The Pornographers

The Pornographers (“エロ事師たち”より 人類学入門, "Erogotoshitachi" yori jinruigaku nyūmon; lit. 'An introduction to anthropology through pornographers') is a 1966 satirical Japanese film directed by Shōhei Imamura. It is based on the novel Erogotoshitachi by Akiyuki Nosaka.^[3][4]

The Pornographers
Video cover of The Pornographers
Directed by	Shōhei Imamura
Written by	Shōhei Imamura Kōji Numata
Based on	Erogotoshitachi by Akiyuki Nosaka
Starring	Shōichi Ozawa Sumiko Sakamoto Masaomi Kondō Keiko Sagowa
Cinematography	Shinsaku Himeda
Edited by	Mutsuo Tanji
Music by	Toshirō Kusunoki
Production company	Imamura Productions
Distributed by	Nikkatsu
Release date	March 12, 1966 (1966-03-12) (Japan) [1][2]
Running time	128 minutes[1][2]
Country	Japan
Language	Japanese

Plot

Subuyan Ogata is a pornographic filmmaker living in Osaka. His business is under threat from thieves, the government, and his own family.

Cast

• Shōichi Ozawa as Subuyan Ogata
• Sumiko Sakamoto as Haru Matsuda
• Keiko Sagawa as Keiko Matsuda, Haru's daughter
• Haruo Tanaka as Banteki
• Nakamura Ganjirō II as Elderly executive from Hakucho Company
• Masaomi Kondō as Kōichi Matsuda, Haru's son
• Akira Nishimura as Detective Sanada
• Ichirō Sugai as Shinun Ogata, Subuyan's father
• Akiji Kobayashi
• Shinichi Nakano as Kabō
• Chōchō Miyako as Virgin House Madame
• Kazuo Kitamura as Doctor

Production and reception

The film is a satirical black comedy, depicting the underbelly of the Japanese post-war economic miracle, in this case pornographers and small time gangsters in Osaka. It has been called Imamura's best-known film outside Japan.^[5]

Release

The Pornographers was released in Japan in March 1966 where it was distributed by Nikkatsu. It was released in the United States by Toho International with English subtitles in August 1966.^[3]