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Yoru no henrin (1964)

A Rediscovered Classic

With brilliant colors and a poetic tone, Noboru Nakamura's The Shape of Night tells the story of a young woman, played by the mesmerizingly beautiful Miyuki Kuwano, who falls for a handsome yakuza whose bosses force her into a life of prostitution. Doomed lovers in a neon city, the pair become trapped in a spiral towards unescapable tragedy.

Filled with melancholy blues and violent reds, the gorgeous cinematography is a stark contrast to the brutal images on screen.

Like the work of Wong Kar-Wai (which this film has been compared), The Shape of Night is like a visual poem. A lyrical and tragic journey with an ending that hits hard. If you enjoy WKW's work, check this out.

The HD transfer on the Radiance Films disc is excellent.