Plot: Tsukio is a young, traumatized boy who roams an apartment building. On the roof, he witnesses the rape of a young girl (Poppo) by a group of delinquents. When they are done with her, the two find comfort in each other's company. It turns out they have suffered the same trauma, and both of them are struggling to find reasons to continue living. When the delinquents turn on them again, they decide to stand up against the group and show that they can't be messed with. Their anger drives them to take proper revenge, but even that doesn't relieve them of the emptiness eating them up from the inside.
Watches
May 19, 2023
Koji Wakamatsu's masterpiece. If you want to breach his somewhat daunting oeuvre, this is no doubt one of the best places to start. The film mixes raw and gritty drama with a more poetic vibe, though an easy watch this is not. The stark black-and-white cinematography is fitting, the soundtrack is remarkable and the characters are intriguing yet mystifying. It's certainly not a film for anyone considering its crude handling of themes like rape and suicide, but if you can stomach it, you might just discover one of the most creative films of the 60s.
November 26, 2005
[review pending]