“Violence at Noon” continues director Nagisa Oshima’s focus on self and sexual destruction. A film with over 2,000 cuts and presented in high contrast, “Violence at Noon” is definitely one of his most memorable and exquisite artistic films. A wonderful inclusion for “Oshima’s Outlaw Sixties”.
Image courtesy of © 1966 Shochiku Co. © 2010 All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: Violence at Noon (as part of the Oshima’s Outlaw Sixties – Eclipse Series #21)
DURATION: 99 Minutes
DVD INFORMATION: Black and White, 2:35:1 Aspect Ratio, Monaural, Japanese with English subtitles
COMPANY: Janus Films/The Criterion Collection
RELEASED: May 18, 2010
Directed by Nagisa Oshima
Based on the novel by Tsutomu Tamura
Screenplay by Taijun Takeda
Music by Hikaru Hayashi
Cinematography by Akira Takada
Edited by Keiichi Uraoka
Production Design by Jusho Toda
Starring:
Saeda Kawaguchi as Shino Shinozaki
Akiko Koyama as Matsuko Koura
Kei Sato as Eisuke Oyamada
Rokko Toura as Genji Hyuga
Hideo Kanze as Inagaki
Hideko Kawaguchi as Matsuko’s Mother
Narumi Kayashima as Jinbo
Teruko Kishi as Shino’s Grandmother
Hosei Komatsu as Shino’s Father
Often called the Godard of the East, Japanese director Nagisa Oshima was one of the most provocative film artists of the twentieth century, and his works challenged and shocked the cinematic world for decades. Following his rise to prominence at Shochiku, Oshima struck out to form his own production company, Sozo-sha, in the early sixties. That move ushered in the prolific period of his career that gave birth to the five films collected here. Unsurprisingly, this studio renegade was fascinated by stories of outsiders—serial killers, rabid hedonists, and stowaway misfits are just some of the social castoffs you’ll meet in these audacious, cerebral entries in the New Wave surge that made Japan a hub of truly daredevil moviemaking.
Violence at Noon concerns the odd circumstances surrounding a horrific murder and rape spree. In a twist, the film is as much about the two women who protect the violent man—his wife and a former victim—as it is about him. Containing more than two thousand cuts and a wealth of inventive widescreen compositions, this coolly fragmented character study is a mesmerizing investigation of criminality and social decay.
Nagisa Oshima, one of Japan’s most controversial filmmakers. A filmmaker who shocked the world with his 1976 film “In the Realm of Senses” (Ai no Corrida) based on the true story of Sada Abe and a film that showcased unsimulated sex and faced major censorship. In fact, even with the Criterion Collection’s Blu-ray and DVD release of “In the Realm of Senses”, viewers today still debate if the film was art or if the film was pornography. If anything, Oshima has caught the attention of many and many have wondered if his other films would ever reach US shores.
One of the founders of the Japanese New Wave, Oshima was known for taking on Japanese taboos and creating films against the status quo, the filmmaker has been doing his style of films since 1959 and working for the studio Shochiku in order to fulfill the studio’s desire of creating edgier material for the youth market. Â Oshima would go on to create three films which were known as “The Youth Trilogy” (“Cruel Story of Youth”, “The Sun’s Burial”, “Night and Fog in Japan”).
After politics played a part in Oshima leaving Shochiku, the filmmaker would go on to create his own company known as Sozo-sha (Creation Company) and in celebration of his work from his new studio and many fans bombarding Criterion for more Oshima, The Criterion Collection has chosen Nagisa Oshima’s mid-to-late ’60s films to be part of the latest Eclipse Series Collection known as “Eclipse Series 21: Oshima’s Outlaw Sixties”. The DVD box set would include the following films: “Pleasures of the Flesh” (1965), “Violence at Noon” (1966), “Sing a Song of Sex” (1967), “Japanese Summer: Double Suicide” (1967) and “Three Resurrected Drunkards” (1968).
In 1966, having shown to push the button a little with the release of his last film “Pleasures of the Flesh”, Oshima returned with “Violence at Noon” (Hakuchu no Torima) which once again captured Japanese viewers as the film would deal with a serial rapist/murderer and hit the audience hard as it was loosely based on a true story of a man who terrorized Japan and adapted from the novel “Daylight Demon” based on the killer.
“Violence at Noon” is not a film about a rapist and murderer and trying to justify why this man has committed these crimes but is a film focusing on two women, two victims who have a choice in whether to tell the police who the “High Noon Rapist” is or to go on with life and not report anything while this person continues to terrorize Japan.
The film begins with Shino Shinozaki (played by Saeda Kawaguchi) working as a maid and washing clothes. Meanwhile, a man watches her and stares at her body. He comes in and startles her. She is surprised that the man is a Eisuke Oyamada (played by Kei Sato). The two talk and she wonders why he is back in town and why he smells of alcohol but next thing you know, he pulls out a knife and forces her upstairs, bounds her and rapes her while she’s unconscious.
By the time she has awaken, we find the police at the home of her employer. Shino was raped but her employer, the mother of the home was murdered and the police believe it to be the “High Noon Killer” who has since claimed the lives of eleven women throughout Japan. The police have no idea who the suspect is and are working with very little clues but Shino knows who it is but she isn’t telling and withholding crucial evidence. And for the police, Shino is the only surviving victim and witness that can describe the killer.
We then see Shino writing a letter to her old friend Matsuko, the wife of Eisuke and in the letter, telling her that Eisuke is the serial rapist/killer.
