Violence at Noon (Hakuchu no torima)
Directed by Nagasa Oshima
Written by Tsutomu Tomura from a novel by Taijun Takeda
1966/Japan
Sozosha
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] My hatred for Japanese cinema includes absolutely all of it. – Nagasa Oshima[/box]
Director Oshima’s favorite theme is the intersection of sex, violence and death. Despite the buckets of style applied, this is not a junction at which I want to spend much time.
The story moves back and forth between flashback and current time at regular intervals. The film begins with the rape of a servant girl in a wealthy home and the subsequent rape and murder of her mistress. The fits the MO of the “High Noon Killer” and the servant girl could certainly identify him if she wanted to. Problem is she has a complicated past with the killer and his wife. We then learn, in flashback, about the love quadrangle that set the events in motion. It, too, features a rape.
I have discovered that Japanese films of this era love to portray rape as something that creates some kind of emotional bond between the rapist and the victim. I’d love to know if anyone else sees that. At any rate, I can appreciate the inventive compositions and cinematography without liking the movie much.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIkhTaJOpNg
