Amagi goe

This is an adaptation of a short story by Matsumoto Seicho, Japan's most prolific mystery writer. Very few of his works have been translated in English, the most famous work being "Points and Lines", published under the title "Tokyo Express". Many of his novels have been adapted, often by Yoshitaro Nomura. His most celebrated film "The Demon" (1978) is one of these, and significantly superior to this one.

"Amagi Pass" is based on a short story published in 1958. A printing shop owner receives an order for 300 copies of a monography about an unsolved murder case from 40 years ago. It quickly becomes clear that the printer is personally involved in this case, as he was interrogated about it when he was a 14 year old boy. In flashbacks, he remembers running away from home and meeting a prostitute on a mountain road. After their encounter, the body of a drifter is found, and the prostitute is arrested on suspicion of murder. The viewer quickly comes to associate visual hints with the conclusion that this is not what happened.

The mystery part is easy enough to solve but the narrative style which saves the most dramatic part of the story after its conclusion has been revealed is quite interesting - a film noir in color. The revelation itself is, however, rather Freudian and comes across as a bit cliché.