The Vintagent Classics: The films that inspired us.
HIS MOTORBIKE, HER ISLAND (1986)
Run Time: 1:30:00
Producer: Kadokawa Haruki Jimusho
Director: Nobuhiko Ôbayashi
Writer: Yoshio KataokaI, kuo Sekimoto
Key Cast: Kiwako Harada, Noriko Watanabe, Riki Takeuchi
FILM MAKERS
His Motorbike, Her Island (彼のオートバイ、彼女の島, Kare no ōtobai, kanojo no shima) is a 1986 Japanese romance film directed by Nobuhiko Obayashi, based on a 1977 novel by Yoshio Kataoka. Produced by Kadokawa Haruki Jimusho, the film stars Kiwako Harada, Riki Takeuchi, Noriko Watanabe and Tomokazu Miura. Takeuchi, in his acting debut, plays a motorbike enthusiast who falls in love with a young woman (Harada) after teaching her how to ride. The film frequently switches between black-and-white and color photography.
His Motorbike, Her Island won three awards at the 8th Yokohama Film Festival, including Best Supporting Actress for Watanabe and 3rd Best Film.
SUMMARY
After a failed romance, a temperamental young biker meets a carefree rural girl while riding through her island hometown and gets her obsessed about riding a motorcycle.
James Balmont of Another Magazine cited His Motorbike, Her Island as an example of a film with a relatively sympathetic view towards bōsōzoku, a Japanese youth subculture associated with motorcycles. Balmont describes Koh’s Kawasaki motorbike as “more of a symbol for freedom than anarchy”, and writes: “From the opening shots, in which the camera fetishises the bike chassis in close-up as the engine gently purrs and rumbles, the bike is a beloved object that brings Koh in touch with the resplendent natural surroundings of Japan’s countryside as well as stoking a blossoming romance.”
RELATED MEDIA
Watch the full film with English subtitles on RareFilmm, the cave of forgotten film.
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Hmmm … its … ok .. but if its supposed to be portraying the Bosozoku in the 1980’s they missed the mark by a good 1000 kilometers . e.g. The bikes are all wrong .. the clothing is all wrong .. and their general behavior is completely wrong .. especially for the 1980’s
So once again we have a case of WRONG WRONG WRONG
And the stunts ? Pathetic .. especially by Japanese film standards
Just as an aside .. though the subtitles are helpful … there are errors galore !
But like I said … it aint terrible … it aint bad .. and if you’ve got the time to waste … its worth a watch despite all its shortcomings
As for the music though ? Beyond pathetic … especially if this is supposed to be portraying Bosozoku culture … mid level Japanese pop fluff … which aint what them folks was or are listening to
Finally came up with the perfect description of this film anyone of a certain age will understand
Think Eddie Haskel ( Leave it to Beaver ) meets My Little Margie trying to imitate Easy Rider . With a barely tolerable soundtrack .. and way too much MA ( Zen term for space ) and far too little script or action
But … like I said .. if ya gots the 90 minutes ta kill … give it a go … its … hmm … worth it .. kind of ..
😎
Nothing boso about this movie at all. Not even kaminari-zoku. The boy must have been a rich kid to afford not so much the bike, but to get his oogata “heavy motorcycle” license.
Boy buys Kawasaki W3 650, takes girl for ride.
Girl says she want to ride too now.
Boy slaps girl.
Girl buys Honda CB400/4 anyway.
Everyone lives happily ever after?
That, apart from a couple of wet t-shirt scene, is that it?
I’ll say what it doesn’t show is a) how impossibly hot Japan is to ride in leathers for 3 seasons a year, and b) how impossibly dark Japan gets in the evenings/countryside making it impossible to ride more than 30mph, especially given the concrete ‘tank trap’ open drainage it uses along side every road. Damn shame really, they have such fantastic road surfaces and cambers … but over-shoot a corner, and you’re dead. No sliding off into the dirt.