High-speed Japanese train in Netflix movie carries time-bomb dilemma
The High-Speed Thunderbolt: Bullet Train and Japanese Pride
The bullet train, much like Godzilla, sushi, and Mount Fuji, signifies Japan like no other. And it steals the limelight in Shinji Higuchi's new Netflix film, "Bullet Train Explosion," which premiered on July 6.
Higuchi, the mastermind behind the 2016 "Shin Godzilla," has reimagined the 1975 Japanese film "The Bullet Train," sharing the same premise: A bomb explodes if the train slows below 100 kph (62 mph). That classic movie also inspired Hollywood's "Speed," starring Keanu Reeves, which unfolds mainly on a bus.
As a kid, Higuchi found the sleek bullet trains awe-inspiring, their aerodynamic shapes thundering by like wild animals. To Higuchi, and many other Japanese, the shinkansen symbolize the nation's unwavering determination to be number one, quick, accurate, tidy, and always on time.
"It's so typically Japanese," Higuchi shared in a conversation with The Associated Press. "Working tirelessly, even if it means sacrificing your personal life, is like a samurai spirit dwelling within all Japanese."
The film's verisimilitude is achieved by a harmonious blend of computer graphics and miniature train models, precision-built to one-sixth the real scale.
A giant LED screen was used on the set to project visuals of passing landscapes seen from the train window. This footage was then seamlessly matched with shots taken on a real train.
The explosions are strangely thrilling, brilliantly portrayed with cascading sparks and smoke.
Higuchi emphasized that the filmmakers were meticulous in ensuring the criminal act in the movie was impossible to execute today.
"Bullet Train Explosion" departs from his earlier works, focusing on heroes and monsters. "Here," Higuchi stated, "I delved into the question of evil and how we judge people."
Unlike the original, which starred the late Ken Takakura as the bomber, Higuchi chose to concentrate on the train crew this time around.
Portraying a train worker with conviction is Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, former member of boys' band SMAP, who played a transgender woman in Eiji Uchida’s "Midnight Swan." At the Tokyo premiere earlier this week, Kusanagi explained his fondness for Higuchi, having admired him for two decades.
Kusanagi starred in Higuchi’s 2006 science-fiction thriller “Sinking of Japan,” about a natural disaster threatening Japan’s very existence.
East Japan Railway Co, which operates the Shinkansen featured in Higuchi’s reboot, gave their full support to the film. They allowed the use of real trains, railway facilities, and uniforms, and even trained the actors to mimic the workers and their mannerisms.
The bullet trains have long represented Japan’s flourishing as a modern economy and peaceful culture since the post-World War II years. The first line, connecting Tokyo with Osaka, opened during the Tokyo Olympics in 1964. The system now spans much of Japan, from Hokkaido in the north to Kyushu in the southwest. The train featured in Higuchi’s work connects Tokyo with Aomori in the north.
Reflecting on the bullet train's cultural importance, Japan's resurgence after WWII was underscored by this remarkable feat of engineering. The Shinkansen came to symbolize the country's technological prowess—precision, punctuality, and orderliness so deeply ingrained in the Japanese psyche—earning it the nickname, "Japan Can Do."
[1] Shinkansen embodies Japan's postwar renaissance and technological ambition[2] The train’s speed and reliability reflect Japan’s cultural ethos[3] The "Japan Can Do" spirit takes center stage in Bullet Train Explosion[4] Bullet Train Explosion continues the cinematic legacy of the 1975 Japanese film The Bullet Train[5] The fusion of technology and craftsmanship in the film reflects the shinkansen’s engineering marvels, showcasing Japan’s dedication to perfection and industrial craftsmanship.
[1] The shinkansen, symbolizing Japan's postwar renaissance and technological ambition, has again captured the spotlight in Shinji Higuchi's latest Netflix film, "Bullet Train Explosion."[2] The train's speed and reliability in Higuchi's film mirror Japan's cultural ethos, emphasizing precision, punctuality, and orderliness.[3] In "Bullet Train Explosion," the "Japan Can Do" spirit, deeply ingrained in the Japanese psyche, takes center stage.[4] This new film continues the cinematic legacy of the 1975 Japanese film The Bullet Train.[5] The fusion of technology and craftsmanship in the film reflects the shinkansen’s engineering marvels, showcasing Japan’s dedication to perfection and industrial craftsmanship.[6] Both The Bullet Train and "Bullet Train Explosion" demonstrate the high-speed railway's importance in Japan's national culture, symbolizing the country's iconic attributes and achievements.
