Suicide Club Movie Analysis (2001)

i  just finished watching this movie a couple days ago. and i definitely need to process it.

having read the manga, named jisatsu circle, in the summer of 2019, i was familiarized with the storyline(a bit different, but same idea). the movie opens with a melodic and light music score while the camera glosses over the faces of the crowd of Shinjuku station- specifically focusing on a large hoard of schoolgirls. cheerfully grasping each others hands, they jump onto the train tracks of the platform, leading to the spewing of a disturbing mess of blood and gore while the now appertaining music continues to play. 

police begin investigating this mass interest in suicide, wondering whether there really is a suicide cult operating in the underworld of japan's youth- or if their developing brains are truly that impressionable; and the suicides are just an amplification of youth's rebellious nature. regardless, I believe this film explores the themes of an age in which our being is intertwined with technology and pop culture, and the rift between a younger generation and the traditional ideals of the older generation. 

at first glance, this seemingly grotesque no-surface-level film has no substance or deeper meaning with its sporadic timeline of events; but it is so much deeper. entering into the era of technology, the film takes place in tokyo, 2001. digital technology and the pop culture that comes with it is advancing at an alarming rate, and almost no one can escape its grasp. Sion Sono's film begins and ends with the girl group known as "Dessert", five 12-year-old girls who dance around in pajamas performing feel-good upbeat tunes to please their massive following. seemingly irrelevant, dessert takes the backseat in the first two halves of the film. only on one's second watchthrough do they realize that dessert is wedged right in the middle of these chronological suicides- and only then does "Dessert" take an unsettling and odd tone, leading us, as the audience, to connect the pieces of the puzzle--leading us to the takeaway that somehow, Dessert is the hub of this newfound comfort in suicide. but i won't spoil too much. 

 it's a well known fact that japan has the highest rates of suicide. but sono takes this movie to another level- and, in my opinion, uses suicide as a hyperbole for japanese taboo and pop culture, and allows the people of japan--specifically the younger generation-- to form a twisted connection in an otherwise private and secluded society where it is hard to establish any sort of real world connection without judgement. the use of technology has made interactions and connections with others a whole lot easier, and allows us to steer clear of the real world's interactions. but are we truly connecting? this is the question asked repeatedly throughout the film. 

quite philosophical, no?

to answer that question, in my opinion, no one is truly connecting- and no one in this movie is truly connected to themselves. a desire to be wanted, needed, and connected to others is the driving force behind these suicides. a desire to be part of something bigger. something making an impact on society in the ways one single individual cannot. this shows us the power that we can harness as a society when we come together, to make waves in cultural phenomenon and pop culture, just likes Dessert does. 

after watching, i began realizing that this movie is more relevant than ever--and showcases the huge flaws and problems that come along with the usage of the internet and pop culture. while it can be argued that digital media and the internet "connect us", suicide club proves exactly why it does not. it's all a diversion to distract us and our perpetual loneliness, trying to offer some sense of false belonging. we forget how to live on our own without the influence of the world around us. we need to stop relying on others and those who yield the reigns of influence in pop culture and connect to ourselves, and truly become in tune with who we are--unapologetically.

I highly recommend watching sono's incredibly cathartic cult movie, and reading the manga as well. the manga is a bit different, however; but it is still a masterpiece in its own right.

i'm currently finishing up the sequel to suicide club, noriko's dinner table. i plan to write on it soon, as it answers many of the questions first introduced to the audience in suicide club.

thx for reading...sorry if i rambled and repeated a bit. i just really wanted to get my raw opinions down in writing :)