Despite skateboarding’s rising popularity in Japan, especially after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, skaters continue to face numerous challenges. Public spaces often have strict anti-skateboarding regulations, and the limited number of skateparks, many of which require entrance fees or are located far from urban centers, makes access difficult. Additionally, skateboarding is still viewed negatively by some, with concerns over noise, property damage, and delinquency leading to frequent confrontations with security guards and police. Skating in unauthorized areas can even result in fines or legal consequences under Japan’s strict public order laws.Taking inspiration from these real-world struggles, Yuki Kobayashi has created a film based on actual events.
Wings of the Abyss review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
Jin is a dull and unremarkable salaryman who has just been hired by a company. His director constantly bullies him, criticizing his performance while demanding more from him. One day, he encounters Ikeda, a reckless and extreme skater, who opens up a new world of freedom for him, with Jin frequently running with his group around the streets of the city. However, the skaters soon face serious trouble when a duo of eccentrics, always dressed in white, begin targeting and attacking them at every opportunity. Eventually, the skaters decide to strike back.
Kobayashi directs a film that starts as a dramedy of sorts, with Jin’s boss presenting a comment on the occasional ridiculousness of the corporate world and the protagonist of the consequences of being a lowly employee of a company. The fact that he is even pressured to sell to his friends, effectively making his entire life about work, is a key theme emphasized in the movie’s early moments.
Check also this video
After a point, however, and as soon as the skateboarding aspect is introduced, the narrative changes completely, initially showing the prejudice and bad attitude skaters face, before it becomes a full-blown crime thriller as soon as the “White Duo” is introduced. Amidst all this, Kobayashi introduces an arc about the exile of the two protagonists, which carries a somewhat surreal tone, and also does not seem particularly well connected with the rest of the narrative.
On the other hand, as soon as skateboarding is introduced in the film, the pace picks up, the narrative is filled with kinetic energy, and the whole thing becomes more entertaining, an aspect that is cemented as soon as violent action also becomes a factor. And talking about the fights, the approach here is one of brutal realism, with the briefness of many of them actually working in their favor, additionally because they make the final ones appear even more epic. The style of the action in general reminds intensely of Tetsuya Mariko‘s “Destruction Babies” even in a less polished fashion, a fact that is definitely among the film’s traits.
It is in these scenes that Kobayashi’s own editing finds its apogee, along with the skateboarding in the city ones, which are also the moments his cinematography is at its best. The ‘exile’ ones, in an area that looks dystopian are also well-presented, although the aforementioned issue persists.
Regarding the acting, Jingi Umemoto (a former member of a motorcycle gang) presents Jin’s transformation quite convincingly, with his interactions with his boss and Ikeda being among the best aspects of the movie. Kota Ikeda (a professional skateboarder) as Ikeda is also good in his coolness, while the moments he yells to his opponents during their fights are quite memorable. Yuta Chatani and Masayuki Ino as the men in white play the villains to perfection, while the prowess in the fighting scenes is another plus for the movie.
Granted, the film’s low budget (self-produced by Kobayashi) is evident, particularly in the image quality, which falls short of current Japanese cinema standards. Apart from this, however, “Wings of the Abyss” emerges as a gem of a film, with its combination of comments regarding the corporate world, the concept of skateboards in Japan and the action scenes resulting in a truly impressive amalgam that retains interest from beginning to end. Add to this the energy and speed the movie emits after a point, and you have a truly entertaining spectacle.
