Vengeance Is Mine
dir. Shōhei Imamura · 1979
Feature
Moral Ambiguity
Mood
Dark / Tense
Look
gritty realism with stark contrasts
Structure
fragmented and nonlinear
Plot
Iwao Enokizu is a middle-aged man who has an unexplainable urge to commit insane and violent murders. Eventually he is chased by the police all over Japan, but somehow he always manages to escape. He meets a woman who runs a brothel. They love each other but how long can they be together?
Why watch
"Vengeance Is Mine" is a harrowing exploration of the human psyche, where love and violence intertwine in a chaotic dance. Shōhei Imamura crafts a visceral narrative that challenges moral certainties, making it a must-watch for those drawn to the darker corners of human experience.
Cultural context
post-war Japanese societyexploration of masculinitycritique of societal norms