Cruel Story of Youth
1960 · Movie · 97 min · ★ 6.6 · 95% critics
In postwar Japan, two reckless young lovers fall into a toxic relationship and turn petty scams into a way of surviving. What starts as rebellion and thrill-seeking becomes a bleak portrait of youth, desire, and moral drift.
Also known as Naked Youth · Cruel Tales of Youth · A Story of the Cruelties of Youth
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Details
- Original title
- 青春残酷物語
- Years
- 1960
- Release date
- 1960-06-03
- Language
- Japanese
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Critic score
- 95/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.6/10 (69 votes)
About
You may like this if you’re open to dark, confrontational youth dramas with a crime edge, especially if Crazed Fruit or Pale Flower appeal to you; Not for you if you need sympathetic characters or lighter romance.
Pros: bold, unsettling mood; gripping cautionary tale; striking period atmosphere | Cons: deeply unpleasant leads; harsh sexual violence; bleak, nihilistic tone
Themes
- society
- yakuza
- drifter
- motorcycle
- juvenile delinquent
- post war japan
- abortion
- japanese new wave
Cast & crew
Yūsuke Kawazu
as Kiyoshi
Miyuki Kuwano
as Makoto
Yoshiko Kuga
as Yuki
Fumio Watanabe
as Akimoto
- ST
Shinji Tanaka
as Yoshimi Ito
- YH
Yosuke Hayashi
Toshiko Kobayashi
as Teruko
Jun Hamamura
as Masahiro
- YT
Yuki Tominaga
as Toshiko Nishioka
Kei Satō
as Akira Matsuko
Directed by Nagisa Ōshima