The Price of Refusing to Be a Cog in the System... 'Who Is the Fool' [Slate]

Nagata Goto's New Film Opens on the 7th
A Yakuza Noir as Social Critique of Japan
Confronting a Society That Forces 'Kuuki' (Atmosphere)

Still cut from the movie 'Who Is the Fool'

The film 'Who Is the Fool' is not kind, but it is honest. Rather than offering a smooth narrative, it fills the screen with rough and raw textures, piercing the heart of contemporary Japanese society. On the surface, it takes the form of a chase involving three men who have betrayed a Yakuza organization, but beneath that lies a chilling critique of suffocating collectivism.

The setting is Kabukicho in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The protagonists, Takuya (Takumi Kitamura) and Mamoru (Yuta Hayashi), live as subordinates for a criminal organization in this area. Their main work involves deceiving vulnerable individuals and trading family registries (koseki).

The theme of koseki trading is symbolic. In Japanese society, a koseki is not just an administrative document, but proof of one's very existence and social identity. The act of disguising oneself under someone else's identity or buying and selling another person's koseki mirrors the portrait of modern Japanese youth who have become mere cogs in the collective, losing their unique sense of self. By placing this crime at the center of the narrative, director Nagata Goto visualizes the emptiness of those leading hollow lives.

The downfall begins when Takuya, yearning to be "reborn," breaks the organization's taboo. He involves Kajitani (Go Ayano), a figure like an older brother to him, in an attempt to escape the chains of the organization. This is not a grand rebellion or attack against the system. Rather, it is a modest desire to find a breathing space as a human being, not just a replaceable part.

Still cut from the movie 'Who Is the Fool'

However, the system does not allow for such personal deviation. Director Nagata sharply targets the structural contradiction in which any act of straying from one's prescribed path is defined as a "crime," and where any attempt to escape the suffocating hierarchy leads directly to ruin. The organization is depicted not simply as a criminal syndicate, but as a microcosm of Japanese society that demands constant awareness of the "kuuki" (atmosphere). In particular, the oppressive orders from the executives in the film overlap with the silent pressures exerted by bureaucracy and exploitative corporations, giving the story contemporary relevance.

In this context, the film's unfriendly progression is not a flaw but a logical device that strengthens its central theme. By boldly omitting the characters' backstories and emotional arcs, director Nagata shapes an absurd world where causal relationships are missing. Instead of offering kind explanations to the audience, he presents raw, unfiltered violence and the instinctive reactions of the characters who confront it. This directorial intent is aimed at portraying the totalitarian violence that does not even permit the question of "why."

The film also excels aesthetically. At last year's Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), the three lead actors (Takumi Kitamura, Yuta Hayashi, and Go Ayano) jointly received the "Actor of the Year" award, a rare occurrence that attests to the overwhelming ensemble performance. The long-take chase sequences, captured with a hand-held camera, replace dialogue with harsh breathing and footsteps, providing audiences with a visceral physical experience.

Still cut from the movie 'Who Is the Fool'

The question posed by the title is weighty: Will you survive as a colorless component by conforming to the system, or will you resist to find your own color, even if it leads to destruction? Through the battered faces of its young characters, the film asks the audience to reconsider the true definition of a "fool." While the somewhat dry development may serve as a barrier to entry, beyond the bleak landscape, the longing for the wildness and free will lost by modern people is vividly imprinted.