Six Definitive Films: The ultimate beginner’s guide to Shohei Imamura
Shohei Imamura is among the greatest artists to have emerged during the seminal Japanese New Wave period. One of the most important Japanese filmmakers of the 20th century, Imamura used the cinematic medium to focus on the neglected stories of the people who were continuously marginalised by Japanese society.
Born in Tokyo in 1926, Imamura was a student of Western history during his university days, but his interests were directed elsewhere. He was regularly involved in political and theatrical work, which proved to be the perfect inspiration for creating cinema. Although Imamura trained under the great Yasujirō Ozu, he had a completely different approach.
Imamura viewed cinema as the perfect medium for exploring his anthropological curiosities. Through his films, he shed light on many of Japan’s sociocultural issues, which were overlooked by others. Imamura’s filmography is indispensable to those who want to know more about post-war Japan.
Shohei Imamura’s six definitive films:
Pigs and Battleships (1961)
One of Imamura’s most famous works, Pigs and Battleships, is a mesmerising satirical comedy. Imamura perfectly captures the reality of America’s occupation of Japan during the post-war period, examining the sociological machinations.
The film focuses on the economic relationship between the US military and the criminal underworld of Japan. Imamura delivers a powerful commentary on cultural imperialism, documenting the absurd consequences of a devastating war.
The Insect Woman (1963)
Another early classic by Imamura, The Insect Woman tells the story of a woman from a rural farming village. After navigating her way through multiple decades of sociopolitical conflicts in the country, she manages to make her own capital.
However, the patriarchal structures of society subject her to constant oppression and cruelty. The film garnered widespread recognition from critics when it was first released, and it ended up winning several national as well as international accolades.
Profound Desires of the Gods (1968)
An ambitious project by Imamura, Profound Desires of the Gods was the logical conclusion to the filmmaker’s 1960s run, during which he explored various social aspects of Japanese society.
The film is a revelatory exploration of the various contradictions of the post-war period, focusing on the clash between modernity and traditional values. It revolves around an engineer from Tokyo who attempts to modernise a tiny island but faces resistance from the local community.
Vengeance is Mine (1979)
While watching Vengeance is Mine, you can instantly tell that Imamura is in his domain. Based on the real-life accounts of serial killer Akira Nishiguchi, Imamura’s 1979 work is a thrilling recreation of the criminal’s journey after escaping from the police.
It creates a terrifying portrait of the serial killer, a figure which has been transformed into a quasi-mythological entity by popular culture. Imamura constantly contrasts the protagonist’s external charm with his internal evil, making it impossible to create strict demarcations.
The Ballad of Narayama (1983)
One of Imamura’s most interesting works, The Ballad of Narayama tackles the concept of ubasute, which involved the abandonment of elder citizens in the mountains where they were left to die.
Set in the 19th century, the film transports us to a rural village where the old are sentenced to exile in the mountains once they reach the age of 70 so that they can starve to death. For his brilliant masterpiece, Imamura won the coveted Palme d’Or at Cannes.
Black Rain (1989)
An adaptation of Masuji Ibuse’s eponymous novel, Black Rain is a haunting depiction of the Hiroshima bombing. Although many films have conducted memorable explorations of this atrocity, few are as powerful and piercing as Black Rain.
Many portrayals of the event focus on the immediate impact of the bombing, but Black Rain goes farther than that. Imamura documents the far-reaching consequences of the war and how multiple generations of survivors have been affected by it.