Review of Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets (1971) by Freddie F — 17 Oct 2012
I really hesitate to jump to any conclusions when it comes to cemented greatness, especially because I have only just seen this film for the first time. But let me say that Shuji Terayama is one of my favorite filmmakers. This is the best film I have seen by him, and quite possibly one of the best films I have ever seen period.
This is a work of extreme power and beauty. Its themes of disillusionment, coming of age, anarchy and the failure of dreams are so universal and powerful, that despite the specificity of the Japanese New Wave and late 1960's counter culture that influenced them, the work still resonates with a intensity and intelligence only shared by the greatest of films (Malick's "The Tree of Life", Bergman's "Persona", and Jodorowsky's "The Holy Mountain" come to mind, among others.) It is one of those works of art that seems to understand the human condition, what it means to exist and the entire scope of this existence. I am so profoundly moved by this work and by Teryama in general, and cannot wait to re-examine this film.
Genius near unparalleled.
This review of Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets (1971) was written by Freddie F on 17 Oct 2012.
Throw Away Your Books, Rally in the Streets has generally received very positive reviews.
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