Hashigushi's film about two Japanese students who make some extra money as rent boys has an atmosphere much like his later film 'Like Grains of Sand'. What is impressive about his way of filming is the intensity he creates with his slow way of filming and his long camera shots from a single perspective. This way, the focus is on the actors, and the little things they do, through which we slowly get to know them. There is one beautiful scene where one of the boys, who is in love with the other one, lies on the top of a school building, doing nothing else than looking at a photograph of his friend, which he has secretly taken from their pimp, while a girl friend just hangs around him, getting very bored with the situation. The boredom is typical of all the youths in the film, who really do not seem to have any real direction in life, no ambition, and who certainly do not seem to be able of handling there feelings. The two boys are frustratingly clumsy about showing any feeling towards each other, which doesn't offer much hope for any possibility of some happiness evolving in their dreary lives. The film does leave you slightly depressed, as there does not seem to be much reason for optimism about growing up in Japan. There is however, some relieve, due to the humour Hashigushi occasionally uses in his film, like in the scene where one of the boys visits a girlfriend, to discover that her father is one of the men who pays him for sex.
10 Reviews
A Japanese film about gay youths in Tokyo that's a blend of shock and understatement
Chris Knipp11 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
In this gay-themed Japanese film from the early Nineties, Tatsuru (Yoshihiko Hakamada), a college student, and Shin (Masashi Endô), who's in high school, work out of the same Tokyo bar called Pinocchio as gay rent boys. Yoriko (Reiko Kataoka) and Atsumi (Sumiyo Yamada) are their respective girl friends--but not girlfriends, though they'd both like to be. Tatsuru and Shin are teen dreamboats in their way: both have boyish, androgynous good looks and perfect hair they're always fussing with. At first the focus is on the tall Tatsuru, who's shown with a john in the opening sequence, which establishes that he is sexually ambivalent and emotionally shut down. He's good at sex supposedly, if you like making love with an alabaster robot. He's cut off from his family despite his father's attempts to maintain contact and lives in a tiny apartment by himself till Shin, who knows he's gay and comes out to his parents and is kicked out of the house, moves in with Tatsuru. This is only supposed to be temporary, but it brings things to a head because little Shin's in love with Tatsuru, as he's told Atsumi. She chides Shin later for chickening out of this opportunity to declare his love to Tatsuru. This is the old theme of the gay kid who falls in love with a straight guy, except the object of his affections isn't straight but just unwilling to admit he's gay, and to make things worse is a colleague in the skin trade..
Ironically, Shin is a washout as a male prostitute. Or perhaps it makes sense that somebody who knows he's gay and is in love with someone he sees all the time will have trouble turning the sex on and off mechanically the way Tatsuru can.
'Slight Fever' reeks of urban ennui, though cultural differences make it a little hard for a westerner to assess the mood of this elegantly understated film--which, nonetheless, is as Hashiguchi starts out a commentary by saying, "sensational," never more so than in the scene toward the end where he himself plays a client in a hotel room who winds up with both Tatsuru and Shin in his bed, a situation that goes very badly for all concerned. This is one of a series of tense surprises. In a previous one Tatsuru goes to Yoriko's house to help move a TV and is forced to stay to dinner only to discover Yoriko's father is one of his clients. Maybe this is meant to be funny, but both males appear to be imploding throughout a meal in which the two females chatter on and on. It seems like the only communicating in the film is with or between females, but it's mostly just empty chatter. The conversations that matter between or among the males never take place.
The technically so-so DVD includes a bonus section made ten years after 'Slight Fever's' release where director Ryosuke Hashiguchi describes the experience of this, his first film, and two of the main actors who've had successful careers since tell how it was for them this first time. None of the four principals had had previous acting experience. The interview films also show stills taken on the set. Hashiguchi looked a lot younger, was boyishly handsome, much like Hakamada, who was fresh from the provinces and a fashion model whose cold, blank expression the director liked; and in fact as Hakamada reports, he and the director were confused with each other on the set more than once, though Hashiguchi never acknowledged the resemblance. Hashiguchi, with typical Japanese reserve, reveals little about himself other than that he is gay and that he labored over the script for 2 1/2 years because he wanted other people to "understand how it is." The gay life--did he live it in this way? Yes and no, probably. A gay man who had a sexually promiscuous youth can easily imagine what it is like to be a rent boy. Or maybe he was one. What is clear is that the contrasts between Tatsuro and Shin dramatize the difference between a boy who knows he's gay and one who's struggling with the fact.
