Burst City main backdrop
Burst City main poster

Burst City

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6.1/10 • 28

1982-04-091h 55m

ActionMusicScience Fiction

Attention!!

Set in a barren, futuristic Tokyo of highways and wastelands, a rowdy group of punk bands and their fans gather to protest slow, boring, Japanese living.

Directors
Gakuryu Ishii
Editors
Gakuryu Ishii

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Takanori Jinnai

    Takanori Jinnai

    Command Sasaki

  2. Shigeru Izumiya

    Shigeru Izumiya

    Kuronuma

  3. Kou Machida

    Kou Machida

    Mad Brother

  4. Shigeru Muroi

    Shigeru Muroi

    Speed Killer

  5. Hitomi Tsurukawa

    Hitomi Tsurukawa

    Miracle God's Evil

  6. Shinya Ohe

    Shinya Ohe

    Flying Kazato

  7. Hiromi Hiraguchi

    Hiromi Hiraguchi

    Lolicon Politician

  8. Mayumi Ohbayashi

    Mayumi Ohbayashi

    Blue

  9. Ken Yoshizawa

    Ken Yoshizawa

    Kirishima

Reviews1

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Walruse Avatar

Walruse

Jan 5, 2018

9/10

Burst City from 1982 is a punk rock operetta with the polemic stance that is essential for the anarchist strains of punk traditions. Sogo Ishii relies upon and extends punk rock aesthetics to a convincing gesamtkunstwerk that interestingly sits very well between the post-apocalypse of the time and the cyberpunk that is yet to come. But most of all, I'd say Burst City is a war movie. A war movie where the trenches have been exchanged for a dystopic industrial slum and the main weapons are words, clubs and guitars. The anti-hero protagonists are the dynamic constellations of punk rockers, greasers and local underdog gangsters (assisted by travelling armored warriors in a motorized chariot) that have to put their infighting on hold. They are opposing not only the regular harassment of the "Battle Police" but also the approaching forces of the yakuza affiliated developers that are going to replace the neighbourhood with a nuclear powerplant. It is a David against Goliath battle and also one of anti-authoritarianism and non-conformity against gentrification and corruption that follows with normative society. The basso continuo is the relentless beating of the punk rock war drums and the libretto is emotive rather than narrative, again fully in line with the punk rock culture. Two hours long and an early movie by the then 25 year old Sogo Ishii but there is barely a slow moment as the narrative keeps pushing toward the explosive ending. With a refresher in post production it could pass as fresh out of the furnace. Highly recommended.

Media

  • Burst City poster
  • Burst City poster
  • Burst City poster
  • Burst City poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
Japanese
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
punk rockbikercyberpunk