Pale Flower (1964) Trailer | Director: Masahiro Shinoda

In this cool, seductive jewel of the Japanese New Wave, a yakuza, fresh out of prison, becomes entangled with a beautiful and enigmatic gambling addict; what at first seems a redemptive relationship ends up leading him further down the criminal path. Bewitchingly shot and edited, and laced with a fever-dream-like score by Toru Takemitsu, this gangster romance was a breakthrough for the idiosyncratic Masahiro Shinoda. The pitch-black Pale Flower (Kawaita hana) is an unforgettable excursion into the underworld.


Director: Masahiro Shinoda
Writers: Shintarô Ishihara (based on the novel by) Masaru Baba (screenplay) Masahiro Shinoda (screenplay)
Cast: Ryô Ikebe, Mariko Kaga, Takashi Fujiki