Hashiguchi reveals that the film was a surprise hit in Japan and young men and women are seen in stills lining up for blocks to see it, while provincial gay boys wrote the director to tell him his film saved them from suicide. Hashiguchi isn't wrong when he says the film is badly made. The project was underfunded and rushed and the technical package is unimpressive. It's shot in 16mm. Visuals are okay but not great, and as the director points out things fell apart style-wise when he chose to take on the role of the john in the hotel room at the end and they switched to a hand-held camera that gets way too jiggly at one point. But if this is the seminal gay coming of age film for a generation of gay Japanese boys, those faults don't matter. There are also signs that Hashiguchi has a flair for plot and editing, despite the extreme haste in which the latter had to be done, and his later efforts (which I haven't seen) are rumored to be successful. Judging from the lack of external reviews the film seems to have had zero theatrical life in the West, so despite its local success and a sort of interesting blend of shock and understatement and the fact that the performances do work, it seems like a minor film even from the gay point of view. Some scenes are fascinating; others with a slight shift in plot elements could just be moments from some conventional Japanese TV series. But if this was a ground-breaker and now could be a conventional TV series, that's not such a bad thing either.
Ironically, Shin is a washout as a male prostitute. Or perhaps it makes sense that somebody who knows he's gay and is in love with someone he sees all the time will have trouble turning the sex on and off mechanically the way Tatsuru can.
'Slight Fever' reeks of urban ennui, though cultural differences make it a little hard for a westerner to assess the mood of this elegantly understated film--which, nonetheless, is as Hashiguchi starts out a commentary by saying, "sensational," never more so than in the scene toward the end where he himself plays a client in a hotel room who winds up with both Tatsuru and Shin in his bed, a situation that goes very badly for all concerned. This is one of a series of tense surprises. In a previous one Tatsuru goes to Yoriko's house to help move a TV and is forced to stay to dinner only to discover Yoriko's father is one of his clients. Maybe this is meant to be funny, but both males appear to be imploding throughout a meal in which the two females chatter on and on. It seems like the only communicating in the film is with or between females, but it's mostly just empty chatter. The conversations that matter between or among the males never take place.
The technically so-so DVD includes a bonus section made ten years after 'Slight Fever's' release where director Ryosuke Hashiguchi describes the experience of this, his first film, and two of the main actors who've had successful careers since tell how it was for them this first time. None of the four principals had had previous acting experience. The interview films also show stills taken on the set. Hashiguchi looked a lot younger, was boyishly handsome, much like Hakamada, who was fresh from the provinces and a fashion model whose cold, blank expression the director liked; and in fact as Hakamada reports, he and the director were confused with each other on the set more than once, though Hashiguchi never acknowledged the resemblance. Hashiguchi, with typical Japanese reserve, reveals little about himself other than that he is gay and that he labored over the script for 2 1/2 years because he wanted other people to "understand how it is." The gay life--did he live it in this way? Yes and no, probably. A gay man who had a sexually promiscuous youth can easily imagine what it is like to be a rent boy. Or maybe he was one. What is clear is that the contrasts between Tatsuro and Shin dramatize the difference between a boy who knows he's gay and one who's struggling with the fact.
