Taiyô no hakaba (1960)

In Osaka's slum, youth without futures engage in pilfering, assault and robbery, prostitution, and the buying and selling of identity cards and of blood. Alliances constantly shift. Tatsu ... See full summary »

Director:

Nagisa Ôshima

Writers:

Toshirô Ishidô, Nagisa Ôshima

Stars:

Masahiko Tsugawa, Kayoko Honoo, Isao Sasaki

1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Masahiko Tsugawa	...	Shin, leader of gang
Kayoko Honoo	...	Hanako
Isao Sasaki	...	New gang member Takeshi
Fumio Watanabe	...	Yosehei
Kamatari Fujiwara	...	Batasuke, peddlar
Tanie Kitabayashi	...	Chika, Batasuke's wife
Junzaburô Ban	...	Yotsematsu, Hanako's father
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jun Hamamura	...	Goro Murata
Bokuzen Hidari	...	Peddlar
Kyu Ito	...	The 'horse'
Yûsuke Kawazu	...	Gang member
Asao Koike	...	Black Glasses
Hôsei Komatsu	...	Clochard
Ichirô Nagai	...	The 'lance'
Koji Nakahara	...	Gang member

Storyline

In Osaka's slum, youth without futures engage in pilfering, assault and robbery, prostitution, and the buying and selling of identity cards and of blood. Alliances constantly shift. Tatsu and Takeshi, friends since boyhood, reluctantly join Shin's gang. Shin's an upstart and moves his gang often to avoid the local kingpin. Hanoko is a young woman with ambitions: first she's in the blood business with her father, then she joins forces with Shin. She soon breaks off that partnership, even though she's taken the sensitive Takeshi under her wing. Double crosses multiply. Those with the closest bonds become each others' murderers.

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Plot Keywords:

gang | youth | japan | box office hit

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

2 January 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Sun's Burial

Company Credits

Production Co:

Shôchiku Eiga

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

Uncompromising

This sometimes brutal look at post war Osaka seems like a companion piece to Oshima's "Naked Youth". Seemingly aimless young people engage in criminal gang behavior, generally causing mayhem. You have to immediate give credit to Oshima for being unflinching in this story. This is not a story where you'll even like any character, least of all Hanoko, who has pretty but also pretty dead black eyes. In her eyes you see the futile existence in living there and leading the lifestyle they lead. The film's title appears to be a political one, as if Japan will be no more. The film's message is now dated, but its an effective film nonetheless. Oshima didn't compromise in his work, sometimes for better or for worse, but he is unique. If you're looking for redemption, its not really here. watch it for its portrait of gang life in a Japan rarely shown at any time to the general public. Its violent but worth your time.