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Hogs And Warships

豚と軍艦

Directed by: Shohei Imamura
1961 / 108 minutes / M

These gangsters will stop chasing riches when pigs fly!

In the infamous Dobuita Street lies a cradle of illegal brothels for the US navy, where there’s no such thing as a peaceful night. However, after the umpteenth loss of a brothel, the Himori yakuza group devises a brilliant alternative plan: starting their own pig farm! Caught up amongst yakuza hoping to capitalise on the American military presence, the young and naive Kinta becomes entangled in their schemes, torn between loyalty to his lover, Haruko, and the allure of criminal success. 

Filmed in stunning CinemaScope, Imamura’s fifth feature continues the director’s bold mission of challenging stereotypes of a reserved and refined Japanese society. Through his dazzling portrayal of Yokosuka’s criminal underworld, the film depicts an era of Japan on the brink of unstoppable change. With compelling performances by Hiroyuki Nagato and Jitsuko Yoshimura, Hogs and Warships was not only deemed Best Film at the Japanese Blue Ribbon Awards, but also went on to become one of the director’s most acclaimed films worldwide. Imamura’s visionary lens captures the complexities of postwar Japan with unparalleled depth, offering an exploration of human ambition, loyalty and daring survival strategies against a harsh reality.