Hashiguchi reveals that the film was a surprise hit in Japan and young men and women are seen in stills lining up for blocks to see it, while provincial gay boys wrote the director to tell him his film saved them from suicide. Hashiguchi isn't wrong when he says the film is badly made. The project was underfunded and rushed and the technical package is unimpressive. It's shot in 16mm. Visuals are okay but not great, and as the director points out things fell apart style-wise when he chose to take on the role of the john in the hotel room at the end and they switched to a hand-held camera that gets way too jiggly at one point. But if this is the seminal gay coming of age film for a generation of gay Japanese boys, those faults don't matter. There are also signs that Hashiguchi has a flair for plot and editing, despite the extreme haste in which the latter had to be done, and his later efforts (which I haven't seen) are rumored to be successful. Judging from the lack of external reviews the film seems to have had zero theatrical life in the West, so despite its local success and a sort of interesting blend of shock and understatement and the fact that the performances do work, it seems like a minor film even from the gay point of view. Some scenes are fascinating; others with a slight shift in plot elements could just be moments from some conventional Japanese TV series. But if this was a ground-breaker and now could be a conventional TV series, that's not such a bad thing either.
Film-making STyle
AJBraxton13 April 2006
I like art house films. And I take time to sit and watch them. I picked up this DVD hoping to get some in-site into the gay youth culture of Japan. I did find out that there seem to be some parallels with American youth. For example, each of the two main character's find's himself with a delightful "girlfriend." One is the stereotypical "fruit fly" in that she adores her gay friend (Shin) but doesn't have a man of her own. Sorta living the vicarious romance and roguishness of his life. And the other boy (Tatsuro) has a girl who is not quite sure if she is romantically interested in him and he does not reveal his true nature to her. She senses something just isn't right and stays away... that's a good thing. OH.. the movie.. worth a watch.. in a film festival student feature kind of thing. And I did not care for those lingering shots of "nothing but the actor" that the film maker included. I kept wanting to say to the characters "Do Something" but then realized that it was indeed creating some artistic tension.. intended or not.
Thin gruel
Lucky-633 November 2007
The word "Slight" in the title fits. Thin acting, an equally thin plot line, and a string of vacuously elongated scenes make up this film, which demonstrates what happens when a director in-over-his-head meets a half-finished script and no-experience talents.
"Fever" -- which is supposed to suggest "hot", not "tepid" -- wants to be a morality play about two young hustlers. Tatsaru is a college student working as a male prostitute. Shin works in the same establishment, a bar whose clients choose from a stable of boys.
Aimed at a teen audience, apparently one motive of this movie is to distinguish for the audience the difference between sex for money and love. The film vaguely manages to approximate this, its only clear, idea ... then gives us two or three empty minutes to contemplate it.
Both of the boys are sought after by girls their own age. The father of one girl is a client of Tatsaru in mid-film. When Tatsaru later goes to her parents' home for dinner, there is nothing but the embarrassed "tension" between the two men to keep us interested ... for at *least ten minutes.
Another of the film's apparent motives: to establish that gay men are lonely, and that love between two men is hopeless. This sentiment -- uncontradicted by any of what passes for action in the film -- is spelled out verbatim by an drunken adult client toward the film's end in another of the stretched-beyond belief scenes. Many art films stretch action to good effect, but this film is just filling time.
I hated "Twist" when I saw it, but it was at least competent as a film. "Sudden Fever" can't begin to aspire to that level.
"Fever" -- which is supposed to suggest "hot", not "tepid" -- wants to be a morality play about two young hustlers. Tatsaru is a college student working as a male prostitute. Shin works in the same establishment, a bar whose clients choose from a stable of boys.
Aimed at a teen audience, apparently one motive of this movie is to distinguish for the audience the difference between sex for money and love. The film vaguely manages to approximate this, its only clear, idea ... then gives us two or three empty minutes to contemplate it.
Both of the boys are sought after by girls their own age. The father of one girl is a client of Tatsaru in mid-film. When Tatsaru later goes to her parents' home for dinner, there is nothing but the embarrassed "tension" between the two men to keep us interested ... for at *least ten minutes.
Another of the film's apparent motives: to establish that gay men are lonely, and that love between two men is hopeless. This sentiment -- uncontradicted by any of what passes for action in the film -- is spelled out verbatim by an drunken adult client toward the film's end in another of the stretched-beyond belief scenes. Many art films stretch action to good effect, but this film is just filling time.
