Night Drum

Night Drum 1958

6.10

Following a yearlong attendance upon his shogun in Edo, samurai Hikokuro makes a long-awaited return to his home and doting wife, Dane. Initially greeted by the effusive welcome of his family, spiteful whispers also reach his ear about an adulterous affair carried on, in his long absence, between his wife and a famous drummer. With Hikokuro’s honor imperiled by rumor, his family insists on a formal investigation into the veracity of the gossip. Through the combined testimony of many witnesses, a tale unwinds around the visits of a traveling musician hired to tutor the family heir, the spurned attentions of the man who started the rumor, and the ultimate truth behind the accusations. The conclusion of events prove as much an indictment of bushidō as it is of the reluctant parties involved. Adapted from a 1706 play by Chikamatsu Monzaemon and based on a true case.

1958

Murahachibu

Murahachibu 1953

1

A villager's family is ostracized after he makes an accusation of rigged elections

1953

Darkness at Noon

Darkness at Noon 1956

6.60

Police beat a murder confession out of four innocent men who are then sentenced to death. Based on a true story.

1956

The Cannery Boat

The Cannery Boat 1953

8.00

Describes the oppressed life of the crab fishermen and their final revolt which is bloodily suppressed by the Royal Navy.

1953

Barefoot Gen

Barefoot Gen 1976

7.00

First live action adaptation of Keiji Nakazawa's manga.

1976

The Wandering of the Naked General: The Kiyoshi Yamashita Story

The Wandering of the Naked General: The Kiyoshi Yamashita Story 1981

1

Sent to an institution for mentally handicapped children by his parents, he began creating artworks using torn strips of paper. After running away to avoid army conscription, he began his wanderings around Japan, encountering many scenes which he would recreate as torn paper art from his amazing photographic memory.

1981