Zeus

Crazed Fruit (1956)

• Director
  • Kô Nakahira
• Writer
  • Shintarô Ishihara
• Stars
  • Yûjirô Ishihara
  • Masahiko Tsugawa
  • Mie Kitahara

  In this powerful drama with comic undertones from Japan, a lazy summer by the beach develops a sinister undercurrent when two brothers' (Masahiko Tsugawa and Yujiro Ishihara) hedonistic pursuits of alcohol and gambling are interrupted by the arrival of a beautiful young woman, Eri (Mie Kitahara). The younger brother quickly becomes infatuated with the girl, but the older brother also develops an attraction to her, and becomes determined to take her away -- even after learning she's already married. Controversial upon initial release for its portrayal of delinquent Japanese youth, Kurutta Kajitsu (also known as Crazed Fruit and Juvenile Jungle) has since been acknowledged as a trailblazing work in the Japanese "taiyozoku" (sun tribe) subgenre; it was the first feature for celebrated filmmaker Ko Nakahira.