{{short description|1956 film}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox film | name = Crazed Fruit | image = Kurutta-kajitsu-japanese-movie-poster-md.jpg | caption = | director = Kō Nakahira<br />(as Yasushi Nakahira) | producer = Takiko Mizunoe | writer = Shintaro Ishihara | starring = Masahiko Tsugawa<br />Mie Kitahara<br />Yujiro Ishihara | music = Masaru Sato<br />Tōru Takemitsu | cinematography = Shigeyoshi Mine | editing = | distributor = Nikkatsu | released = {{Film date|1956|07|12|ref1=<ref>''[http://www.jmdb.ne.jp/1956/cf003150.htm Crazed Fruit]'' {{in lang|ja}} at the Japanese Movie Database</ref>}} | runtime = 86 minutes | country = Japan | language = Japanese | budget = }}
{{nihongo|'''''Crazed Fruit'''''|狂った果実|'''''Kurutta kajitsu'''''}}, also known as ''Juvenile Jungle'', is a 1956 Japanese Sun Tribe film directed by Kō Nakahira.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E7%8B%82%E3%81%A3%E3%81%9F%E6%9E%9C%E5%AE%9F-688560|title=狂った果実|website=kotobank|access-date=27 December 2020}}</ref> It is an adaptation of the novel of the same title by Shintaro Ishihara, the older brother of cast member Yujiro Ishihara,<ref>Marc Mohan [http://www.dvdjournal.com/quickreviews/c/crazedfruit_cc.q.shtml "Crazed Fruit: The Criterion Collection"]</ref> and is about two brothers who fall in love with the same woman and the resulting conflict. The film was controversial upon release because of its depiction of Japanese youth.<ref name=All>{{cite web|last1=Deming|first1=Mark|title=Crazed Fruit (1956)|url=https://www.allmovie.com/movie/crazed-fruit-v324594|website=AllMovie|access-date=20 August 2020}}</ref> It later was known as a foundational work of the Sun Tribe genre.<ref name=All/>
==Plot== Haruji, an introverted young man, and his older extroverted brother Natsuhisa arrive by train for a summer at the beach. At the station, Haruji stops and glances at a young woman before boarding. They arrive at their friend Frank's clubhouse, where Haruji constantly thinks about the woman for the next few days. While water skiing, the two brothers notice Eri, who is the same woman swimming in the water. They bring Eri into the sailboat and converse briefly until they bring her to shore.
Haruji arrives at a Kamakura station where he meets Eri again. They decide to see each other the day after tomorrow, in which Haruji teaches her to water ski. Within a few days, Frank holds a party where Haruji brings Eri. There, each brother dances with Eri until Haruji decides to drive off. Haruji parks nearby a beach where he and Eri embrace each other on the shore.
Sometime later, Natsuhisa and Frank arrive at a nightclub with their dates, and identify Eri is dancing with an older American man. Eri leaves the older man, and invites Natsuhisa at a seaside club tomorrow night. At the seaside club, Eri states she is a married woman, but her husband is mostly absent because of his job. Therefore, she has extramarital affairs with other men to occupy herself. Natsuhisa, upon learning of this revelation, begins an affair with Eri and falls in love with her.
One night, Haruji drives Eri to the beach where they embrace each other again. The next morning, Haruji tells his brother about his experience, and plans to go camping with Eri and her school friends. Consumed with jealousy, Natsuhisa arrives at Eri's residence and sleeps with her until Eri tells him to never return. The next day, Natsuhisa reads Eri's letter to Haruji, stating she is arriving a day earlier. Seizing the opportunity, Natsuhisa takes Frank's motorboat to meet Eri across the docks. Haruji later learns about Eri's letter and borrows another motorboat, hoping to catch up with them.
While Natsuhisa and Eri sleep together in the motorboat, Haruji searches for them into nightfall. The next morning, Haruji locates them but he angrily circles their motorboat for several cycles. Eri leaves the motorboat and swims towards Haruji, but he runs over and kills her. Haruji then kills Natsuhisa when he collides the motorboats. Haruji drives away with no remorse.
== Cast == * Masahiko Tsugawa – Haruji * Yujiro Ishihara – Natsuhisa * Mie Kitahara – Eri * Harold Conway – Eri's husband * Masumi Okada – Frank * Shintaro Ishihara – Ishihara
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb title|0160440}} * {{cite book |last=Thompson|first=Nathaniel|title=DVD Delirium: The International Guide to Weird and Wonderful Films on DVD; Volume 3|year=2006|publisher=FAB Press|location=Godalming, England|isbn=1-903254-40-X|pages=119–120}} * [https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/372-heat-stroke-crazed-fruit-andjapanese-cinema-s-season-in-the-sun ''Heat Stroke: Crazed Fruit and Japanese Cinema’s Season in the Sun''] an essay by Chuck Stephens at the Criterion Collection * [https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/373-crazed-fruit-imagining-a-new-japan-the-taiyozoku-films ''Crazed Fruit: Imagining a New Japan—The Taiyozoku Films''] an essay by Michael Raine at the Criterion Collection
{{Kō Nakahira}}
Category:1956 films Category:1956 drama films Category:Japanese erotic drama films Category:Films based on Japanese novels Category:1956 Japanese-language films Category:Works by Shintaro Ishihara Category:Nikkatsu films Category:Films scored by Masaru Sato Category:1956 Japanese films Category:Japanese black-and-white films
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