Special Series

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Stolen Desire

盗まれた欲情

Directed by: Shohei Imamura
1958 / 92 minutes / Unclassified all ages

Hitting the road: the highs and lows of a travelling kabuki troupe

Marking Shohei Imamura’s directorial debut, Stolen Desire follows a roaming kabuki troupe in their rambunctious journey across Japan. As they move from Osaka to the countryside, the travelling actors face different audience preferences: city dwellers favour the burlesque pre-show, while villagers enjoy both traditional and risqué acts. However, drama ensues when university graduate and the troupe’s artistic director, Shinkichi, becomes entangled in a love triangle with veteran actor Taminosuke’s daughters: the reserved Chidori and the outspoken Chigusa! 

Unexpected and filled with humour, Imamura’s first feature examines themes of social change, generational conflict and the tension between tradition and modernity. As he portrays the troupe’s struggle to balance artistic ambition with survival, Imamura offers a clear-eyed view of Japan’s evolving cultural landscape in the post-war era.