Stolen Desire (Nusumareta yokujô)
Directed by Shohei Imamura
Written by Toshiro Suzuki from a novel by Toko Kon
1958/Japan
Nikkatsu
First viewing/Hulu

[box] “There are two tragedies in life. One is to lose your heart’s desire. The other is to gain it.” ― George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman[/box]

This ribald comedy about theater folk is a departure from classic Japanese film.

The story concerns a down-and-out theater troupe in Osaka that combines a strip-show with Kabuki-light plays.  The management can no longer pay the actors but they stick with their show out of love for the bright lights.  The owners decide to take the show to the countryside to see if a new audience will change their fortunes.

One of the actors is university-educated but also in love with the theater.  In love with him are another actor’s wife and her sister.  Which will he end up with?

The story here is very slight but first-time director Imamura compensates with some innovative staging.  I kept wondering if he drew some of his inspiration from Fellini’s Variety Lights.

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