Pitfall (1962)

In the heart of the labor-charged world of Kyushu miners emerges a tale of intrigue and surrealism, weaving together the lives of six individuals in a desolate landscape. A fugitive deserter, adept at escaping the pursuit of authorities, hops from one mining job to the next, his adolescent son in tow. The young boy, a silent observer, witnesses the world through the wide-eyed innocence of a child, as he navigates the perplexing adult world unseen and unnoticed. Their path intertwines with the life of a lone candy vendor, the last resident of a forsaken mining camp. She yearns for a city life, waiting in futile hope for a male companion to whisk her away from her desolation. Amidst the ruins and rubble, a man donned in a white suit and gloves appears, his pristine attire contrasting starkly with the gritty surrounding. Simultaneously, the narrative unfolds the rivalry between Otsuka and Toyama, union chiefs of the old and new pits. Their contentious relationship stems from their contrasting alliances with the mining company, mirroring the unrest within the labor unions. As the story unfolds, a murder transpires, throwing the characters into a complex web of deceit, bribery, and frame-ups. Reality blurs with the surreal as a ghost yearns for truth and a child silently witnesses the chaos. The narrative unravels meticulously planned events that on the surface appear haphazard, questioning the value of truth in both the living world and the afterlife, and the extent to which reality can be manipulated. Pitfall is a haunting exploration of labor, loyalty, and the elusive nature of truth, set against the backdrop of a ghostly mining town.

Pitfall is a crime movie featuring Hisashi Igawa and directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara.

Pitfall is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.