Mori to mizuumi no matsuri (The Outsiders). 1958. Japan. Directed by Tomu Uchida. Screenplay by Keinosuke Uekusa. With Ken Takakura, Kyoko Kagawa, Rentaro Mikuni. In Japanese; English subtitles. 113 min.
The visually stunning The Outsiders is essentially an Eastern Western, set on the scenic island of Hokkaido—rendered expertly by cinematographer Shoei Nishikawa. It focuses on the troubled situation of the island’s indigenous people, the Ainu. Byakki, a rough-around-the-edges Robin Hood type, distributes supplies the villages of the Ainu, the island’s indigenous people. The muscular action scenes, expressive use of landscape, and the story of an embattled minority group all bring to mind the American Western director Anthony Mann.