Detonation Violent Riders!
directed by Teruo Ishii
starring Sonny Chiba, Junko Matsudaira, Tomoko Ai
88 Films
Roaring onto screens amidst economic and cultural upheaval in mid 1970’s Japan, Detonation! Violent Riders struck a chord and kicked off a cycle (pun intended) of biker films in Japan including three sequels to Detonation! Violent Riders. Although the biker film was a staple of American drive-in movies for decades, they were never done at this scale. Eschewing the dusty backroads and small towns, Teruo Ishii set and shot his film on the streets and highways of modern day Tokyo and then populated the film with actual motorcycle gangs to give the film added realism, and causing production nightmares as the gang members didn’t much care for each other or what anyone involved in the production had to say. The result of the barely contained chaos equated to absolute visual adrenaline as the film absolutely crackles with energy. Tension abounds both in the insane stunt work (professional and amateur) and the story which is heavy on tropes, but with relatable and sympathetic characters to give the whole affair some welcome gravitas.
Iwaki (Koichi Iwaki) is a motorcycle mechanic who dreams of racing on the pro-circuit until he is seduced into the biker gang life. Uneasy is the head who wears the crown, and Iwaki’s chill band of riders is soon drawn into conflict with the ultra violent Hell Dogs gang, who rock nazi symbols and huff gas. He is also torn between two women, Mayumi (Junko Matsudaira) and Michiko (Tomoko Ai). Mayumi represents the dark path and Michiko the light, as Iwaki struggles with the choice between his gang brethren and following his dreams of legitimate bike racing. Further complicating things are Mitsuda (Yusuke Natsu), the Hell Dogs’ leader who wants Michiko for himself, and Michiko’s over-protective brother, former pro-racer Tsugami (Sonny Chiba). Since this is a biker flick, you know it’s going to end with a violent and tragic conflagration.
I thought this was going to be a rough ride. Detonation! Violent Riders features one of my least favorite sub-genres of film, the biker movie, helmed by one of my favorite directors Teruo Ishii (Horrors of Malformed Men, 1969). With two strong opposing forces at work, who was going to come out on top? Surprisingly Teruo Ishii’s take on counterculture bike gangs won me over thanks to appealing lead actors, Ishii’s unconventional directing style, and a dash of a badass and bearded Sonny Chiba. Despite all the chrome and leather, the film at its core is just a samurai tale in modern dress, the same way that the American biker film is an analog for the cowboys of the old West. What sets this film apart is the charisma of its leads and the anarchic style of its director.
Starting with a blu-ray transfer that does an admirable job keeping the guerilla style night shoots watchable (even if the grain gets explosive at points) 88 Films has also augmented their release of Detonation! Violent Riders with a video essay by Nathan Stuart and an audio commentary from Ashley Darrow and Jonathan Greenaway of the Horror Vanguard podcast, all wrapped up in stunning packaging art by Ilan Sheady.
