Don’t Look Back

With his second film, Shiota Akihiko confirms the talent that was in evidence in his first feature, Moonlight Whispers, a study in perversity that explored the partly sado-masochistic relationship between a school girl and boy. Don’t Look Back is lighter in tone, but more consistent. Again he focuses on a central relationship between two schoolchildren. This time it is two boys, Akira and Koichi, ten years old but real tearaways who encourage each other in their misdeeds. They have everything to discover. But a cloud arrives on the horizon in the form of a new tough kid, who fascinates Akira. Akira is also experiencing the first uncertain feelings of love directed towards a girl in the school, so the special friendship begins to break up… Then events take a more tragic turn, colouring the magic of childhood with the realities of life. This film was made as a co-production between the distribution company Euro Space and the very dynamic new Film School of Tokyo (the film’s leading jobs are done by professionals, but students are also part of the crew – see also Kurosawa’s Barren Illusions) and it’s a good example of the best, low budget Japanese film-making. Fresh, nimble on its feet, the film avoids the dangers of cuteness and has a real bitter-sweet charm and genuine and persuasive insight into the world and experience of young people. (S.F.)