‘Initial D’ for Car Drifting
Realism Makes Hong Kong Flick hotter than Vin Diesel’s Tokyo Drift
Set in Japan, Initial D covers special car drifting techniques and puts four drivers to the test
This sport is not for the faint-hearted. ‘The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift’- third in a series of Vin Diesel car racing films - features car drifting, where cars slide round bends quickly without losing control. Articles on drifting as a motorsport state that ‘drifting refers to the difference in slip angle between the front and rear tires of a car. When the rear wheels are slipping at a greater angle than the front wheels, the car is drifting, or oversteering.’[1] The challenge for the driver is how to stay in control when drifting in order to overcome a bend.
While ‘Tokyo Drift’ is pure popcorn entertainment, hyped with trendy Japanese youths and screaming girls (great for viewing after, say, ‘American Pie’), ‘Initial D’ has a more Zen-like take on the sport. In many ways, ‘Initial D’ wins ‘Tokyo Drift’ hands down because it uses real drifting techniques, instead of computer-generated effects. Character rather than plot-driven, ‘Initial D’ goes into more details about different drifting techniques, car makes and abilities, culminating in a race amongst four drivers (one being a professional racer).
The story begins with Takumi, a not-so-bright young lad who delivers tofu for his dad Bunta. Innocuous enough, until you realize Takumi’s years of delivery round Mount Akina’s nifty hairpin bends have made him a drifting expert. An even bigger surprise is that his loser father belongs to the last great generation of street racers. But more of that when you watch the movie.
Jay Chou puts in a spot-on performance as delinquent lad Takumi, who adores sweet, spunky Japanese girl Natsuki (Anne Suzuki) and eventually falls into the crowd of street racers, led by Edison Chen and Shawn Yue. (The older generation of racers, played superbly by Anthony Wong and Jordan Chan, give the film even more depth.) The story is well-paced (despite criticism that it differs from the anime original), taking viewers through a laidback countryside with panoramic views of Mount Akina, and along languid beachside strolls with young lovebirds Takumi and Natsuki. Once the race begins however, it is no holds barred. In one scene, Takumi regains the lead on his opponent by drifting sharply over the gutter. If ‘Tokyo Drift’ is exciting enough, ‘Initial D’ quadruples that excitement by showcasing many varied drifting styles.
The real pleasure of ‘Initial D’ lies in watching how such laid-back, tranquil characters can triumph over frenetic technophiles in streetcar racing. The vastness of the landscape and the humdrum lives of the characters make racing come alive even more. Perhaps it is best to leave you, the reader, with a few quotes from the movie itself. ‘Initial D’ is a must-see not just because of its adrenaline. It is a must-see movie because it encapsulates the holistic view that life is in itself, a race.
Quotes from ‘Initial D’ on Drifting…
“He dashed around the corner with inertia drift”
“Sounded like a high rpm. But it wasn't fast enough as it entered the corner”
“Suspension must be tuned based on hardness and absorption, the tire size and its angle formed on the road…”
…and on Life
“It's most important to find a world that belongs to us. Life is meaningful only when we can find this world.”
“Don't pay attention to the competition itself. Ignore other racers. The one you need to beat is yourself.”
Source
1 Drifting (Motorsport). Autodrifter.com, 2007
