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As was the case with many of Wakamatsu’s works, “Secrets Behind the Wall” was surrounded by intense controversy. Being the first release of his own production company, Wakamatsu Pro, it was backed financially by Kokuei, whose people though, received a completely different script than what the cunning director ended up with, in a rather risky move, which paid off completely though. The movie was a commercial success and became one of the first pinku films to screen outside of Japan, on the 15th Berlinale. However, the Japanese authorities, the majority of the critics and in general a number of people who watched the movie reacted quite intently, particularly due to the introductory scene, where a woman has sex with a communist man, who carries an atrocious scar caused by the atomic bombing, with the whole scene taking place under the portrait of Stalin. Even more so, she mutters to him,...