Black River (1957)

Black River (Kuroi kawa)
Directed by Masaki Kobayashi
Written by Zenzô Matsuyama; story by Takeo Tomishima
1957/Japan
Shochiku Eiga
First viewing/Hulu

[box] No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man. –Heraclitus [/box]

Kobayashi attacks post-War degeneration.

Nishida, a student, moves into a squalid tenement to save money.  The landlady (Isuzu Yamada) is a grasping crone who constantly harasses the tenants for the rent.  Most of these are involved in prostitution and other criminal pursuits connected to the nearby U.S. naval base.

Nishida is decent and normal.  He attracts the attention of sweet Shizuko.  Unfortunately, she has already caught the eye of Jo (Tatsuya Nakadai), the thoroughly heartless leader of all the area’s criminal activities.  He plots to have her by sending a gang of his thugs to attack and rob her.  He then “rescues” her and while she is barely conscious has his way with her.  Rather than going to the police, Shizuko begs him to marry her the next day.  He thinks this is hilarious and roughs her up.  So naturally she becomes his “woman”.

Jo and the landlady start conspiring with some corrupt businessmen and government officials to tear down the tenement in order to put up a love hotel.  This requires the consents from all the tenants but those that cannot be obtained are forged.

Meanwhile, Shizuko is miserable and keeps trying, and failing, to meet with her true love Nishida.  Finally, she is tempted to take drastic action to extricate herself from her relationship with Jo.

This is a savage film featuring characters, other than the two young lovers, that represent the absolute dregs of humanity.  Nakadai is fabulous as the personification of evil.  I wasn’t crazy about the dissonant modern jazz score but otherwise I liked Black River, though it’s not something I need to see again.