Crows Zero (2007)

Alma Mater of Badasses

Directed by Takeshi Miike, Crows Zero is an adaptation of the manga Crows by Hiroshi Takahasi. Crows is the original delinquent manga surrounding a group of high schoolers attending Suzuran, the School of Crows. Suzuran "achieved" this moniker as only the worst of the worst students attend this school. In addition to battling it out to see who will be the best, the students of Suzuran also run afoul of gangs, other schools, and even yakuza trying to move in on their turf. Crows Zero is a faithful adaptation of the manga but it also has its own unique qualities which helps it stand on its own original story.

The King of Suzuran has a nice ring to it.

Crows Zero follows Genji Takaya, the son of a yakuza boss who enters Suzuran on a bet with his father. Genji's father will hand him control of the organization if Genji can do what no one has ever done before; dominate Suzuran. The school is filled to the brim with badass guys from all over the prefecture, including a third year named Tamao Serizawa who very nearly has the entire school under his fist. In his quest to dominate Suzuran, Genji is going to have to learn how to cooperate with others, contend with deadly rivals, and steer clear of Tamao's traps and dirty tactics, but all that is only half the battle. If Genji wants to take Suzuran he'll need an entire army.

Chasing the elusive mayfly of love.

Crows Zero is one of those rare films that does a brilliant job of exploring all those cinematic mainstays: plot, acting, music, character development, and action. The actors in this movie all do a spectacular job at portraying their characters and conveying both the verbal and nonverbal emotional atmosphere of any given scene. This is a school of badasses and sure you'll have the cliche nonverbals such as characters posturing, walking around with their hands in their pockets, and so forth, but the actors here have such range that they're able to emote with their eyes and facial expressions as well.

GPS

While Genji is the main character, there are also other major players in this film with whom he shares the spotlight. However, it never feels like someone is getting too much or too little screen-time. Also, the pacing of Crows Zero is very well-done. The film uses its two hour run time (give or take) to provide enough character development and help the viewer grasp how these characters relate to one another and the world around them.

Class is in session.

The relationship between Genji and Ken is one of heart and writing brilliance. Being a high school delinquent, Genji is a kid who doesn't respect authority of any kind and he certainly isn't on good terms with his father. Oddly enough, Genji finds in Ken a mentor and perhaps a father figure, in part because Ken understands Genji's dream as he once reached for a similar goal. Ken sees Genji not only a young man who needs guidance, but he sees that Genji has a certain quality few leaders have and he really wants the kid to succeed. The two have a believable, at times hilarious, and in some way heartwarming student-teacher relationship that is tested throughout the film.

The Armored Front AKA Things Got Real

Genji also builds relationships with other characters and it's interesting how he changes some of them. Some of Genji's allies want to see what he's capable of while others just want to crush Tamao Serizawa. Then there are those who truly believe in Genji and want to help him achieve his goals.

Music is done courtesy of The Street Beats who some have called Japan's answer to The Rolling Stones. Crows Zero was my first encounter with this band and the theme song for the movie "I Wanna Change" had me blasting my surround sound and dusting off my air guitar. "I Wanna Change" is the perfect theme song because it sets up every characters motivation for the entire film. It also speaks of the burden and the uncertainty in the lives of these young men, young men whose wings have been burned yet they still want to fly and they'll never stop aiming for the top. Even if society gives up on them they fight and they struggle because they can't afford to give up on themselves.

The Challenger

And this is a key part of the direction as well because when you compare to Crows Zero to the original work Crows, on the surface it would appear that Suzuran is the only thing connecting the two. However, all the themes in Crows are here. The drive to get to the top, the passion of youths who choose to go down the road of life at full speed, and how a person can be driven to fly even after their wings have been broken. We're looking at an adaptation that is faithful not only to the small details of the original work, but the spirit of the original work as well.

The Champ

Whether we're dealing with manga or film, works of this genre are about drama, manly tears, comedy, and lots of people getting their asses beat. Crows Zero delivers in dividends. These are either very coordinated actors or very good stuntmen because you see people getting kicked through doors, thrown out of windows, tossed in fire, and whatever else a street fight might demand. While the sound effects clearly exaggerate the impact of the punches, it's not done in an overly intrusive kind of way, but merely drives home the point these characters are in some brutal fights.

The Boss of Japan sounds so much better.

What's great is that while there is a lot of fighting in this movie, it's never graphic and it never takes precedence over the plot or character development. Everything in this movie is just so balanced. There are also several reveals and plot-twists and some took even me by surprise. I've been watching movies a long time and it's always refreshing when you see a film that shows you something different. I highly recommend Crows Zero to anyone looking for a great movie you can watch over and over again.