The House of Wooden Blocks

On his return from school, young Ichiro finds his father in bed with his adopted sister, Namie. Enraged, he decides to outdo his father in terms of immoral behaviour. And this is only the beginning, as there are literally no words to describe the derailed, labyrinthine script for the 40th film by Yasuzo Masumura. Based on the serial novel by the long-suffering Ayako Miura, first published in parts in the popular newspaper The Asahi Shimbun, Masumura capitalizes on the cinematic trend of youthful sexuality dominating the end of the 60s, to give his own “dirty” take on the traditional Japanese family. Juxtaposing extreme characters of almost biblical proportions, who demonstrate selfish behaviours or acts of self-sacrifice, “The House of Wooden Blocks” is a rare missing link of the terrific auteur’s extensive filmography.

Original Title: Tsumiki no Hako

Director: Yasuzo Masumura

Screenwriter: Yasuzo Masumura, Ichirô Ikeda

DoP: Setsuo Kobayashi

Music: Tadashi Yamauchi

Editor: Tatsuji Nakashizu

Principal Cast: Ayako Wakao, Ken Ogata, Kayo Matsuo, Eiko Azusa

Country: Japan

Year: 1968

Running Time: 84’

Language: Japanese