Violence at Noon Dir: Oshima Nagisa Scr: Tamura Takeshi Original Story: Takeda Taijun Prod: Nakajima Masayuki Prod Co: Shochiku Cast: Kawaguchi Saeda, Koyama Akiko, Sato Kei 1966 / B&W / 35mm / Japanese / Eng Subtitles / 99min

Violence at Noon is every bit as powerful and evocative as its title denotes. The story, based on the real-life exploits of a serial criminal, is about a young woman who attempts double suicide with a man but survives alone. Her subsequent rape by a man sets off a series of vicious crimes... Oshima's skillful deployment of a complicated narrative, stylized mise-en-scene and flamboyant editing to animate intricate sets of metaphors provides potent depictions of post-war Japan.