Double Suicide (Shinjû: Ten no Amijima) 
Directed by Masahiro Shinoda
Written by Masahiro Shinoda, Toru Takemitsu, and Taeko Tomioka from a play by Monzaemon Chikamatsu
1969/Japan
IMDb page
First viewing/Criterion Channel
I think love isn’t doomed, of course, but in real life, love doesn’t always work out. — Makoto Shinkai
Classical Japanese tragedy is elevated by Shinoda’s sublime and unique filmmaking style.
The story is set in the 18th Century. Jihei is a samurai. He has a sweet and adoring wife named Osan and two small children. Koharu is a courtesan. She is more or less a slave who is on sale to the first man who can meet her price. Jihei and Koharu are having an affair.
Both our principals know their love is doomed. They agree to commit double suicide in the event that Koharu is sold to another. Osan is desperate to get her husband back. There can be no happy ending for this Japanese Romeo and Juliet.
The plot is straight-forward. The filmmaking is definitely not. The film starts off with people preparing to perform the story as a puppet drama, its traditional format. Shortly thereafter, the real actors start. The theatrical elements are captured in the art direction. Surfaces are covered with scenes looking like old Japanese woodprints or calligraphy and some of walls look like modern art drip paintings. The B&W cinematography is sensational. I enjoyed this.
Opening
