Synopsis
Ushimatsu's father told him never to reveal his lower-caste heritage; years later, he now contemplates confiding in an activist fighting against such discrimination.
1962 ‘破戒’ Directed by Kon Ichikawa
Ushimatsu's father told him never to reveal his lower-caste heritage; years later, he now contemplates confiding in an activist fighting against such discrimination.
The Outcast, The Sin, Hakai, El paria, 파계, Нарушенный завет
better known in the US as 'the outcast,' this beautifully shot film addresses a subject i haven't seen dramatized before - the plight of the burakumin or 'untouchables' of japan; those traditionally trapped on the lowest rung of society without any rights to speak of, forced to live apart and practice 'unclean' trades no one else wants to deal with. although explicit discrimination against the burakumin was outlawed with the meiji restoration, the practice continues in some parts of japan even today. the film is set in the early twentieth century. a young man has made an oath to his dying father never to reveal his background after leaving his ancestral village and studying to be a teacher. soon he…
Technically, the film is as good as any other Kon Ichikawa film. From whatever little I have seen of Ichikawa, he didn't look to me as someone who would openly challenge the social code; but offer subtle eye openers to the society.
Here in Hakai (though it's adapted from a novel), Ichikawa has done a wonderful job of creating a character who is afraid of his own shadow all the time just because of his class of birth. Kon Ichikawa also offers strong critique to the society for the way it treats its lower class without dignity. Kon Ichikawa was a humanist through & through which we can know from the heart of his characters, however tough situation they get in.…
Ichikawa mas a 'man for all seasons' kind of director; he could turn his hand to pretty much any genre and of the 11 films I've seen of his (so far) there has been a puppet movie (his debut, A Girl At Dojo Temple), war dramas (The Burmese Harp, Fires On The Plain), a stirring true-life high seas adventure (Alone On The Pacific), a comedy (Being Two Isn't Easy, a weird precursor of the Look Who's Talking franchise) and several 'brooding' dramas (The Heart, Conflagration, Younger Brother), of which this is another example.
Ichikawa was also a master of the widescreen (check out Revenge Of A Kabuki Actor/An Actor's Revenge if you don't believe me!) and his compositions are used…
Often visually stunning - Ichikawa is probably the best at shooting groups of people, especially his compositions around faces (Ten Dark Women does it to astonishing effect), and there are many stunning sequences throughout. However, it becomes a fairly obvious morality play, weakened by the fact that we don't actually really see the ethnic minority actually persecuted, just talked about a lot. Also, does a pretty awful job in tracking its characters as it becomes a strange ensemble piece in the middle. Probably the least of the Ichikawa films I've seen so far, and still worth seeing.
I'm so happy to find out that Nobi and The Burmese Harp are not the only two humane Ichikawa films. This one is not about war but still about human dignity. I'm glad one of the most important characters in the film is played by Rentarō Mikuni, a real-life burakumin who experienced the discrimination those people faced firsthand. This, I believe, adds an important meta-layer to the film.
The Broken Commandment is a very good film from the very beginning, but it turns into a masterpiece starting from the classroom scene. Absolutely heartbreaking string of faultless, poignant scenes!
There are so many Ichikawa films I still haven't seen and this one gives me hope even more masterpiees await me!
I've been reading a collection of essays, Kon Ichikawa, on Japanese director Kon Ichikawa edited by James Quant for Cinamatheque Ontario and was inspired to see The Broken Commandments (Hakai 1962). This is largely due to Keiko McDonald's essay "The Modern Outcast State: Ichikawa's Hakai." It is a cinematic adaptation of Toson Shimazaki's novel about burakumin (formerly a minority group that suffered injustices in the past) during the late Meiji period. In the essay McDonald summarizes the novel and discusses the differences between it and Ichikawa's adaption, written by his wife Natto Wada. It is the story of a young teacher coming to terms with his identity and society's lingering prejudices against burakumin. Ichikawa does an admirable job of depicting…
A beautifully filmed, moody tale of the outcasts of old Japan. Every society has its racism, it seems; these people are slurred as being "swarthy," with specific facial characteristics, incapable of being educated, cast below the role of servants. Although it's set at the turn of the century, there are many obvious contemporary parallels, as its introduction notes. The movie takes down various rigid class/social divisions. It's unrelenting.
I've loved every Kon Ichikawa film I've seen. He's become one of my very favorite Japanese directors. Compassionate, righteous. Shot by shot, this film is stunning.