Pigs and Battleships

Sean Baker

Took me too long to watch Imamura's early work. Finally tackling the Criterion Imamura "Pigs, Pimps and Prostitutes" Box Set.This film is amazing. I totally see how this film got Imamura on the world cinema scene -- an interesting alternative to what was the old school style of the Japanese studio system. Imamura's fascination of cultural clash, gender politics and the underground economy is clear in this film and sets a path to what is to come in his career. I love how the film is equally as harsh toward both the US and Japan. And the climax is pretty climactic. Budget must have been significant because this entire end sequence was shot on a set -- recreation of the Yokosuka red light district. It's strange that this ending isn't discussed more in film criticism. It's pretty epic. The B&W cinemascope is gorgeous. Criterion DVD - Deserves a Blu-ray

reibureibu

Imperialism's best weapon is perhaps its ability to let the imperialized hang themselves. Once in power, there's not much the Americans have to do to keep it here – the Japanese women are all too eager to marry and please an American man to move up in life and the Japanese men are more than happy to pimp them out if it means they get a cut, with no value placed on Japanese identity. They spend their whole lives jockeying to move up the social hierarchy as the American occupants take for granted their position at the top – a hierarchy put in place by the imperialists yet most invisible to them as well (the privilege of being ignorant of privilege).Pigs do not recognize the stockyard they're in if given just enough room to wander their cage and promises of earning a bigger, better cage; it's hard to blame the imperialized for participating in – and by virtue, enforce – their own subjugation if it is the only promise of security in their lives. The path out of the butcher's is one with no such promise, but also one with no such false promise. The struggle lies in recognizing the latter.

📀 Cammmalot 📀4.0

Cinematic Time Capsule1961 Marathon - Film #1 ”I want to do something cool with my life.”I’m sure we’ve all had that moment in our lives where we’re torn between taking a “regular” working job or becoming a pig farmer for the Yakusa. It’s a tough decision, and both options have their pros and cons.To make matters worse, it was likely that your significant other was also trying to decide whether or not to take a factory job or become an international whore. We’ve all been there, right?If you’re really lucky, these transitional moments were captured and documented by Shōhei Imamura. With his energetic cinematography and editing being just the thing to create a gorgeous black-and-white compilation of the stupid choices you made and the fun you had along the way. After all who can forget the time you let the pigs run wild as you screamed your frustrations into the night….”Let all the pigs out or I’ll spray you with bullets!”Cinematic Time Capsule - 1961 RankedThe New York Times Book of Movies: The Essential 1,000 Films to See