Kô Nakahira's Crazed Fruit (1956) is one of the most famous and important "Sun Tribe" films. The nickname, Sun Tribe, refers to the film's young characters who spend their days by sunbathing, swimming, drinking and having sex. Crazed Fruit concentrates on two brothers, Natsuhista and Haruji, who fall for the same woman. Gradually they discover that she is not what they believe her to be.
The story is baffling - in a bad way. A bunch of weak characters are caught in a wishy-washy tale of obsession and deception. The entire film is based on one conflict that is supposed to be resolved in a climax. However, the way the climax erupts is unexpected and ridiculous. To make things even worse, it seems we are supposed to care for the innocent brother (his innocence is emphasized throughout the film) yet I felt only indifference towards him. The film's storytelling is either heavy-handed or completely lost in its "stylish" form.
This film is a great example of style being more important than substance - at least that is the result. The first half of the film is spent with gloriously stylish cinematography and editing which certainly fits to the carefree lifestyle that is portrayed. The form becomes problematic when the story becomes more intense because it sticks to the same patterns. The shallow and joyful form takes out all the possible tension from the later half. Now that's problem because the film is built around the conflict and if it isn't tense at all, the film has failed at some point.
Ultimately, Crazed Fruit is a film with a decent first half and disastrous second half. I wouldn't advise against watching the film - especially if you're interested in Japanese cinema - but it certainly isn't a good film.
Score: 4 out of 10
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