Love Hotel

After mainstream success, Shinji Somai returned to his Nikkatsu roots for this mournful late-period Roman Porno. After Tetsuro loses his business, the yakuza collect his debt in the most violent, shocking way imaginable. Honorably, he divorces his wife and becomes a taxi driver. Existing bereft of meaning or support, he eventually encounters Nami, a part-time prostitute who has undergone similar tribulations. The pair embark on a poignant affair, swathed in Somai’s characteristic low-camera angles and long takes.

Series: NYFF Velvet Bullets and Steel Kisses: Celebrating the Nikkatsu Centennial

Venue: New York Film Festival