Kisses (1957)

Masumura’s influential directorial debut captures post-war Japanese youth through the chance encounter of two young people dealing with family struggles. Kinichi, a delivery boy, and Akiko, an artist’s model, meet while visiting their fathers in prison. After successfully gambling on a bicycle race, they spend a pleasant day together at the beach, allowing a tender romance to bloom amid a reconstructing Japan whose future remained uncertain, much like the protagonists’ fates.

Adapted from a novel where Masumura sought to strip away its sentimentality, Kisses is a fresh portrait of romance that effectively transcends the melodramatic conventions of its time. The camera stays close and mobile, eschewing static shots for dynamic blocking and pacing; the protagonist channels frustration into action rather than passive introspection, marking a departure from the era’s affluent, ennui-filled delinquents.