Pale Flower
Pale Flower • 1h 36m
Directed by Masahiro Shinoda • 1964 • Japan
Starring Ryo Ikebe, Mariko Kaga
In this cool, seductive jewel of the Japanese New Wave, a yakuza, fresh out of prison, becomes entangled with a beautiful and enigmatic gambling addict; what at first seems a redemptive relationship ends up leading him further down the criminal path. Bewitchingly shot and edited, and laced with a fever-dream-like score by Toru Takemitsu, this gangster romance was a breakthrough for the idiosyncratic Masahiro Shinoda. The pitch-black PALE FLOWER (KAWAITA HANA) is an unforgettable excursion into the underworld.
Up Next in Pale Flower
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Imogen Sara Smith on PALE FLOWER
The following interview with critic Imogen Sara Smith was recorded in 2020.
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Masahiro Shinoda on PALE FLOWER
In the following interview, recorded in 2010, writer-director Masahiro Shinoda discusses the production of PALE FLOWER.
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PALE FLOWER Selected-Scene Commentary
This selected-scene commentary features Peter Grilli, president of the Japan Society of Boston and coproducer of the 1994 documentary “Music for the Movies: Toru Takemitsu,” discussing Takemitsu’s score for PALE FLOWER.
