Désir inassouvi

Crackerjack black comedy showcasing early development of Imamura's style. A group of would-be criminals team up with an ambitious woman to tunnel under a business and rob it. Their descent into the (literal) underworld is played out with a noirish style that pokes fun at the genre while using it in incredibly effective ways, and the editing rhythms that develop are uncommon for the late 50s and have more in common with early-60s Suzuki. Misako Watanabe (who isn't on the IMDb cast list) is the standout in a really dynamic performance as the vicious femme fatale. Still, this is minor Imamura, will be of great interest to his fans but is still very effective as a comedy-thriller and will appeal to casual viewers also.

This movie, which borrows the basic scenario from an obscure 1930's film staring Edward G Robinson. It attempts to be a screwball comedy, a noir, a will-they-won't-they romance and a drama. It fails to be satisfying in any of those categories.

The majority of the first hour left me bored, which is the worst sin in cinema. The movie picked up towards the end and became more enjoyable.

Would I judge this movie more lightly if it was by a lesser director? Probably, but I still wouldn't enjoy it. If you haven't seen an Imamura flick, check out The Pigs and Battleships instead.