ActionMusicScience Fiction

Burst City

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.

Release Date : 1982-04-09

Language :Japanese

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Toei Central FilmDynamite Productions

Production Country : Japan

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Command Sasaki

Original Name : 陣内孝則

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kuronuma

Original Name : 泉谷しげる

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mad Brother

Original Name : 町田康

Gender : Male

Character Name : Speed Killer

Original Name : 室井滋

Gender : Female

Character Name : Miracle God's Evil

Original Name : Hitomi Tsurukawa

Gender : Male

Character Name : Flying Kazato

Original Name : Shinya Ohe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lolicon Politician

Original Name : Hiromi Hiraguchi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Blue

Original Name : Mayumi Ohbayashi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kirishima

Original Name : 吉澤健

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kikukawa

Original Name : Umanosuke Ueda

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mad Brother

Original Name : 戸井十月

Gender : Male

Character Name : Speed Killer

Original Name : Masayuki Watanabe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Speed Killer

Original Name : ラサール石井

Gender : Male

Character Name : Speed Killer

Original Name : 小宮孝泰

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mad Stalin

Original Name : 遠藤ミチロウ

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mad Stalin

Original Name : Shintaro Sugiyama

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man with Mechanical Arms

Original Name : 篠原勝之

Gender : Male

Character Name : Eyepatch Man

Original Name : 小水一男

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dread Man

Original Name : 江藤潤

Gender : Male

Character Name : Dread Man

Original Name : 江藤漢斉

Gender : Male

Character Name : Battle Police

Original Name : Saburo Tamura

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kikukawa's Subordinate

Original Name : 和田浩治

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man in Military Uniform

Original Name : ギリヤーク尼ヶ崎

Gender : Male

Character Name : Auto Mechanic

Original Name : 飯島大介

Gender : Male

Character Name : TV Commentator

Original Name : Shinbo Minami

Gender : Male

Character Name : Factory Manager

Original Name : 諏訪太朗

Gender : Male

Character Name : House Guest

Original Name : 手塚眞

Gender : Male

Character Name : Oxygen Cylinder Man

Original Name : 飯田譲治

Gender : Male

Character Name : Woman Singing with a Razor

Original Name : 高橋惠子

Gender : Female

Reviews

Walruse

@EmkEyen

2021-06-23

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.