School in the Crosshairs (1981) [Film Review]

School in the Crosshairs; or, All of Us Are Aliens
     Stars...you can see so many stars in this universe.
Welcome to the concluding part of my journey through Nobuhiko Obayashi’s Kadokawa productions, which were recently released by Third Window Films. I realise that School in the Crosshairs is chronologically the first movie which Obayashi made for the idol-centered studio, but I saved this review for the last course because it is my least favourite one of the bunch. Without further ado, let’s jump into the discussion.

Release Info

Directed by: Nobuhiko Obayashi Starring: Hiroko Yakushimaru, Masami Hasegawa, Toru Minegishi

Language: Japanese Original Title: ねらわれた学園 Runtime: 90 min

Synopsis
Yuka Mitamura (Hiroko Yakushimaru) is a middle school student who suddenly discovers that has psychic powers. Nevertheless, another girl called Takamizawa (Masami Hasegawa), obviously being under the influence of a mysterious intergalactic being, also displays psychic abilities, and uses them to impose a military regimen at school. Yuka stands in defence of oppressed students, and humanity on the whole. She has to face off against a villainous creature from Venus known as Kyogoku (Toru Minegishi).

The Psychic Club
Allow me to clarify right off the bat that I consider School in the Crosshairs to be my least favourite Obayashi movie made for Kadokawa, but it does not mean I dislike it. Given the circumstances, the budget, the idol cast, and the source material (a novel by Taku Mayumura), the director gave his best effort to make a fantasy movie, which touches upon some very important themes.

The problem with School in the Crosshairs is that the pacing is erratic and the themes in question are not entirely fleshed out. The alien invasion, which subsequently results in a radical change of school life, echoes Obayashi’s own childhood during World War II, when he was constantly indoctrinated by imperialist propaganda about the might of the Japanese Empire. Interestingly, Mitamura and her colleagues’ personal struggles at school can serve as a metaphor for the so-called “juken jikoku” phenomenon; that is, “exam hell” in Japan.

Needless to say, Obayashi deeply criticises in his story the herd mentality and favours independent action. This culminates in the bombastic finale filled with outstanding visual extravaganza, in the course of which Mitamura single-handedly fights off against an alien invader who turned her friends into mindless drones. The heroine manifests her objection against not only brainwashing, but also the modern conditioning of students to blindly follow authority and the educational system.

Consequently, I appreciate the messages which Obayashi tried to convey in this motion picture, but these are unfortunately hidden under layers of composite shots and rotoscope animation, which to date make an impression on the Western enthusiasts of Japanese Cinema, but also steal away that antiwar sentiment which Obayashi was so keen on putting in his movies since House (1977).

With regard to performances, School in the Crosshairs marks the first (and the last) time when Obayashi worked with the idol gem of Kadokawa studio: Hiroko Yakushimaru (before her big breakthrough with Sailor Suit and Machine Gun). Hiroko does a great job as the female lead, and I dare to say that she would have been a better fit to play the heroine in The Island Closest to Heaven than Tomoyo Harada. (Interestingly, Harada played Yakushimaru's part in FujiTV's drama adaptation of School in the Crosshairs). Ryoichi Takayanagi’s appearance as the love interest is a given because this is in a Kadokawa movie after all, and the actor is just there, nothing more, nothing less. However, my words of praise go to Masami Hasegawa for playing the villainous student, and the always-wonderful Toru Minegishi for appearing as the boss villain.

Recommendations
All things considered, if you want to experience a bizarre mash-up of teenage romance and fantasy, then I recommend School in the Crosshairs. The Third Window release has such bonus features as an original theatrical trailer, selected audio commentary by Aaron Gerrow, and translation notes by Owen Baron.

Overall score: 7/10

«Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us»