Kuroi kawa

This is The Lower Depths but angry. This feels like the closest Kobayashi ever came to making a Kurosawa movie, and it's still distinctly his own. It's a look at people living in the shadow of an American military base on the eve of the American military's departure from the area, when development opportunities are opening up, and what happens to the people in the lowest rungs of society in the face of that. It's also a love-triangle. There's definitely interlapping elements between the two major storylines, both literally and thematically, but I still feel like the two could have been intertwined more intimately.

A slum area of Tokyo welcomes a new resident, the student Nishida (Fumio Watanabe). He has decided to move out here to save some money, finding a cheap place to rent run by an unscrupulous landlady (Isuzu Yamada). On his way, he meets with the pretty Shizuko (Ineko Arima), a waitress who lives in the area. She is also spied by Joe (Tatsuya Nakadai), a local gang leader who decides that he's going to have her. Nishida meets the tenants of the shack of an apartment building, including a husband whose wife he has no idea is a prostitute, a sickly man with a wife, and even some of Joe's gang. That night, Joe sends his gang out to accost Shizuko while she's alone, allowing him to put on a show of saving her from the group of six men. He then immediately rapes her. She is a good girl, though, and knows that he took possession of her. She comes to him the next day and demands that he marry her formally, a prospect that Joe laughs off while taking her on as a kept woman. This causes a rift between Shizuko and Nishida in more ways that one. They were obviously fond of each other in that stranger likes another sort of way, and she had promised to borrow a book from him. With her shame, she runs away from him instead.

Behind all of this is the landlady working with a government official to get the tenants to sign eviction notices because she wants to sell the land to the government for development. Tenant rights in Japan at the time apparently included a provision that each tenant in a tenement had to affirmatively sign off on the eviction for the sale to go through, so the landlady enlists the services of Joe and his men to get those signatures. They're happy to pay three thousand yen for a signature, but they'll commit fraud if necessary. And commit fraud they do, getting at least three fake signatures (as well as stamps, which were apparently a thing) including that of Nishida.

Meanwhile, the relationship between Shizuko and Joe continues with Shizuko obviously trapped in a situation she has no love for, living in rather constant fear, while also trying to find ways to break off just to see Nishida for a few moments whenever she can, but it never works out. He grows increasingly disgusted with the whole situation, and she grows increasingly desperate that she's losing her way out of her depression.

The final major section of the film is really centered on the love triangle while pretty much completely dropping the tenant storyline. There is something going on here that connects the two, though. It's all about how to survive in such a world. Do you keep your innocence, whatever it may be after a crime committed against you, or do you become like Joe? Well, Shizuko chooses one path, and Nishida does not want her to take it. He puts himself in danger to prevent her from doing it, but she does it on the eponymous black river (a stretch of street that is pitch black in the middle of the night). The final shot is just great, by the way. A marvelous composition of stark contrasts in both light and subject.

I think Black River is a good film overall, but the out of balance nature of the two subplots undermines the emotional throughline of Nishida, I think. The center of this film is the degrading effects of this lawless, dog eat dog environment on the people, starting with the presence of Joe and continuing into the degradation of Shizuko. The look at the tenants is another dimension of this same idea, meaning that the two subplots do tie together, but it ends up feeling like extra stuff rather than essential elements to the story. So, it's not quite two movies awkwardly stitched together, but it's close to it. It feels like Kobayashi's typical issue (I wouldn't go so far as to call it a problem) where he has what he wants to say (this time about the lawlessness of post-war Japan that tramples under the underclasses) while trying to find a story to attach to it. The story itself, the romantic trio, actually has all of the subtext that he was looking for, which is interesting in and of itself. Perhaps simply diminishing the tenants in importance while giving us more time with Nishida would have been enough to push this into the upper tier of Kobayashi's body of work.

As it is, though, Black River is the continued evolution of Kobayashi learning to say what he wants to say within a story effectively. He's never been bad at it, and he's made better films, however the strength of the love triangle element's subtext is probably the best he's done at it. The overall package is solidly good, but that love triangle represents some very good work on Kobayashi's part.

