``Big Wednesday'' is a monumental work and the origin of surfing movies. And the shocking Japanese theme song

After the emotional ending, I was unexpectedly let down by the end credits.

And this ``Big Wednesday'' also has a bit of ``black history.'' That was the theme song when it was released in Japan.

Even now, original songs by Japanese artists are sometimes played during the end credits of Japanese-dubbed versions of foreign films. It is a style that has become established in some quarters, even though it is sometimes controversial, as it plays a role in advertising as an "image song." However, in 1979, before the dubbed version was even released, a Japanese song was played during the end credits of "Big Wednesday."

It's a song called " Kokoro ni Umi wo " by a singer named Ryusuke Kawasaki. The song's lyrics include "Oh, Big Wednesday," so it's clear that it was written specifically for this movie. Ryusuke Kawasaki was almost unknown at the time (he apparently tried to promote himself as the "second Yuzo Kayama"). At the moment when the surging climax of ``Big Wednesday'' ends and you feel deeply moved, a Japanese song suddenly starts playing. The audience was agitated by this unusual situation. To put it bluntly, it's "interesting." This was an era before the Internet, so it took some time for the topic to spread, but it is now what we would call a ``flame'' case. It has been talked about for a long time among movie fans.

At the same time as "Big Wednesday," "image songs" released in Japan such as " Mystery Nile " from " Murder on the Nile " (1978) and " Sunset Kiss " from " A Little Romance " (1979) were released. had become a bit of a fad. These songs, which were played in commercials, had English lyrics and seemed to be the theme songs of the works, and even ranked high on music charts. However, it was never used in the main part of the movie, and it is true that many viewers wondered why it wasn't played.

``Big Wednesday'' is also a rare event caused by a distribution company running out of control. It is unclear now whether director John Milius approved the move. Of course, with the release of the video and other software, ``Kokoro ni Umi wo'' was no longer used, and in fact, for fans of ``Big Wednesday,'' it became a ``song of nostalgic memories.'' The song itself has a gentle melody that is strangely unforgettable. It can also be found on YouTube.

Although the dark history of this flaming incident is being forgotten, and Jean-Michael Vincent has passed away, ``Big Wednesday'' still retains its luster as a surfing movie and a youthful friendship movie. I'd like to say that the three heroic figures and their facial expressions walking on the sandy beach facing the huge waves with their boards in hand is one of the coolest moments in movie history.

Text: Hiroaki Saito

Became freelance in 1997, contributing movie reviews and interview articles to various media such as movie magazines, theater pamphlets, and movie sites. The column is constantly updated on Yahoo! News. Star Channel's program "GO! Theater" introduces the latest released works.

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"Big Wednesday"

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