The Bullet Train (1975) [Film Review]

The Bullet Train; or, The Bombastic Shinkansen Express!

Disaster films are a wonderful genre. You get “race against time” plot line, one dimensional heroes, damsels (and children!) in distress, a pretentious and a bit too loud score, but also massive destruction of biblical proportions (providing that the budget was sufficient). Needless to say, The Bullet Train delivers all of these things and yet manages to surprise...

Release Info

Directed by: Jun'ya Satō Starring: Ken Takakura, Sonny Chiba, Ken Utsui
Language: Japanese Original Title: Shinkansen Daibakuha Runtime: 152 min

Synopsis

It is just another day on the grand Tokyo Railway Station. Passengers take their seats and Shinkansen Express Hikari 109 to Hakata begins its swift and comfortable journey. However, shortly after the train’s departure, the security office receives a phone call. A mysterious caller tells them that a bomb has been placed on board Hikari 109 and it will go off as soon as the train slows down to 80 km/h. In consequence, Shinkansen is riding through Japan without the ability to stop, whereas the authorities rush to catch the bomber.

A superior version of Speed

Yes, believe it or not, but The Bullet Train served as an inspiration for the famous Speed (1994) with Keanu Reeves. In addition, I can bet that it also triggered off the production of The Cassandra Crossing (1976) and The Burning Train (1980). Nevertheless, the Japanese original surpasses all of its foreign imitators.

The story is happening on two layers. The first takes place on board of Hikari 109, with its drivers, frightened passengers, and engineers from Shinkansen HQ who are desperately trying to ensure a safe passage of the train and locate the bomb. The second story, much greatly elaborated, is about the bombers. Three ordinary men who became victims of the economic changes in Japan of the 1970s decided to carry out the perfect crime and blackmail the National Railway. The two storylines intertwine with each other, making the motion picture a highly exciting experience.

Playing with conventions

Contrary to other disaster movies, the conspirators are not downright evil. They are anti-heroes who are forced to commit a misdeed, but they do not want to hurt anyone. In fact, due to flashbacks depicting their relationship, the viewers pity them; especially the leader Tetsuo Okita (played by the unforgettable Ken Takakura) who devised the whole scam. At some point, I even caught myself cheering for him and the successful accomplishment of the mission. However, the real wrongdoers in the movie seem to be the authorities.

The deal with the bombers is simple. Pay up the money and in exchange, they will tell the authorities where the bomb on the train is located and how to disarm it, but the police officers are too short-sighted to understand this. They screw up the first handover of cash because they are too busy trying to hunt down and arrest the culprits. Meanwhile, Hikari 109 is rushing at a wild pace to Hakata where the tracks end!

However, the situation on the train is being worked out by two infallible heroes, Commander Kuramochi (Ken Utsui) and a train driver Aoki (epic Sonny Chiba). Whereas Okita is the emotional drive of the film, Kuramochi and Aoki deliver action as Hikari 109 rides through Japan. The real stuff occurs in Shinkansen HQ and the train’s cockpit, with occasional cuts to the passengers who lose their grip.

A Unique Disaster Flick

To sum up, there is a lot of stuff going on, but everything ties in neatly together and is presented in a coherent manner. In addition, the music score sounds quite experimental and very 70's, but it perfectly fits the tone of the picture. Also, the movie is proof that in order to have action you do not need destruction, for there are only two explosions in the whole 150 minutes running time! Just take a look at this breathtaking scene below. You won’t see anything like that in The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009) or Unstoppable (2010)!

Recommendations

I recommend The Bullet Train to anyone who likes disaster films (although not many of these were made in Japan apart from the Kaiju genre). Anyways, it is an awesome classic which will most certainly keep you entertained for two and a half hours. I have to admit that I enjoyed the film so much that I watched it two times in a row.

Overall score: 10/10