"Get out you child of a whore." Kinu
☆☆☆☆☆ Masterpiece
赤い殺意 - Intentions of Murder (1964) is a powerful film about Japan's traditional past and its modern present.
Directed by Shôhei Imamura.
Starring Masumi Harukawa, Kō Nishimura and Shigeru Tsuyuguchi among many others.
It took me three painful, introspective filled viewings to finish watching Intentions of Murder. Imamura had me constantly thinking and connecting my past with his lead female characters life. Probably the best of the Japanese New Wave directors of the 1960's. Shôhei has a way of filling his story with dualism. In this case Japan's traditional past with its modern technological present that eschews and ignores its rigid traditions. Imamura combines dark comedy with poignant, realistic drama to create truly memorable, haunting and disturbing scenes.
Imamura female lead, Masumi goes through hell and back and manages to win against all odds. Harukawa's character is born into a condemned life of servitude and humiliation to a family that treats her better than the mice in a cage. Cinderellas cruel step mom and sisters are a loving family compared to this sadistic lot. Shôhei's Japan is the complete opposite of Yasujiro Ozu's, Sanma No Aji - An Autumn Afternoon (1962). Where Ozu's Japanese traditional past and its modern technological present are beautiful, clean and inviting, Imamura's Japan's past and modern present are dirty, ugly and evil. This is a movie with mountains of subtle irony and thought provoking introspection. Those who can endure the full movie will be richly rewarded. The black and white cinematography is stunning and adds to the evil lurking below the facade.
In the rape scene below watch how Imamura assault's Japan's traditional past of family honor above all. Masumi's character has to endure repeated rapings in silence to protect her adopted families honor.
Trivia - Shôhei in talking about his films says, "I am interested in the relationship of the lower part of the human body and the lower part of the social structure... I ask myself what differentiates humans from other animals. What is a human being? I look for the answer by continuing to make films"
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