Nagisa Oshima
Japan,
1966
Violence at Noon concerns the odd circumstances surrounding a horrific murder and rape spree. In a twist, the film is as much about the two women who protect the violent man—his wife and a former victim—as it is about him. Containing more than two thousand cuts and a wealth of inventive widescreen compositions, this coolly fragmented character study is a mesmerizing investigation of criminality and social decay.