Profound Desires of the Gods
dir. Shōhei Imamura · 1968
The struggle for survival often reveals the complexities of desire and the consequences of societal expectations.
Kariya, a Tokyo engineer, arrives on a remote tropical island to drill a well, only to find himself entangled in the lives of the Futori family, whose customs and struggles are steeped in tradition. As he navigates the complexities of their world, the film immerses viewers in a haunting exploration of isolation, love, and the weight of cultural expectations.
The Tokyo engineer Kariya arrives on a primitive tropical island to drill a well to provide water for the sugar mill. He is assisted on the island by Kametaro, from the inbred Futori family. Nekichi Futori is chained in a pit that he has to dig, in order to appease the gods for breaking island customs. Nekichi is in love with his sister Uma, who is a shaman priestess at the sacred shrine, that contains the only good water close to the mill. She is also the mistress of Ryu, the manager of the mill. The patriarch of the Futori family tries to get the engineer to marry his retarded daughter Toriko.
Talking points
- the impact of colonialism on indigenous cultures
- the nature of sacrifice in love and duty
- the intersection of modernity and tradition
- familial obligations and societal expectations
