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By PAUL BRENNER
The best thing about
Criterion's release of Shohei Imamura's mordant
1966 black comedy, "The Pornographers," is the
solid and finely detailed black and white scope
transfer, with its rich contrasts and crisp
images.
Criterion is also to be praised for releasing the
rarely seen Imamura film. "The Pornographers"
plays like an Ozu domestic drama filtered through
David Lynch. The film begins like a lighter than
air sit-com about the struggles of a middle-aged
Dad to provide for his small family. But kick is
that the Dad, Subu Ogata, makes his living
skirting the law and the local mob shooting 8mm
porn film loops. And he is not really married to
Mom, Haru, who, even though they enjoy carnal
bliss, is actually his landlady. And despite the
fact that Subu loves Haru, he is, actually,
sexually obsessed with Haru's daughter, a
fifteen-year-old tease named Kieko. But that
doesn't bother Haru since she is involved in her
own incestuous relationship with her teenage son,
Koichi, who likes to briskly rub his Mom's nether
regions under her bed sheets. Presiding over this
menagerie is the spirit of Haru's deceased
husband, reincarnated as a carp.
Imamura offers a needle-nosed criticism of
Japanese society circa 1966 in which sex, in the
absence of any other cultural reference, becomes
the foundation of the world. Incest, porn,
prostitution, masturbation, orgies, kinky sex all
becomes the contemporary societal equivalent of
declaring one's independence in the glorious
pursuit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness. As Subu declares at one point about his
chosen profession, "I'm better than white collar
men. My work may be immoral, but I treat everyone
honestly. Dammit!"
Unfortunately, Criterion does not treat "The
Pornographers" honestly. The extras are
non-existent. What do we get? Only a trailer and
an essay by J. Hoberman. No commentary. No Imamura
interviews. Nothing. Not even any 8mm porn film
loops! The carp will certainly be jumping over
this! |
