Jibun no ana no nakade (A Hole of My Own Making). 1955. Japan. Directed by Tomu Uchida. Screenplay by Yasutaro Yagi. With Yumeji Tsukioka, Mie Kitahara, Rentaro Mikuni, Jukuchi Uno. In Japanese; English subtitles. 125 min.
Uchida explored contemporary subject matter with this tense portrait of a conflicted, disintegrating family. His only 1950s film produced by Nikkatsu sharply critiques the situation of women within Japanese society. The plot follows five family members as they struggle to cope with postwar life. Complementing the film’s dramatic efficacy is its use of offscreen sound—the repeated din of construction work across from the family’s household and the constant roar of American jets overhead. Actress Yumeji Tsukioka’s anti-heroine Nobuko is the exemplar of Uchida’s self-destructive protagonists. 35mm print courtesy of Japan Foundation.