Black River (1957)

In the chilling aftermath of World War II, "Black River" plunges viewers into the bleak underbelly of rampant corruption seeping into the fabric of a society desperately trying to recover. Director Kobayashi masterfully crafts a haunting portrait of Japan, caught in a deadly dance with lawlessness, gangsterism and prostitution, all shadowing the U.S. military bases that are the crux of this moral decay. At the heart of this sordid landscape, a poignant love triangle unfolds, marking the center of this societal maelstrom. A good-natured student, emblematic of hope and innocence, his naive girlfriend, an image of purity under threat, and a ruthless petty criminal, personified by Tatsuya Nakadai in a breakthrough performance, form the vertices of this emotional polygon. Their intertwined fates serve as a stark diagnosis of a social disease, a manifestation of a post-War era where Japan is slowly, yet unmistakably, succumbing to a chilling state of lawlessness. "Black River" is a captivating exploration of human resilience and frailty, wrapped in a narrative as dark as its title suggests, unflinchingly exposing the turmoil of a nation grappling with a devastating past and an uncertain future.

Black River is a crime movie featuring Fumio Watanabe.

Black River is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.