Due to the scene of shooting pigeons in his debut film A Town of Love and Hope (1959) was considered cruel, Nagisa Oshima discovered the theme “the essence of modern society is cruelty”. He promptly revised a script written in 1958 and titled it Naked Youth. The story follows rebellious high schooler Makoto (Miyuki Kuwano), who frequents bustling streets and hitches rides with strangers late at night. On one occasion, she was almost being taken to a hot spring inn by the driver. University student Kiyoshi (Yusuke Kawazu) happens upon the scene, intervening with his fists and seizing ‘hush money’ from the fallen man. Thus the pair meet. They agree to squander the money together and the two embark on a path of self-destruction. Against the backdrop of post-war Japan's economic boom, where traditional moral codes fell to pieces while new values yet to be formed, Nagisa Oshima offers a unique perspective through this film. Responding to the French New Wave with forceful handheld tracking shots (and employing radical, daring compositions), he uses vivid colours in both interiors and exteriors to depict an irrepressible restlessness. Combined with the characters' experiences, reactions, and actions (such as the almost-rape scene in Tokyo's Shin-Kiba district or the liberating motorcycle ride) , he subverts the sentimentalism prevalent in Japanese cinema (the yearning for pity, acceptance, or forgiveness). This renders Naked Youth a resolutely new vision, raising a fresh banner for Japanese film.
Date and time:
(1) 22/11/2025 (Sat) 19:15 *with after-screening sharing, conducting in Cantonese.
(2) 30/11/2025 (Sun) 19:50
Passion Against Obstacles - Prominent films from Japanese New Wave
The emergence of the “Japanese New Wave” marked a change in Japan's film industry in the 1960s—major studios reduced production, independent filmmaking rose, and more artistically radical works were self-produced and distributed. This liberated Japanese cinema enriched its themes and forms, and made it more diverse. Although Ko Nakahira's Crazed Fruit (1956) and Yasuzo Masumura's Kisses (1957) foreshadowed the impending upheaval, it wasn't until 1960, the release of Naked Youth, the industry truly felt the shockwave. A tidal wave of a new generation rolled in. In a present where the future is unclear and moral standards are chaotic, it is time to revisit how cinema has used wisdom and courage to confront adversity, and carve out new paths amidst the chaos.
Honkaz Fung (Curator)
Ticket price:
Regular: HK$95, MCL MAX Members: HK$85, Children / Full-time students / Elderly: HK$75
(1) 23/11/2025 (Sun) 19:50
(2) 7/12/2025 (Sun) 19:40 ^with pre-screening introduction, conducting in Cantonese.
(1) 29/11/2025(Sat) 18:35
(2) 6/12/2025 (Sat) 18:35
(1) 28/11/2025 (Fri) 19:20 *with post-screening sharing, conducting in Cantonese
(2) 5/12/2025 (Fri) 19:50