And then the story features various flashbacks from the past. The film then begins to focus on four individuals who attended school together and cared for the school’s livestock. The four individuals that the film focuses on are Shino (who comes from a poor family that was affected by a flood that wiped out her family’s crops), Genji Hyuga (looked at as the leader of the student group and also popular in the community who wants him to be the next local politician), Matsuko (the intelligent teacher) and Eisuke (the man with a temper who walks the beat of his own drum and not a team player. We learn how these friends worked for a communal farm but how the failure of the family or the perceived failure of one’s future career can lead to their self-destruction.
The third story arc fastforwards to the present as Shino is seen working with the police and trying to learn the behavior of a criminal and with her being the first victim, how she may have contributed to him becoming a serial killer/rapist. Â Eventually, Shino and Matsuko finally meet and must decide whether or not they should give the police what they need or to let Eisuke continue murdering and raping women.
VIDEO:
“Violence at Noon” is presented in black and white (2:35:1). This is a film that has probably earned Nagisa Oshima the title of “Godard of the East”. Although, I feel that there is more connection between Godard and Alan Resnais, “Violence at Noon” is interesting as the film uses more than 2000 jump cuts according to Max Tessier (who wrote the essay “Oshima Nagisa , or the Battered Energy of Desire in Reframing Japanese Cinema”) and shot in high contrast. But once again, The Criterion Collection delivers with this film as I didn’t see any major blemishes on the film or major flickering.  The blacks were deep and the white and grays were shown with such high contrast that once again, it is Oshima’s way of not abiding by the status quo. But for the most part, the film looks great considering it’s 45-years-old.
I have not seen the original UK disc for comparison but I would imagine similar to “Pleasures of the Flesh”, that this newer release improves upon the picture quality from the older DVD release.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“Violence at Noon” is presented in Japanese monaural with English subtitles. Dialogue is clear and I didn’t hear any clicks or pops during my viewing.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Eclipse Series releases do not come with special features but included in the insert is a background on Oshima and the information about the film.
During the ’60s, it s a recurring theme with Oshima’s films to show its characters as unlikable people and typically are on the path of self-destruction. Similar to “Pleases of the Flesh”, there is also destructive sexuality and for “Violence at Noon”, taking a true story of a real serial killer in Japan and showing the sickness of the character but those who protect him. The film is also one of the earlier Japanese films to show the country’s suicide pact among normal people that is quite prevalent and more troublesome in the Japan of today.
But what is fascinating about “Violence at Noon” is its story structure and how methodic Oshima and writer Taijun Takeda were in showing the viewer how Eisuke became this amoral predator, he shows no care in what he does and his sickness of preying over women who are knocked out or dead is quite sick. But its important to note that the film is not about the serial killer but about the women in his life and who he grew up with.
Shino being the girl that Eisuke has loved but chooses to love the head man of their farming group, Genji Hyuga (who looks down on Eisuke for making dumb choices as an individual but not for the collective). We see early in the film how both Shino and Genji tried to commit suicide together but Shino lives and is rescued by Eisuke but immediately while unconscious, Eisuke rapes her. But how can this first act of deviancy lead this man to become a monster?
As for Matsuko who plays the wife of Eisuke, a respected teacher in the community, why is it that she is treated differently by him. Why is it that no matter how many letters she receives from Shino and knows that her husband is the wanted serial killer, her love for him prevents her from turning him in. But its when these two women come face-to-face, not only do we get wonderful cinematography and panning during a train sequence but a rather interesting interaction and performance by Saeda Kawatuchi and Akiko Koyama (who would later appear in Oshima’s “In the Realm of the Senses/Ai no Corrida” as the Mansaki Geisha).
As I have read reviews from people who have caught this film during the film festival circuit, a common theme which I have read about in terms of people’s feelings towards the movie is the use of the word “disorienting”. The film uses over 2,000 cuts and we are seeing a film that jumps to different parts in time. But I don’t see the film as disorienting, confusing or bizarre.
The high contrast look of the film, the shifting of the cameras, well-tuned panning, isolated frame shots and if anything, with the film having unlikable or flawed characters, there are many scenes of beauty that is attributed to the shots and camera work of Akira Takada. But “disorienting” is not the word, possibly “artistic” and “defiant” and showing us that for Oshima, there is no capitulation in his filmmaking. May it be his caustic viewpoint towards the Japanese film industry, there is no doubt that “Violence at Noon” is a film that has its complexities but at the same time, you are left feeling that once again Oshima has created yet another intriguing film.
And there are viewers who ask, “what is the intention of this film from the director?”. Even if you were to step away from Oshima’s style of filmmaking, in society, there are people who will protect a loved one despite if they are a criminal. May it be a domestic violence or abusive husband, a thief or some deviant behavior that the person would protect that person no matter what. Even for some sick criminals who are behind bars, there are women who would want to marry some of these people and write to them like fans. Sick as it is, this is not anything new in our society in the US or around the world. “Violence at Noon” gives us that perspective within its storyline.
Why would these women not turn in this monster? Is love or hatred that encompassing that they can allow this man to live and knowing he will murder and rape many more women? It is most definitely a topic that people don’t want to think or talk about.  Taboo in many other cultures but this is where Oshima excels as a filmmaker. Taking things that are uncomfortable and going against the status quo.  Knowing how to present self-destructive individuals, sexually destructive individuals on the big screen and it would become a theme of his films and moreso later on in his career, especially a decade later with the making of “In the Realm of the Senses”.
Overall, “Violence at Noon” is an exquisite film that doesn’t stray too far from its intention. The film is one of Oshima’s most memorable artistic films and looks great on DVD. Granted, it may not have all the bells and whistles of an actual Criterion Collection release but as the second film of the “Eclipse Series #21: Oshima’s Outlaw Sixties”, “Violence at Noon” is another wonderful addition to this DVD box set.