School in the Crosshairs
directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi
starring Hiroko Yahushimaru, Ryoichi Takayanagi
Cult Epics
The director of Hausu (1977) is back, and School in the Crosshairs is another deliriously trippy visual feast from Nobuhiko Obayashi.
Yuka has a lot on her plate during her junior year of high school. Not only does she have the responsibility that comes with being the top student in her class, but she also has a crush on the school’s top kendo fighter and has to use her newly acquired telekinetic abilities to fight off an invasion of mind-controlling fascists from outer space.
The film is as wild as it sounds on paper, with director Nobuhiko Obayashi throwing restraint and convention out in favor of an unpredictable narrative and visual sensibility that is always intriguing and enchanting. While it may not be well remembered for its weirdness, as Hausu is, School in the Crosshairs is still a surreal treat with charming manga-style artifice that may take some getting used to. But soon, the color shifts and hand-drawn action squiggles on the page will seem like the perfect choice, and the end result is like a Japanese remake of one of those weird post-Walt, live-action, sci-fi Disney films of the early 1970s (Escape to Witch Mountain, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Freaky Friday et al.).
Beyond the visuals, what is truly commendable about the film is how Nobuhiko Obayashi managed to get everyone involved to hit the perfect tone. The film has broad humor, but it never gets farcical. Everyone, even the arch villains, retains some level of humanity, and the action of the film retains stakes. It never gets too silly or too grim, even when tread-worn gags, like making a dummy to pretend to be studying, are employed. Successfully walking that tonal tightrope is impressive in a film where huge dance numbers can suddenly break out during a school club recruitment fair, and our heroine uses telekinesis to rig the big kendo tournament. It is all ridiculous to be certain, but the film has a heart, capturing real fears and joys of teen life along with a huge dollop of wish fulfillment.
School in the Crosshairs gets a fun Blu-ray release boasting a new 2k scan of the film paired nicely with an audio commentary track from film critic Max Robinson and a visual essay (“Sailor Suits and Sound”) by Phillip Jeffries.
