Movie Analysis Essay on "Cruel Story of Youth"

Introduction

"Cruel Story of Youth" is a Japanese film that was directed by Nagisa Oshima in 1960. It is referred to as "the Japanese rebel without a cause" as its story is mainly of angry and alienated young people in japan in an uncertain period after the second world war and the American occupation. The film has scenes of smoking, suggested sex, fighting, sweat and tears, blood and the requisite jolt you sense classical hits. The film is based on the lives of Makoto and Kiyoshi who are students. They both met after Makoto gets in a mix up with a salaryman whom she had upset. Kiyoshi saves her by shaking the man down for some yen. The shakedown continues through the movie to a point it creates a pimp prostitute relationship between the two. Their lives are made miserable by a gang of thugs and a yakuza, Kiyoshi's sugar mama and Makoto's disapproving family. This paper looks at the issue of money, love and betrayal in the film cruel story of youth.

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The aspect of money in the movie gets seen in several instances in the film. Kiyoshi uses Makoto to extort money from people. The room they live shows how poor they are they have to do anything for them to survive through the day. They engage in criminal activities to get money. They also participate in morally wrong activities, such as trying to seduce drivers and a politician for them to get money. In one instance, Makoto gets pregnant, and Kiyoshi convinces her to get an abortion. Their struggles to get money can be related to the hard times experienced in Japan after the second world war. Japan tried to maintain a low posture diplomatically after world war II, but there existed an intimate relationship between domestic and international politics (GORDON 5). The presence of global influence in japan played a significant role in the lives of many youths in japan who engaged in criminal activities for them to get money as the western people did. It is well illustrated in the movie cruel story of youth where Makoto and Kiyoshi conned people and stole their wallets for them to make money. Japan adopted the san Francisco system which brought about the issue of political conflicts over issues of democracy and peace and led to the emergence of a powerful capitalistic state and a rich consumer society (Koschmann 191). Kiyoshi tries to extort money from Horio, and he tells him that he was just another target of Makoto. The capitalistic state meant that people were more focused on accumulating their wealth hence the increase in crime and violence among the youth as they tried to make money.

The aspect of love is also seen in the film "cruel story of youth." A driver is molesting Makoto, but Kiyoshi manages to rescue her. They love affair begins at this point as Kiyoshi asks her to go on a date with him, which she agrees. Their first date involves watching the protests against the Anpo treaty, and then he takes her out to ride a motorboat where he later rapes her. Their love is evident when one day, a gang that targeted women to prostitute them tried to take her away as she was waiting for Kiyoshi at a bar he visited frequently. Kiyoshi fights the group that eventually leaves them after making a payment agreement. They end up falling in love and spend a lot of time together. Their passion makes Makoto's sister rebuke her, and she moves out to live with Kiyoshi. There is a lot of lovemaking, and their relationship turns soar when Makoto gets pregnant, and Kiyoshi asks her to abort. Kiyoshi love affair with his sugar mama and Makoto sleeping with Horio makes their love hectic, and they eventually decide to break up so they won't hurt each other again. The two die with Kiyoshi killed trying to protect Makoto from the gang after he lost their bike. Makoto dies after jumping from a moving vehicle after the driver refuses to let her out.

The love in this movie is complicated as although the two love each other, their love affair is more of a pimp and prostitute as Kiyoshi asks Makoto to seduce men so they would get money to sustain themselves. The difficult economic times that came with the second world war created the formation of diverging groups with each group trying to fight for its rights. A mother's movement was formed focusing on the issues affecting their beloved families (Koschmann 191). The actions were to facilitate the society to fight the victimization and suffering that came with the war. A citizen movement was developed by people whose regular day activity was nonpolitical (Koschmann 193). It was for people with jobs, families and communities to take care. All this was because of the love that members of the citizen movement had. They felt that the political class were violating their rights. The communities wanted to protect their loved ones and would do anything just as Kiyoshi broke up with Makoto so they could not hurt each other. Kiyoshi also died protecting Makoto from the gang just as the citizen movement was ready to sacrifice their lives to ensure their livelihood was not affected.

Betrayal is seen in the film cruel story of youth as Kiyoshi and Makoto struggle to make ends meet. First, Kiyoshi betrays Makoto when he rapes her during their motorboat ride. He also betrays her when she asks her to seduce men for them to make a living. They were both in love and asking Makoto to attract men for money was a form of betrayal to their passion. Deception is also seen when Kiyoshi asks Makoto to abort, which was against her will. Makoto betrays Kiyoshi when she fails to inform him about Horio in their first meeting as they did when extorting other drivers. There is a betrayal of love as Kiyoshi is engaged to a sugar mama and also Makoto makes love with Horio. Kiyoshi also betrays his sugar mama by being in love with Makoto. Akimoto who helps carry out the abortion gets betrayed after Makoto and Kiyoshi agree to confess after their arrest.

Betrayal is seen in the community as politicians betray citizens by making promises that they do not keep. Japan made a dedication to make peace with other countries after the second world war, including the Soviet Union and China (Gordon 10). They also made a bilateral agreement with the United States under which the main islands in japan were protected by US forces (Gordon 10). However, the mutual understanding was betrayed after japan realized that the deal signed in san Francisco was way more generous and nonpunitive as it did not give future directions on the oversight of japan in future (Gordon 10). Japan however later agreed to retain US military bases in the county under a new agreement. This decision led to the Soviet Union betraying the peace agreement put in place as they felt the presence of the United States troops in japan done to allow for sovereignty was against their wishes (Gordon 10). The Soviet Union refused to sign the peace treaty with Japan (Gordon 10).

Conclusion

In conclusion, love money and betrayal are seen throughout the film cruel story of youth as Kiyoshi and Makoto are ready to do anything to make it in life. They betray their love and end up breaking up to avoid hurting each other. Money, love and betrayal are also seen in the society in Japan where citizen movement is created to protect livelihood and families. The emergence of capitalism makes people value wealth and money over people lives leading to a lot of criminal activities and violence in society.

Works Cited

GORDON, ANDREW. Postwar Japan As History. 4th ed., UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS, Accessed 7 Mar 2020.

Koschmann, Victor. Authority ' Iand The Individual I Iinjapan. UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO PRESS, pp. 188-199, Accessed 7 Mar 2020.