I hated "Twist" when I saw it, but it was at least competent as a film. "Sudden Fever" can't begin to aspire to that level.
strength in surprising places
screaminmimi7 May 2006
I saw this movie in DVD release that came out 10 years after its initial theatrical release, so there is a lot of making-of stuff on the DVD that reveals some surprising things about the movie, e.g. almost all the actors were first-timers; it was a huge box office hit in Japan; the director put down his own work as substandard (much too hard on himself, in my opinion).
The story itself turns and twists on the fact that characters who seem strong--Tatsuro and Yoriko--are actually weaker than their younger friends--Shin-chan and Asami-- who turn out to be strongest when they are the most vulnerable. The name of the escort service the boys work for is Pinocchio, a sort of puppet palace/donkey island where it takes something special to become a real, live boy. Overcoming self deception is the biggest hurdle. I suppose it is meant to be Tatsuro's movie, but Shin-chan stole it from him, not with any sort of mugging, but largely because of the charm of the character. All of the performances were pitch perfect.
I didn't come away feeling quite as gloomy as our other commentator did, maybe because I recognize low-key Japanese upbeat-ness when I see it. I was charmed by all four of these kids, but definitely not in a manipulated Hollywood sort of way. They all seemed like the kids I teach: very real, very embattled, and very resilient.
I have a quibble with the subtitles. They were mostly pretty good, but since it's an older movie, we're stuck with them... no way of turning them off. However, there was an occasional omission of some dialog from the translation that I could see no reason for, and--if left in--would have actually enhanced the understanding. I think perhaps this was critical in the last scene, and could be the thing that led the other commentator to find it depressing, because he didn't catch this one little bit of dialog--when Tatsuro tells Shin-chan how much he actually got for posing and Shin-chan's response to it--that was actually quite sardonically funny.
The story itself turns and twists on the fact that characters who seem strong--Tatsuro and Yoriko--are actually weaker than their younger friends--Shin-chan and Asami-- who turn out to be strongest when they are the most vulnerable. The name of the escort service the boys work for is Pinocchio, a sort of puppet palace/donkey island where it takes something special to become a real, live boy. Overcoming self deception is the biggest hurdle. I suppose it is meant to be Tatsuro's movie, but Shin-chan stole it from him, not with any sort of mugging, but largely because of the charm of the character. All of the performances were pitch perfect.
I didn't come away feeling quite as gloomy as our other commentator did, maybe because I recognize low-key Japanese upbeat-ness when I see it. I was charmed by all four of these kids, but definitely not in a manipulated Hollywood sort of way. They all seemed like the kids I teach: very real, very embattled, and very resilient.
I have a quibble with the subtitles. They were mostly pretty good, but since it's an older movie, we're stuck with them... no way of turning them off. However, there was an occasional omission of some dialog from the translation that I could see no reason for, and--if left in--would have actually enhanced the understanding. I think perhaps this was critical in the last scene, and could be the thing that led the other commentator to find it depressing, because he didn't catch this one little bit of dialog--when Tatsuro tells Shin-chan how much he actually got for posing and Shin-chan's response to it--that was actually quite sardonically funny.
it was OK, but overall not particularly happy.
citronellaa5 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Initially I had concerned expectations, having read the synopsis of this story. I feared it could be sleazy, or all wrong, but since I liked a couple of the director's other films, I thought I'd try it.
Thankfully, the main characters had more depth than I feared. We see the vulnerability and innocence of young males who've ended up in difficult and messy situations as a result of their potentially short-sighted choices, as they struggle with their genuine emotions.
What I didn't like is the way the storyline didn't properly explore the love interest of the two young males - there was real potential for something more beautiful there, but instead all there was, was tense kissing between them in the hotel room in front of a middle aged man who had hired them, shortly before one of them breaks down into tears... So kind of worrying and disappointing overall. Like - it's a shame, how things turned out for them, so I couldn't really like the film because of this. On the flip side, there is at least a little bit of hope at the end, as they walk home together, hopefully for new beginnings.
