Shinjuku Incident
Synopsis: Controversial and confrontational, ‘Shinjuku Incident’ marks a major step away from the Kung-Fu comedy films that are synonymous with international superstar Jackie Chan. Focusing on the Chinese migrant communities that lived illegally in Tokyo and on their often criminal and shadowy lives, the fact that the Japanese would neither acknowledge nor welcome them lies at the centre of this often brutal film. A rare insight into the antagonism and ill feeling between the Japanese and Chinese, banned from release in China, ‘Shinjuku Incident’ is an unsettling but eye-opening experience
This is quite not the typical Jackie Chan movie – he is not the funny and silly kung-fu guy walking around smiling and bringing justice in a funny way. On the contrary – he is this serious guy, who doesn’t know how to fight!
At first I couldn’t really grasp the idea of it, just like when I watched ‘The Number 23″ with Jim Carrey. For the first 10 minutes of the film, I ask myself if this is come kind of joke, but after that I could really see how amazing these actors are.
The story takes place in Tokyo, some time in the 1990, a period when illegal immigrants arrived in boatloads from China.
Chan as well as the lead actor is the director of Shinjuku Incident, and he does a great job at it. His character, Steelhead, shows us the other apsect of Chan’s acting – the drama.
The movie is quite not the one to watch on a sunny afternoon out of boredom – this is a very heavy and hard to grasp movie to watch. There is a lot of violence, and Jackie Chan hasn’t laid aside any of it.
Through the film, it’s interesting to see how Chan’s character develops – his rise to leadership and his touching life story. It’s woven with two love stories and one tale of brotherhood; it’s complicated, but not hard to follow.
Jackie Chan’s character is both endearing and tragic, and the stories he takes part in are sad, suspenseful, and enlightening. His film has a warm heart, shackled in the grip of a dark, violent criminal world, and though it may remain obscure for a while, it’s a genuine cinematic success.
