A Treatise on Japanese Bawdy Songs

Another day, another Oshima study about politics and sex. Parallels between the rhythms of protest songs, sexual songs, and the act of sex itself. Personal legacy vs. political legacy. The personal and societal cost of inaction.

Strange melodrama with a mixture of politics and sex. Doesn't seem to include any real character. The extent to which it was poorly arranged is almost irritating.

Not much here I enjoyed. We have some late-age teenagers about to go to university, and the boys' only dreams are to get laid. Then their teacher dies, but the boys are so lost in their fantasy that it barely registers. Eventually, they get to a point where they may have a chance to make their dream a reality, but there are so many intercuts with fantasy elements that it's hard to tell "what really happened." And they keep singing that incredibly annoying song throughout the movie.

I actually enjoyed the one song, not so much the protest songs. Nothing else stood out for me.

Interesting idea but I hated the execution. Especially all these songs really annoyed me.

Remains one of the most fascinating pieces of abstract cinema I have ever seen and possibly the best depiction of youthful apathy once you strip away the political under/overtones.

Not sure where I stand on this. Framing is excellent as is the references to pop culture and the use of various media in our society (music, most notably) and I enjoy the almost kafkaesque treatment of some of the themes, but as far as Oshima's work goes, this is one of his weakest ventures. Several scenes are strong, but the movie as a whole isn't.-- more viewings, This seems exceptional and a truly great movie, thematically and photographically.

Oshima's statement about the apathy of youth is effective but pretty one-note. It's also less compelling photographically than the other Oshimas I've seen, most of it is shot pretty straightforward. The most compelling aspect was the use of songs, particular when the kids would use bawdy tunes to drown out political/protest songs. I also found it amusing that even in their rape fantasies, the boys are useless and ineffectual. So, a few intriguing elements, but overall I wasn't too impressed.