Thankfully, the main characters had more depth than I feared. We see the vulnerability and innocence of young males who've ended up in difficult and messy situations as a result of their potentially short-sighted choices, as they struggle with their genuine emotions.
What I didn't like is the way the storyline didn't properly explore the love interest of the two young males - there was real potential for something more beautiful there, but instead all there was, was tense kissing between them in the hotel room in front of a middle aged man who had hired them, shortly before one of them breaks down into tears... So kind of worrying and disappointing overall. Like - it's a shame, how things turned out for them, so I couldn't really like the film because of this. On the flip side, there is at least a little bit of hope at the end, as they walk home together, hopefully for new beginnings.
I have a strong love towards this movie
emelyc-975664 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Okay so The whole movie is basically about Totsuros life once's he gets confused about his sexuality
Because he's a prostitute for men only I believe plus he found out one of the other dudes he works with (Shin) is in love with him so he gets more confused and he has a friend (a female) that he hangs out with a lot so that makes him believe he's somewhat in love with her but he's also confused as if he's in love with Shin also there's this scene around the end where Tutsuro pushes off a customer that is trying to get all up on Shin and I thought that was really nice of him and that makes me believe that he fell in love with Shin around the end
Also there's this part where Tutsuro cries out of stressing over his sexuality I believe or just stressed over being a prostitute and I love this movie because it shows how hard it can be to either accept yourself for whatever sexuality you identify as or just to try to find out your sexuality I love this movie dearly because of how much I can related to it
And now to talk about the ending at the very end as you can see Shin and Tutsuro are walking home together at the very end and you can also see the part where Shin pretends to take a picture of Tutsuro and you see Tutsuro turn around and the movie ends
There's A LOT of people that are confused about that
Likewise
Because I'm very confused as in why he did that but then again I also remember that one of the other boys that also works at the bar where they all work together as prostitutes was teasing Shin and pretended to take a picture of him (the same way as shin pretended to take a picture of Tutsuro with a fake camera made my their fingers) because there this creepy worker there that tends to want to take picture of all the boys that work there while they are naked with their consent or just trying to pressure them to take the picture and Tutsuro told him to knock it off and the boy said "I tease people I like" so I believe Shin pretended to take a picture of Tutsuro in saying Shin still is in love with Tutsuro and the part where Tutsuro turns around to look at Shin I feel as in he saw that Shin was teasing him and realized that Shin is still in love with him and I have a big imagination so I'll just believe Tutsuro finally accept the fact that he's in love with Shin and they lived a happy life
thank you for your time
Also there's this part where Tutsuro cries out of stressing over his sexuality I believe or just stressed over being a prostitute and I love this movie because it shows how hard it can be to either accept yourself for whatever sexuality you identify as or just to try to find out your sexuality I love this movie dearly because of how much I can related to it
And now to talk about the ending at the very end as you can see Shin and Tutsuro are walking home together at the very end and you can also see the part where Shin pretends to take a picture of Tutsuro and you see Tutsuro turn around and the movie ends
There's A LOT of people that are confused about that
Likewise
Because I'm very confused as in why he did that but then again I also remember that one of the other boys that also works at the bar where they all work together as prostitutes was teasing Shin and pretended to take a picture of him (the same way as shin pretended to take a picture of Tutsuro with a fake camera made my their fingers) because there this creepy worker there that tends to want to take picture of all the boys that work there while they are naked with their consent or just trying to pressure them to take the picture and Tutsuro told him to knock it off and the boy said "I tease people I like" so I believe Shin pretended to take a picture of Tutsuro in saying Shin still is in love with Tutsuro and the part where Tutsuro turns around to look at Shin I feel as in he saw that Shin was teasing him and realized that Shin is still in love with him and I have a big imagination so I'll just believe Tutsuro finally accept the fact that he's in love with Shin and they lived a happy life
thank you for your time
One of the Worst Movies Ever
ChicagoMan4123 February 2021
I "half" get it.
charcoalactivity15 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
OK. Will someone who's seen this before explain this to me? I saw this movie twice. I would say the same things that have already been said here. It's a wonderful movie about these two boys, and their female friends, and the boy "falling in love" with the other boy... blah, blah. But I DON'T GET IT.
