• Imamura’s sophomore effort and first archiveable film (after Stolen Desire- also from 1958 which is a miss)
  • This has a fully engaging narrative (largely from Lloyd Bacon’s Larceny, Inc with Edward G. Robinson from 1942) and the first traces of Imamura’s mise-en-scene brilliance- shots behind barrels, shots blocked by a ladder, shoji doors, etc.
  • Wipe edits
  • Shot of feet and moves up the body like Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train
  • A great shot of the four characters discussion their plan at different depths
  • Reverse shot broken up by Shoji doors and windows
  • It’s a fascinating premise (Woody Allen would use it again in Small Time Crooks in 2000)
  • Overhead shot (used during violence scenes later in Imamura’s 60’s work) of digging the tunnel
  • Imamura’s camera goes over and under the floor in a shot of people digging- great shot
  • The frame is split in half by  a ladder at the time of the stairs several times— von Sternberg
  • Like all of Imamura’s work these people are from the seedy underbelly—self-described “pigs” and outcasts…  the word “pervert” is used 5 times
  • Like all of Imamura’s work sexuality plays an important role— voyeur shower scene here and we get pretty graphic on some of the discussions
  • Shots through windows
  • The poisonous drink is lit like Hitchcock in Suspicion
  • Nihilism- murderous ending- everyone screwing each other over
  • R/HR