The Pornagraphers: A Surreal Japanese Cinematic Classic

Shohei Imamura's The Pornographers is a movie that in its surrealism nearly defies description. Ostensibly its protagonist is Ogata, a lecherous yet sympathetic adult filmmaker who makes feeble attempts at self-redemption via a redefinition of his role: Ogata insists he is performing only an invaluable service to a stressed and burdened society, to which sexual voyeurism is a needed escape. The narrative, or in this case, decoupage of locales and scenarios, by no means presents a coherent story starring Ogata. Rather, Imamura chose to string together a series of clips that often start and end abruptly and sometimes have the feel of a family video. Among the various daily events that Ogata and his family experience, however, copious meaning, scandal, and tragic truth are to be found. Imamura's unconventionality-to the point of absurdity-only raises, and largely leaves unanswered, poignant questions in the viewer's mind for s/he to consider.

The film's surreality is punctuated by numerous inspired shots and sequences. Haru, in her precarious psychological state, is at the center of several of these. In one bizarre sequence, the audience experiences Haru's POV while her son Koichi slowly approaches down a hospital corridor. He is accompanied by his girlfriend, who Koichi explains to his mother in voice over he is going to introduce. As Haru mentally breaks down, the oddity of the moment changes abruptly to a creepy dreaminess as Koichi is blinked away and the girlfriend starts removing her clothing. Again, when Haru metaphorically goes over the edge, she attempts to leave her hospital room through a barred window. Imamura jarringly cuts to a mad Haru on an open plain, who comes as far as the camera. She is then freeze-framed in a wild pose for several seconds.