SPOILER******** Why did Shin burn Tatsuro's picture after Tatsuro kissed him and tried to have sex with him? Was Shin somehow falling "out" of love because Tatsuro was "just in it for sex, fun, and money"? Was Shin mad about that? Was Shin's feeling just a sexual attraction and not "love" as his girl best friend said it is? What was the ending all about? Seriously! Did both characters realize that they're NOT gay and they're only hustling for the money? Or have they realized that they ARE gay and are in love with each other? I DO NOT GET THE ENDING! HELP ME OUT HERE PLEASE!!! This movie is SO FULL OF TENSION. It got me shouting HUUUUUUH? all the while. I was wanting more and more of Shin/Tatsuro's sexual tension!!! Their chemistry is freakishly depressing and HOT at the same time!! The end was such a "HUH?" to me that I seriously need a part 2 to make me understand how Tatsuro and Shin really feel for each other! :( PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS MOVIE. I absolutely loved it but I REALLY need more Shin/Tatsuro "looovin'." :D
SPOILER******** Why did Shin burn Tatsuro's picture after Tatsuro kissed him and tried to have sex with him? Was Shin somehow falling "out" of love because Tatsuro was "just in it for sex, fun, and money"? Was Shin mad about that? Was Shin's feeling just a sexual attraction and not "love" as his girl best friend said it is? What was the ending all about? Seriously! Did both characters realize that they're NOT gay and they're only hustling for the money? Or have they realized that they ARE gay and are in love with each other? I DO NOT GET THE ENDING! HELP ME OUT HERE PLEASE!!! This movie is SO FULL OF TENSION. It got me shouting HUUUUUUH? all the while. I was wanting more and more of Shin/Tatsuro's sexual tension!!! Their chemistry is freakishly depressing and HOT at the same time!! The end was such a "HUH?" to me that I seriously need a part 2 to make me understand how Tatsuro and Shin really feel for each other! :( PLEASE HELP ME UNDERSTAND THIS MOVIE. I absolutely loved it but I REALLY need more Shin/Tatsuro "looovin'." :D
Fine start to a non-prolific career
billy_bang17 April 2016
This film is the director's first feature. Homosexuality has always existed of course in all societies, Japan not being an exception, but I have read that this was one of the first films to deal with it in a matter of fact way. Granted a main protagonist who is in college but works as a rent boy every night is not you typical coming of age gay story. Nor does Hashiguchi beat about the bush. The very first scene sees the boy Tatsuro in a hotel room with middle-aged trick. Not does the boy act contrite or feel ashamed. As he says in the film when asked, the work does not disgust him. The actor who plays him- Yoshihiko Hakamada- is tall, with a aloof, steely demeanour. As the interviews make clear, he was cast after a lengthy audition, and many had commented then that both him, and the director Hashiguchi (then a very youthful 31) looked like brothers. He is superb. The film also details his relationship with a female classmate and a younger hustler to whom he unwittingly becomes a protector. (Masashi Endo who plays the latter looks like a non-professional actor, and his scenes are a bit awkward). Although Hashiguchi has dealt with homosexuality as central themes in later films, the subject matter is not so upfront and explicit as here. (HUSH his breakout film, has only one brief cuddle between the gay couple in the entire film). I guess as the mainstream beckons and the budgets get bigger, your films have to appeal to a wider audience to make some return.. Hashiguchi to his credit has found a middle way in later films without being a wash out (think of the misfires and Hollywood projects of Gus Van Sant as compared to the poetry of his first film Mala Noche for an example). However on the DVD I have (released by Water Bearer films) there is an interview with Hashiguchi who in fact says that on it's release the film (English translation- SLIGHT FEVER IN A 20-YR. OLD) did pretty well in revenues in Japan, especially among the younger audiences.
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