A documentary about the Japanese cult heavy metal band X Japan. A band that came to influence a generation of Japanese teenagers and musicians but that struggled with internal dramas and tragic losses.

The documentary goes under the skin of band leader and drummer Yoshiki but fails to answer most of the questions that were raised during the bands mythological existence.

Why did they fire their first bass player in 1992? Yoshiki won't answer that.

Which cult brainwashed singer Toshi to the point where the band had to be disbanded, what did they do to him, and why?

Was Hides death a suicide, or just a a tragic accident?

The documentary is up close and personal, but fails to answer these questions which is largely part of why the band did what they did. We are X is still one of the most memorable music documentaries made in modern time, about a band whose whole life echo "We are X" within themselves and their millions of worldwide fans.

Here's my review of #XJapan new documentary, #WeAreX which I think is a quintessential and revealing look at one of earth's biggest rock bands. With archival footage and in-depth interviews, WE ARE X basically gives the fans access into the personal lives of Yoshiki and his bandmates and their dramas.

Every band has their ups and downs, many still blame Yoko Ono for splitting the Beatles, for example, I'm just one of those who cherish them solely for their music. X JAPAN fans, however, are in a class all by their own. Their commitment to their idols can reach the point of suicide, literally. They're intense, unlike any other.

Now, I grew up in Asia, so I've heard about X Japan, though I didn't grow up a fan of theirs particularly. So when I did meet Yoshiki in person and interviewed him a few weeks ago at this film's press day, o yes, I was very much aware that I was in the presence of a rock icon. The question is how will American audiences receive this film? It's the same question of how will they receive X Japan, I'm guessing they'd be driven by curiosity more than anything else. That's why WE ARE X docu is helpful, it can introduce X Japan's music and story to a whole new region and a whole new generation who may not have been there on other parts of the world in the '80s and '90s.

I think director Stephen Kijak approaches this documentary in a very basic, very chronological way, which I think is a smart move if its goal is to embrace new audiences, you have to start at the beginning and that's what WE ARE X does. Mostly led by Yoshiki, the founder of the band, we get to see how they formed, when Sony signed them, we get to see the personalities of each member and why their vocalist decided to leave, so on and so forth. And all throughout, Kijak incorporates not only X Japan's music but also all sorts of visual that appropriately fits in the moment at hand, especially when dealing with someone like Yoshiki who is clearly philosophical. So what you get at times while watching this film is a series of what can be described as spiritual montage or music videos.

When other rock stars are too busy snorting cocaine and banging groupies, Yoshiki prefers facing existential questions. I lost count on how many times this film mentions the word 'death,' on top of the band going through tragedy after tragedy after tragedy. And because of that, there is something therapeutic and enlightening about watching WE ARE X, even if you are not necessarily a believer. Yoshiki is so deep in his thoughts and so articulate and profound in his speech, that I think he's just as charismatic as John Lennon was. Maybe that's the secret to great songwriting, which is to never stop questioning the mysteries of life and putting all those things down in music and lyrics.

When you watch WE ARE X, it's fun watching X Japan when they were younger with their big colorful hair and crazy lookin' clothes and now that they're older, they're more calmed in their presentation. There's still that visual rock that made them a phenomenon but the spectacle is much more controlled now, and perhaps that comes with age and wisdom.

-- Rama's Screen --

Yoshiki sounds, on the surface, like a show business cliche - a man with enough power to have David Lynch direct his videos, enough influence to be commissioned to write a symphony for the Emperor of Japan, enough wealth to own a car straight outta Back to the Future . . . And yet, he lives with constant physical and emotional pain, haunted by his father's suicide and a litany of health issues that have dogged him since childhood. This film takes a microscope to his life and times and delves beneath the music-industry-soap-opera surface to deliver a portrait of the Godfather of Visual Kei, warts and all.

The title of the film is misleading - there isn't much about Yoshiki's X Japan bandmates, and that's a shame. Their late guitarist hide, the object of a Syd Barrett-like cult following, deserves his own companion documentary. But taken as the portrait of one very influential man, it's compelling stuff. Yoshiki allowed the cameras to follow him through some private moments - like visiting the graves of his father and late bandmates, and seeing a doctor about the chronic pains in his arms (trigger warning, there's some painful-looking injections involved). One of the most touching scenes is a reunion with his childhood friend and former bandmate, who quit the group to join a religious cult (you can't make this stuff up, folks) and is returning to the fold.

There's a couple of things I wish had been touched on more - like the question of whether racism kept X Japan from achieving international fame. But the filmmakers did a more than decent job. Special kudos for the eye-popping title sequences, which really manage to capture the spirit of visual kei.