This
film is often honored Yoshishige Yoshida's masterpiece and it considered
the peak of Japanese New Wave Cinema. The narrative deals with themes
of anarchism, sexuality, feminism, and existentialism. The massive project,
running 3 1/2 hrs, may be the most ambitious and experimental of all
Japanese work.
It
tells two stories at once, one biographical and one fictional, set decades
apart. Here is the true account of anarchist Sakae Osugi - circa the
1920s - centered around his theories, ideas and torrid relationships
with three women: his wife, his first lover [who tries to kill him],
and his second lover Noe Ito. A second [fictional] story intercuts with
the first - set in the counterculture '60s - following a female college
student named Eiko who is doing research on Osugi's life. Similar to
Osugi, she also has three lovers: Wada, a fellow student helping with
research, a suicidal film director and a policeman who suspects that
she's connected to a prostitution ring.
A Japanese
film with optional ON/OFF English subtitles; widescreen format, (216 minutes),
DVD encoded for REGION 1 NTSC FORMAT; extras include theatrical trailer
Violence/Coming
of Age/Sexual Situations/Drugs/Nudity
Recommended For Mature Audiences
This
film is often honored Yoshishige Yoshida's masterpiece and it considered
the peak of Japanese New Wave Cinema. The narrative deals with themes
of anarchism, sexuality, feminism, and existentialism. The massive project,
running 3 1/2 hrs, may be the most ambitious and experimental of all
Japanese work. 
