Crazed Fruit (1956)

 Ko Nakahira's "Crazed Fruit"

Much like how "Rebel Without a Cause" ushered in a fresh perspective on the  youth culture of America, a genre known as the 'Sun Tribe' sprung up in Japan, centering on the troubled youth of the post-war culture. The 1950s were evidently a period of intense social upheaval in Japan, and the sprawling success of Japanese cinema was able to tap into this frustrating period. With the 'Sun Tribe' films, audiences were introduced to a new, troubling perspective that completely shook the older generations to their core. 

The films of the 'Sun Tribe' demonstrated a moral panic that Japanese youth were being sent into. After the devastation of the war, existential nihilism took root in younger cultures, cultivating through teenagers and young adults who completely disregarded the traditional morals of their elders in favor of consumerism, sexual liberty, and self-satisfaction. The older generations of Japan saw these behaviors as a moral panic. However, the younger generations that were able to fund their nihilistic lifestyle were the children of pre-war aristocratic families. These wealthy, rebellious teenagers were given the name 'Sun Tribe' to refer to their propensity to laze about on the beach under the sun. 

One of the most significant films that was able to capture this 'Sun Tribe' phenomenon was Ko Nakahira's 1956 film "Crazed Fruit." The film centers on two brothers who spend a summer galivanting with their friends: going to clubs, having sex with girls, and living in complete abandon of any responsibilities. One day, the pair meet  Eri, a married girl who decides to have an affair with both boys, unbeknownst to the more sincere brother. 

"Crazed Fruit" perfectly encapsulated the post-war youth sentiment of nihilistic abandon. The teenagers in the film spend their days drinking, beaching, smoking, listening to jazz, and rejecting all social norms of traditional Japanese society. What was even more shocking to the older generations was just how hypersexualized and prone to violence this youth culture was. This is precisely the reason for the panic over a collapse in morality. 

What was even more insulting to the older generations was the younger generations' purposeful turn towards American consumer culture. The complete embrace of empty consumer culture that was propagated by their wartime enemy and current occupiers felt like a slap in the face. The cultural tides were shifting, causing the entirety of Japan an identity crisis. 

Films like "Crazed Fruit" that centered on this youth culture, specifically the 'Sun Tribe,' illustrated the growing rebellion of traditional Japanese values and identity. The revelry in consumerism, in sex and violence, and in a disregard to values were a growing subculture that was upending modern Japan. "Crazed Fruit" may feel like a rebellious in nature, but it offered some semblance of understanding for the youth it portrayed. A new generation felt 'seen' through these 'Sun Tribe' films, nihilistic abandon and all.

The way in which Ko Nakahira shot "Crazed Fruit" mirrored its reckless abandon of its main youthful characters. The film was shot in a matter of weeks, after being adapted from the novel of the same name by Shintaro Ishihara, whom wrote many of the 'Sun Tribe' novels. The raw, choppy editing of the film symbolized its themes and characters. Nakahira was unafraid of sexual overtones and suggestive imagery, which wasn't typically the standard for Japanese cinema. "Crazed Fruit," like its youth, was rebellious in and of itself.

Sure, the United States had similar problems with a nihilistic youth culture that used their newfound middle-class excess to live lives of consumerism and hedonism. This was visualized through films like "Rebel Without a Cause." But, for Japan, it was "Crazed Fruit" that was the foundational piece of cinema for an entire youth culture that felt abandoned by tradition, values, and honor. What good had tradition, value, and honor done in the face of total destruction? "Crazed Fruit" is a glimpse into the psyche of a generation let down by their elders and left in the sun to stew in their own restlessness and reckless abandon.