Japanese drama from Shochiku and director Masaki Kobayashi. The story follows civil engineering student Nishida (Fumio Watanabe) as he moves into a slum apartment building near a U. S. army base. His fellow tenants struggle to survive by doing all sorts of unsavory things, while Nishida simply tries to keep his head down, concentrating on his studies, and staying out of trouble. Things get complicated when he falls for nice-girl waitress Shizuko (Ineko Arima), who has also caught the eye of young gang leader Killer Joe (Tatsuya Nakadai).

Director Kobayashi's film is meant as an indictment on post-war Japanese decadence and corruption, with a very critical eye toward the continuing U. S. military presence. Various concessions made for the comfort and convenience of the troops lead to poverty and squalor for the neighboring Japanese citizens, many of whom turn to petty crime and prostitution for survival. I think the director's message gets lost a bit in the love triangle, though. Watanabe makes for a passable lead, while Arima turns in another good turn, although not as impressive as that in Tokyo Twilight, which I watched yesterday. The real star is Nakadai, one of my favorite Japanese actors, here in his breakthrough role. He's menacing and compelling, while also imbuing what could have been a one-note psycho-thug with some depth and nuance. The film features excellent, moody cinematography, and the oppressive heat of the summer season is depicted very well.

Whether or not and to what specific degree it's true I don't know, but I recognize a definite kinship in this with films out of Hollywood, whether contemporaries of the 50s or snaking back into the 40s and late 30s. The story gives us a sleazy gangster ruling over a den of no-good hooligans, the innocent woman he abuses, the wicked landlady he conspires with who mistreats her tenants, and a well-meaning university student who enters the fray and finds himself sucked into the mire. There are unmistakable touches of film-noir here, and the crime flick, in a drama that by its plot alone we can easily envisage with famous American stars. Those echoes are firmly cemented with Kinoshita Chuji's flavorful music, placing emphasis on jazz and big band and readily invoking similar fare from across the Pacific. Of course, maybe this is part and parcel of the underlying intent; after all, 'Black River' takes place in Japan in the years following soon after World War II, when the United States occupied the land. With a military base operating right next door to all these goings-on, one may even deduce a narrative correlation between the presence of the Americans, the introduction of and insistence on Western values, and the corruption and iniquity we see infecting the town. Whatever connections we may make as viewers, though, the fact is that this is a fantastic movie, and it definitely continues to stand tall almost seventy years later.

Master filmmaker Kobayashi Masaki gives us a peek at a nation in flux, and it comes with a severity of tone that doesn't flinch away from the violence and sexuality like comparable Hollywood titles did under restrictive production codes. Where all the credit belongs between Kobayashi, author Tomishima Takeo, and screenwriter Matsuyama Zenzo I don't know, but the tale is raptly engaging and compelling as the tableau shows us the poor conditions of a country in transition, the ramshackle dwellings in which all variety of people lived, the rampant exploitation in which the seedy and dubious took advantage of those in no position to fend for themselves, and the struggles everyone had just to get by. From the outside looking in it doesn't sound like anything super special, but it takes no time at all after we press play" that we're fully absorbed in the saga. The characters are interesting and complicated, written with stark personalities, and the dialogue carries its own measure of spunk befitting the tenor of the picture. The scene writing is marvelously strong in fueling the storytelling - and everyone who helped to bring 'Black River' to life turned in consistently fantastic work.

