The Tide Has Turned: Two Films by Shinji Sōmai
Shinji Sōmai, renowned for his signature long-take style, redefined the boundaries of cinema during the 1980s. His films are a masterful blend of audacious crane and dolly shots, combined with highly physical and unrestrained performances by his actors. Sōmai's films pulsate with the anarchic energy of youth, capturing a pivotal era in Japanese cinema's evolution.
Witness the brilliance of Japanese filmmaker Shinji Sōmai in our special program, "The Tide Has Turned: Two Films by Shinji Sōmai." With pristine new restorations of two of his most captivating works, Typhoon Club and P.P. Rider, we invite you to witness the magic of this visionary director.
Shinji Sômai, 1983, Japan, 118 min
The Tide Has Turned: Two Films by Shinji Sōmai
An exuberant farce tinted with deep shades of melancholy and real violence, P.P. Rider is an ode to the dreams of youth against authority. The film centers on three teens on a burlesque odyssey to rescue their kidnapped class bully from a gang of yakuza. En route they run afoul of some cops, befriend a motley former gangster, and experience the first seismic shocks of growing up, among other episodes.