The Insect Woman (Japan, 1963)

Tome is born into poverty in rural Japan, in the late 1910s. Chuji, her father, dotes on her; her mother is less faithful. Tome becomes a neighbor's mistress, works at his mill as World War II rages, and has a daughter. After an affair with a mill supervisor, Tome goes to Tokyo to seek her fortune. Tome's a maid at a brothel, learns trade from the madam, enjoys the protection of a businessman whose mistress she becomes, and is soon herself the boss. As Chuji ages and Nobuko grows up with her own ideas, can Tome's self-preserving schemes provide continued comfort?

With The Insect Woman, Shohei Imamura (The Eel, Black Rain) let's us follow a woman on a not so uplifting journey through life. We really develop sympathy for her, but also see her in a different light when she goes through some rough periods of time. Tome goes from innocent youth to hardened woman in charge. Imamura got the title from the idea of an insect that keeps making the same mistake over and over again yet doesn't give up, and like the insect, Tome always finds herself in another dark place but keeps on going. 

Genre: Drama

Vengeance Is Mine (Japan, 1979)

Iwao Enokizu is a middle-aged man who has an unexplainable urge to commit insane and violent murders. Eventually he is chased by the police all over Japan, but somehow he always manages to escape. He meets a woman who runs a brothel. They love each other but how long can they be together?

As a big fan of Shohei Imamura (Black Rain), seeing him tackling the story of a real life serial killer was a no brainer. It's not exactly for the faint of heart due to the grisly acts of rape and violence toward women, and it can be a bit draining. If you've seen a film about Ted Bundy, this has some of that same style of following a psychopath and being horrified by the fact that people like this can exist anywhere, and on the outside they look just like anyone else. 

Genre: Crime/Drama

Black Rain (Japan, 1989)

Mr and Mrs Shizuma, and their niece Yasuko, make their way through the ruins of Hiroshima, just after the atomic bomb has dropped. Five years later, Yasuko is living with her aunt and uncle, and her senile grandmother, in a village containing many of the bomb survivors. Yasuko does not appear to be affected by the bomb, but the Shizuma's are worried about her marriage prospects, as she could succumb to radiation sickness at any time.

Black Rain won't cheer anyone up. It won't put a smile on your face or fill you even with a glimpse of hope. The haunting images of Hiroshima after the atomic bomb are horrific, and we are soon left to deal with the agony of the long and painful aftermath. It's a realistic portrayal of what was left of many peoples lives after an atomic bomb.

Grim and effective. Without a doubt one of the best films I've seen dealing with the Hiroshima bomb, and I'm grateful for being able to see director Shohei Imamura (The Eel) tackle this difficult subject. 

Genre: Drama