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Isao Tashiro, a taciturn publishing executive in his forties, is having an early after-work beer when he is spotted by his neighbor and architect friend, Ryukichi Sugimoto. After they return to their regular dive bar, Sugimoto receives a call: his wife, Sayuri, has just been found dead in a friend’s apartment, not far from where the two had met earlier in Tokyo. Known for having several male friends – a situation Sugimoto seemingly accepted without concern – she appears to have been murdered by strangulation.

The Whole Family is screening at Metrograph as part of the Mikio Naruse: The World Betrays Us program

Here is how “The Stranger Within a Woman” opens after a meaningful tracking shot gradually closing in on a elusive Isao from behind. What immediately draws attention is the dated aesthetic: a moderately contrasted black and white within a square 1.31 ratio. Sounding a bit outdated? Undeniably. By 1966, Oshima...

Junichiro Tanizaki‘s novel “Manji,” which translates to “Swastika” and later given the English title “Quicksand,” is a popular erotic story of obsession, jealousy, and destruction surrounding a four-way bisexual love affair that develops between upper-class citizens, the four lovers meant to comprise the Buddhist swastika symbolically. This iconic literary work has seen numerous film adaptations throughout the years. However, the most famous and arguably best one comes from director Yasuzo Masumura with his 1964 classic “Manji,” also known by the titles “Swastika” and “All Mixed Up.” This version would notably have a screenplay written by Kaneto Shindo, who international moviegoers will best remember for directing the horror masterpiece “Onibaba.”

Manji is screening at Camera Japan

Plotwise, married woman and artist Sonoko Kakiuchi is unhappy with her marriage to her husband, Kotaro. While attending a private art school, she meets fellow student Mitsuko Tokumitsu, whose beauty and devilish charm entices Sonoko.

What’s singular about many of the films of Yasuzo Masumura (1924–1986) is that they’re intellectual forms of exploitation—politically incorrect experiences that are consciously sociopolitical critiques, unlike the roller-coaster rides of Tarantino. You might even say that they shock us into thinking. But it’s hard to make too many generalizations about someone who made 58 films, mostly assignments at Daiei before that studio closed in 1971. (source: https://metrograph.com/the-intellectual-and-sociopolitical-exploitations-of-yasuzo-masumura/)

In our latest column, we will have each contributor pick a specific person and present a list about him. The first selection belongs to Adam Symchuk.

1. Kisses (1957)

Yasuzo Masumura’s first feature-length film, “Kisses” may not be his most defined vision and is a, mostly, straightforward love story. However, the debut stands as an obvious testament of his trajectory in the film industry being one of profound skill. His ability to craft a love story at the forefront...

Japan boasts one of the most robust and oldest film industries in the world, with historian Yomota Inuhiko dating its origins as far back as 1896. With visionary filmmakers like Akira Kurosawa and Hayao Miyazaki among the industry's most recognizable names, Japan has produced some truly extraordinary films. Beyond sweeping historical epics and fantasy fare sharing the country's extensive folklore, Japan has produced a growing number of dramas that have stood the test of time.

From slice-of-life portraits across Japanese history to biting commentaries on society, Japanese dramas widely feature precision in storytelling and deliberate pacing to meditate on its themes. For decades, cinema has become a place for Japanese artists to question and subvert cultural norms directly while exploring and pondering existential themes. With that all in mind, here are the 15 best Japanese drama movies, from avant-garde pieces to animated films that delve into more humanist subject matter, showcasing different...

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The Movie: "Woman in the Dunes"

Where You Can Stream It: The Criterion Channel

The Pitch: A bug-hunting schoolteacher finds himself stranded in a sandpit with a woman, at the mercy of demented villagers, and forced into a life of shoveling sand.

In Japan, where rural population decline is an ongoing problem, there are places in the countryside that will actually pay people to live there. As 2023 began, the BBC and CNN reported that the government has upped its incentive program to 1 million yen per child for families willing to move away from the crowded capital of Tokyo to less thriving towns.

The villagers in "Woman in the Dunes" have devised a different scheme. They prey on solo travelers like...