Cinema
Double Suicide
心中天網島
Masahiro Shinoda · 1969
Synopsis
Ōsaka, at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Jihei, a paper merchant of the Tenma district, married to his cousin Osan and a father, is having an affair with the courtesan Koharu. He has often promised to buy out her contract, without having the means, and neglects his family for her, according to L'Étrange Festival. A rich merchant, Tahei, seeks to buy out Koharu before him, and Jihei's father-in-law demands a divorce, according to Mondo Digital.
Context
The play, written for the puppet theatre in 1720 or 1721 depending on the source, is by Chikamatsu Monzaemon. The black-clad puppeteers remain in the frame and accompany the actors in almost every shot, according to Turner Classic Movies, and the sets give up realism. Iwashita Shima plays both the wife and the courtesan. The screenplay brings together the director, Tomioka Taeko and the composer Takemitsu Tōru; the film was the first production of the director's company, together with the Art Theatre Guild, and was released on 24 May 1969.
Who it is for
One hundred and five minutes in black and white, between puppet theatre and cinema, with the puppeteers visible on screen.
Prizes and reception
Regarded by L'Étrange Festival as the author's most daring film, it was shown again in Paris in 2022.
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