The cast give vibrant performances commensurate with the charged pitch of the proceedings and the bent of their roles, and even those in smaller supporting parts like Awaji Keiko and Katsuragi Yoko have a moment to shine. Watanabe Fumio and Arima Ineko, starring as Nishida and Shizuko, have the most opportunity to demonstrate their skills given the intense, complex emotions of their characters; would that it were as reliably easy to find the credits of international players as those of domestic ones, for as the length draws on and events escalate they only impress more. Moreover, in that they quite match Nakadai Tatsuya, with the unyielding forcefulness and ferocity he bears in his portrayal of Joe. And as if the actors needed any help, Kobayashi's direction buzzes with a revitalizing energy that allows every detail, nuance, feeling, and thought in the feature pop off like sharp firecrackers of vigor. Accentuating the point: "party scenes" in the third act, reduced to a handful of actors, bristle with a fierce current of tension that is as potent as any scene of violence here, or any we'd get elsewhere, cementing a phenomenal finish for a film that grabbed us from the beginning as characters have changed over the course of the plot.

Outstanding production design and art direction lend substantial verisimilitude as they define the visual aesthetics with stupendous minutiae, making this fictional story all the more vivid and real; much the same goes for the attentive costume design, hair, and makeup. Smart editing and cinematography are boons nearly equal to Kobayashi's direction in facilitating the electricity herein while spotlighting every subtlety; sharp audio boosts every sound effect and line of dialogue, let alone Kinoshita's superb score as it reflects the sordid undercurrents and harsh atmosphere. Those stunts and effects that are employed are excellent; even the use of lighting is fetching at some times. The result of all this careful craftsmanship, rich writing, shrewd direction, and terrific acting is an engrossing, low-key brilliant drama that is far more, and more worthwhile, than it may seem at first blush. Even as I've loved anything I've seen to date from Kobayashi I admit I entered with mixed expectations, but when all is said and done I believe it stands shoulder to shoulder alongside his most celebrated pictures. Just as much to the point, I wouldn't hesitate to pit this against its Hollywood counterparts, and considering the space it plays in, that's a very high compliment indeed. Given the subject matter it may not appeal to all, yet I'd have no qualms in suggesting it to just about anyone. Whether you're a fan of someone involved, a connoisseur of the relevant genres, or just looking for something good watch, I'm thrilled with how tremendous 'Black River' is, and I'm happy to give it my very high, hearty, and enthusiastic recommendation!

The story is set around an American Air Force base which has attracted bars and brothels and the native Japanese who need this sordid world to scape by and make money to just barely survive. A love triangle develops among the dwellers of a falling down apartment building and a local gangster called Killer Joe.

It's a fascinating slice of life with engaging vivid seedy characters, these type of shanty towns always develop around military bases, I can't think of any other films I've seen that take place there. It's a rare look into the postwar lower middle class and lower end criminal element in Japan. Fast moving and convincing well worth watching if you can find it. Memorable ending and last image to a memorable film.

Although Masaki Kobayashi belongs to the generation after Yasujiro Ozu, he is in particular known for his triloogy about Japan during the Second World War ("The human condition" 1959 - 1961), while Ozu portrays the Japanese middle class during the years after Worldwar II. In this somewhat lesser known film Kobayashi focusses also on the postwar years. His subject is however not the middle class but people on the fringes of society. In this respect the film is more like a Mizoguchi film than like an Ozu film.

The story seems to be about a girl who has to choose between a poor student (the good guy) and a petty criminal who can afford to offer her more luxury (the bad guy). In reality the story is however much broader than this. We meet the inhabitants of an appartment complex nearby an American army compound (one of which is the aforementioned poor student). The landlord tries to throw them out of their houses so she can start a brothel. Althoug the story of the student and the the girl is predominant, we also learn something about the other inhabitants. The film takes on some elements of the ensemble film and can be compared with "Street of shame" (1956, Kenji Mizoguchi).

The image that Kobayashi presents of the Japanese society is not a favourable one. The American occupiers do not have a positive influence. On numerous occasions a jet fighter is flying over causing an immense roar, just to make clear how annoying the presence of American soldiers realy is. The question is how fair this kind of framing is. To be sure the American soldiers without any doubt are responsible for the demand for prostitutes. The supply of these prostitutes and the real estate corruption that surrounds the establishment of the brothel are however of a Japanese making.