His Motorbike, Her Island

A different sort of biker flick, His Motorbike, Her Island (1986) is a soft-hearted coming-of-age story from director Nobuhiko Obayashi—better known for the surreal cult classic House.  And while there’s a similar playfulness of style, this film embraces its innocence with open arms, existing in a sort of foggy nostalgia of broken hearts, first love, and the freedom of the open road.

Ko (Riki Takeuchi) is a music student whose love affair with his Kawasaki is all-consuming. But after meeting Miyo (Kiwako Harada), a free-spirited island girl who shares his passion, a touch-and-go relationship develops that plays out like a fleeting dream. As the couple drifts in and out of each other’s lives, Miyo’s sense of adventure surpasses Ko’s own, leaving him clinging to a relationship in which he’ll always come in second place.

Mixing aspect ratios, jump cuts, and sudden shifts into black-and-white, Obayashi constantly experiments to keep the eye engaged. Even his “road duel” scenes are a stylized throwback to ‘60s biker culture, staged like classic movies brought to life. But for all the experimentation, His Motorbike, Her Island is really just a doomed love story, one with a particularly optimistic outlook; it feels lived-in yet poetic, less concerned with authenticity than with capturing the fragile dream of youth. Takeuchi plays Ko with the kind of cocky bravado that’s always covering something delicate underneath, while Harada, as Miyo, is less concerned with winning her man than savoring the moment before the summer fades. Ultimately, the roar of the bike is less about rebellion than about possibility, carrying its riders toward a future that feels infinite—until it isn’t.

Cult Epics drops this one onto a spectacular-looking Blu-ray; the contrast between the gritty B&W and lush color cinematography really pops. Special features include commentary from Samm Deighan, a visual essay exploring the film’s place in biker movie history, trailers, slipcover, and booklet.