Pleasures of the Flesh

Nagisa Oshima's 1965 film follows Atsushi, who after a killing is forced to hold a suitcase full of embezzled money. He cannot spend it, but it is in his hands. At a certain point he decides to consume it in the time remaining before its owner gets out of prison. The film constructs that decision as a plan for suicide. Atsushi spends the money on women, and each relationship feels emptier than the last. Oshima does not offer this as erotic narrative; he shows desire exhausting itself and what can be bought giving nothing. The use of colour and the editing fit the Japanese New Wave aesthetic of the period, with hard transitions between scenes and frequent voiceover. The film belongs to Oshima's first phase after leaving the studio system. Who it's for: those who like the Japanese New Wave and dark, morally uncomfortable narrative. Who it's not for: viewers troubled by scenes in which women are objectified; the film constructs this as criticism but shows it directly.