Pigs and Battleships
Institute of Contemporary Arts, The Mall, London, Covent Garden
About
Pigs and Battleships is a 1962 Japanese film about small-time gangsters locked in desperate power struggles in the port town of Yokosuka. Director Shōhei Imamura drew on his own experiences as a black market peddler in post-war Tokyo, telling of Kinta, a young hood trying to rise through his sub-Yakuza gang, and Haruko, a headstrong young woman seeking a better life. As the couple find themselves encircled by violence and manipulation, beset by gangsters and soldiers, the film becomes an angry portrait of the US occupation and Japan's venal ambition. Shot in CinemaScope, it marked Imamura's arrival as a major voice in Japanese cinema.
Written by a model, sources: ica.art
Critics
7.3Very good
Critics admire the film's humane yet cynical tone and its unique blend of humor and anger, praising the female lead's performance and visual craft. Some find the symbolism heavy-handed and the central character dim.
Reviews: Chicago Reader, Japanonfilm, viktor.eikman.se, TMDb
Trailer
Trailer on YouTubeVenue
Institute of Contemporary Arts is in London’s Covent Garden.
The Mall, London
Institute of Contemporary Arts 50 more events- Director
- Shōhei Imamura
- Year
- 1962
- Runtime
- 108 min
