Just watched this for the first time tonight, here`s my mini review:

That we aren`t dealing with a straighforward Hollywood type serial killer film here is clear from the first scene. The starts with the police escorte of the already arrested lead character Iwao Enokizu (a fenomenal role of Ken Ogata) to the police station and we meet him while he`s, sitting in between two police officers, joyfully (almost freakishly and without any care) whisteling a tune. Even the officers are annoyed by it.
From that moment on we are in the world of the maniac serial killer (based on true events) and get to know him through a series of flashbacks. Director Imamura mixes up these flashbacks like it`s nothing and throws us back and forth in time, from the present to the starting of the killings and even to his childhood of Enokizu.
As a viewer you have to keep your attention to it, you don`t get everthing spread out for you. Wich is a relief sometimes, concidering the films you get to see these days.

The style of the film is a mix of film and documentary, wich isn`t a surprise because Imamura made a living on making documentaries for years. Next to the fact that the story is based on actual facts, the documentary feel gives also a sense of realism to the film.
The film is visually beautiful and contains some scenes that will stay with you for a long time. At least they`ll do with me as they kept replaying in mind all day long.
As said, the acting is excellent, with the most of the credit obviously going to Ogata in the leading part. He gives a brilliant performance as the serial killer, you believe him every second he`s on the screen.

This probably is typically a film that gets better as you watch it over and over, something that I surely intend to do.
For now I really enjoyed the first film of Imamura I saw. I`m already looking forward to the 3 disc set of his films that Criterion is gonna release this may.

8,0/10