When husband/doctor Keizo returns home for the day his wife Natsue (Ayako Wakao) is at the piano in what appears to be a state of detached rapture. . On the coffee table an ashtray and two cups, their young daughter is missing, Keizo suspects his wife was entertaining a male friend and that their daughter was conveniently sent outside to play... Director Satsuo Yamamoto came to prominence in the 60s working on independent films and was notable for his numerous intense rebellious and socially conscious works. Here he adapts the debut 1964 novel from Ayako Miura. The searing family drama is a devastating internal dissection which strips away the facade of respectability for these parents in this middle class home. Selfish petty revenge inflicts the most painful and profound kind of emotional wound, having no regard for the cruel consequences, the revenge cuts deep, the scars will be long to heal... Yamamoto's blistering film is creative and artfully composed with , outstanding performances all round, this is an exceptional quality probing drama... Highly Recommended
