sincere look into an issue the director feels strongly about and executed with precision and genius. But regardless of what others say, this is a film not to be missed.