Jisatsu sâkuru (2001)

Director:

Shion Sono

Writer:

Shion Sono (written by)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Suicide | Platform | Train | Police | Subway

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

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 Miyagawa	...	H.S. Girl on the Roof

Also Known As:

Suicide Circle (International: English title) (literal title) (Japan: English title) (poster title)
Suicide Club (International: English title) (USA) (festival title)

MPAA:

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

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:R18 | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Japan:R-15 | Argentina:16 | Singapore:R21 | Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Company:

Omega Project

Trivia:

"Mail Me", the catchy song that can be heard throughout many scenes, is actually a "Dezaato" cover of "Mail Me" by Haruko Momoi.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: 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.

Quotes:

Detective Toshiharu Kuroda: They're not the enemy.

Movie Connections:

References Procès de Jeanne d'Arc (1962)

Soundtrack:

Pazuru

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.