Japan Cuts XVII Review: Shinya Tsukamoto’s SHADOW OF FIRE, Just Like A Prayer
4 min. read The tainted, bleak interior shots of a small pub diner are just an incremental hint of the larger setting of Fires On The Plain and Killing director Shinya Tsukamoto’s newest drama, Shadow Of Fire. When the woman who runs it (Shuri) isn’t sleeping, she’s at the beckoncall of men who pay their way for room and board, as well as her conjugal services. The work is far from pleasant – albeit an extension of the far deteriorating condition the surrounding village is in, suffering in the aftermath of World War II as people are hungry and desperate. One such person comes in the form of a young war orphan (Oga Tsukao) often dismissed as a thief by other neighbors, and a wayward soldier (Hiroki Kono) looking for a place to rest and drink. The woman and the soldier eventually strike an unwritten agreement to live together as […]
