FREE ON YOUTUBE Shohei Imamura - The Insect Woman

(YOU FIND THE WHOLE FILM WITH ENGLISH subtitles FREE ON YOUTUBE) Shôhei Imamura takes up universal themes such as the instinct for self-preservation and sex. Occasionally it seems as if he tells his story a little incoherently, even confusedly. But although we are dealing here with a Japanese film from 1963, we understand the characters. They may be exotic, but there is no doubt: the characters Imamura shows are real! The focus is on Tome Matsuki (Sachiko Hidari). She belongs to the poor "primitive" class. Tome Matsuki decides instinctively, without a sense for the categories "right" vs. "wrong". The whole life of a woman is processed before us, beginning during the 20's, through the turmoil of war up to the present of the film. She prostitutes herself, gives birth to a child, never marries. It is thought that everything is subordinated to the will to succeed. Finally, she takes the position of a lady in Tokyo as the lover of a businessman. But where is happiness? Where can she find something like satisfaction? Is it not in the home of her village, along with the daughter and her future son-in-law? Sachiko Hidari plays her role simply and simply - and that is exactly what makes her appeal! We understand this simple soul who pretends to live a peaceful life. Perhaps it is the biggest theme of Japanese cinema: The conflict between tradition and modernity. (You can find the movie on youtube)