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After over a decade in the wilderness following his firing from Nikkatsu for “Branded to Kill” (1967), maverick director Seijun Suzuki returned with a vengeance with his critically-praised tryptic of cryptic supernatural dramas set during the liberal enlightenment of Japan’s Taisho Era (1912-26).
Director Yoshishige Yoshida released “Eros + Massacre” in 1969 followed by “Heroic Purgatory” in 1970 and “Coup d’Etat” in 1973. It’s a very well-received trilogy by those who know Japanese film. A lot of people even argue that the trilogy is the best of the Nuberu Bagu, the Japanese New Wave film movement. Yoshida, however, is not a director of which I had ever heard. Normally, if a director is older and I haven’t heard of him, there’s a reason. Yoshida, though, is so brilliant and groundbreaking in his directorial style that I’m truly surprised I’d never heard of the master. As a film buff of American films between the 1970s and 1980s, I saw a lot of directorial styles that were later borrowed by other directors.
“Eros + Massacre”
“Eros + Massacre” is approximately 3 hours long, black and white Japanese film. If that description doesn’t provide enough guidance, the film is remarkably dense. In its plot, the film touches on themes like anarchism, free love, and time. The film is also a biopic about anarchist, Sakae Osugi, who was assassinated by the Japanese military in the 1920s.
Telling a biographic story, the film focuses on a man’s relationship with women and is punctuated by moments of the surreal. The story jumps between Osugi’s relationship with three women in the 1920s and two students who are studying Osugi in the 1960s. The two time periods in the film are produced in different styles with the 1920s depicted as kabuki theater while the 1960s scenes being filmed in a more avant-garde manner.
Paul Schrader’s much later film “Mishima” is almost a perfect copycat of the brilliant parts of “Eros + Massacre,” which is perhaps why I didn’t recognize as much brilliance in the film. If I had not seen “Mishima,” I would have agreed with the many individuals who argue that its one of the best Japanese films ever made. There is a famous mirror scene using a person’s breast in “Mishima” that was almost perfectly copied from “Eros + Massacre.” Ultimately, this is a remarkably rewarding film, but you’re going to have be extremely patient. You will also probably have to read a small amount to increase your appreciation of the historical context of the film. Ultimately, if the plot is too challenging to fully process, the film is still amazingly powerful for its shot composition and framing as well as Yoshida’s use of a shadow.
The film’s storyline can be offputting, but what makes the film really memorable are its beautiful scenes that often places the actors at the edge of the screen or finds ways to splice bodies. After being unavailable in the United States, Arrow has presented the film in unique form and offers both the original theatrical cut and Yoshida’s directorial cuts with 50 minutes of lost footage restored.
“Heroic Purgatory”
For people who are used to thinking of sequels in more conventional terms, the connection between these three Yoshida films can be difficult to understand. The connection between these films has much more to do with themes than any strict plot connection. Among the three films in the trilogy, “Heroic Purgatory” is the loosest structure and that’s really saying something. All three films in the series contemplate time and radicalism punctuated with some surreal scenes. The plot (or better-stated premise, I’m not sure there’s a plot) of “Heroic Purgatory” involves an engineer whose wife returns home with a lost teenager. Another man soon arrives at the couple’s house attempting to retrieve the teenager. Much like “Eros + Massacre,” “Heroic Purgatory” is a film that will be remembered but not for its plot. Instead, “Heroic Purgatory” has been shot by skilled hands. Because the film doesn’t have a traditional plot or structure, it’s hard to assess the film in terms of the emotions that it evokes. It’s almost like in making a film about anarchists Yoshida has totally rebelled against structure and traditional notions of what makes a film to create “Heroic Purgatory.” This is the least favorite of my three in the trilogy, but this might because the film is complex and hard to analyze.
“Coup D’Etat”
“Coup D’Etat” is the easiest to process film to understand in this film trilogy. In short, the story revolves around a failed overthrow of the Japanese military. This is not to say that the plot in this film particularly enjoyable. While there’s a relatable hero, there are stereotypical female characters and an easily predictable plot. To glean the strength of this film, one again is forced to analyze Yoshida’s work as a director. Like the two earlier films, there’s a lot of admirable work in “Coup D’Etat” and I recognize the film’s technical prowess. There’s little in this film, though, to create much of an emotional reaction in the viewer.
I realize that this trilogy is not for everyone, but if you’d like to watch a masterfully shot Japanese New Wave film and don’t mind dealing with a difficult plot, I’d highly recommend it. Arrow has made this film available in its best form ever.
Now available in a 6-Disc Limited Edition Blu-ray + DVD
