Three Resurrected Drunkards
dir. Nagisa Ōshima · 1968
Feature
Cultural Dislocation
Mood
Comedic / Dark
Look
stark contrasts between vibrant seaside landscapes and the grim realities of societal prejudice
Structure
episodic with intertwining vignettes
Plot
Three students spend their holidays at the seaside where they are mistaken for Koreans, a minority which is looked down on in Japan. The action develops into a crime story.
Why watch
Three students find themselves mistaken for Koreans while vacationing at the seaside, leading to a series of absurd and darkly comedic events. Watching this film is like navigating a labyrinth of youthful folly and societal critique, where laughter often masks deeper truths about identity and prejudice.
Cultural context
post-war Japanese identitysocietal attitudes towards minoritiesstudent activism in the 1960sabsurdism in Japanese cinema