Rika is back in...
Konketsuji Rika: Hitoriyuku Sasuraitabi!
After the successful
Konketsuji Rika, Rika Aoki, Kaneto Shindo (Director/Writer of
Onibaba), and Ko Nakahira teamed up again
. Only this time, things were a bit different.
Since the first film, Rika has been caught again and thrown back into the Aiyu Reform School. She swiftly makes an escape with Junko's help. A young woman has a lead of what happened to Hanako, but she's killed before relaying it. All Rika knows is that Hanako is in Misawa, in the snowy north. On the way, a mysterious man follows her there. He's Hachiro, the police chief's nephew. The local Yakuza gangs, the Shimamura and the Ibanagi, destroyed a ship to cover up their drug trade with the corrupt Americans led by George (a club owner). Hanako was a survivor of the explosion. She pretended to be crazy to protect herself from the Yakuza and George's gang. Rika and Hachiro storm George's home, killing everyone.
The film's writer, Shindo, took the first film and inverted the formula.
Lonely Wanderer takes Rika out of her sunny Yokohama home into the cold, snow-covered Misawa. She's not the well-known Sukeban (Delinquent girl gang boss, not the film series with Reiko Oshida) in Misawa. She is the new mysterious stranger a la 'Woman With No Name' that wanders into town. The difference this time is, we know exactly who the mysterious stranger is. The town is the true mysterious stranger in this case. There is no rival female gang to convert to her side. There is no backup to help. There is no Junko or Junko-esque figure. Hachiro is her only ally besides Hanako.
There are shades of
Yojimbo and
Red Harvest in the general plot. A woman shakes up the corrupt status quo by asking a few too many questions. A woman dressed in excessively gaudy clothes (including a full length cape in the same glorious design as her mini skirt and top) who dares to step out of line. She's just as tough, aggressive, and direct as before. However, the powers at hand are not as grizzly or threatening as the first film. George is just a bearded white guy with nothing threatening bout him. He's a club owner to blend in but it seems he cares far more about his business than illegal activity. There are 2 truly unnerving moments with him towards at the end but too little too late.
The other main villains are Yukie of the Shimamuras and Tanaka of the Ibanagis. Tanaka is a small town version of the bosses in the first film. Yukie is the opposite of Rika - older, dressed conservatively and traditional, actively works with the patriarchy selling out other women, and most importantly rich. You'd think that she would be revealed to be the main villain or convert to Rika's side but nope. Yukie and Rika briefly meet once and that's it, a complete missed opportunity.
Lonely Wanderer doesn't quite live up to the prior film. The approach to invert everything the first film was is an interesting but never goes far enough. This is a much easier pill to swallow for someone not used to pinky violence. There is a huge dip in onscreen sexual assault and rape. Thankfully, Shindo and Nakahira, didn't use it gratuitously or at all really. However, there is the character Kazumi. She is transgender but still has a penis. Kazumi lives life as a woman, which is perfectly fine. At one point, she and Rika are attacked by George's men who try to rape them. Kazumi is overpowered but they notice her penis. Suddenly it shifts from sexual terror to intended comedy. The rapists are scared off by her alleged horse cock. Kazumi starts trying to kiss them and the gay panic completely frightens them. It's...a real mixed bag. The homophobia is turned around on its head but using it as a joke feels out of place and awkward.
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| Rika has a plan. |
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| Hachiro Responds |
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| Rika Replies |
If you really dug the first
Rika, watch it. This should not be your first
Rika film. There are some great moments and crazy sequences but it's not quite the same. It's the low point for the series.
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