Japan Synopsis
「エロ事師たち」より 人類学入門
Subu makes pornographic films. He sees nothing wrong with it. They are an aid to a repressed society, and he uses the money to support his landlady, Haru, and her family. From time to time, Haru shares her bed with Subu, though she believes her dead husband, reincarnated as a carp, disapproves. Director Shohei Imamura has always delighted in the kinky exploits of lowlifes, and in this 1966 classic, he finds subversive humor in the bizarre dynamics of Haru, her Oedipal son, and her daughter, the true object of her pornographer-boyfriend’s obsession. Imamura’s comic treatment of such taboos as voyeurism and incest sparked controversy when the film was released, but The Pornographers has outlasted its critics, and now seems frankly ahead of its time.
Other Titles From Nikkatsu Corporation
Comedy + Drama in Japan
462 Japan titles in our catalog blend the Comedy and Drama genres. Below: the top-rated of them (excluding The Pornographers itself).
The 1965–1967 Japan Window
The Pornographers holds position #14 of 71 Japan films in the 1965–1967 window, below highlighted by audience rating.
The 1960s Japan Landscape
1966 was the decade’s peak output year for Japan — 28 titles released, including The Pornographers. Bars below show how the 1960s stacked up year by year (202 total).
Position in Catalog
Released alongside 27 other Japan films in 1966.
The 240th Japan title from Japan we index (earliest catalogued entry: 1899).
Our Japan catalog contains 4,579 titles in total (2,908 films).
Audience Engagement
36 audience reviews — more than 56% of Japan films in our index.
Popularity (89th percentile) outruns review volume (56th) — a trending, discussed title among Japan films.
Reception Benchmarks
Ranked #1,431 of 4,579 Japan films indexed here (69th percentile by TMDB audience score).
Rating is +0.5 points above the Japan average of 6.9/10.
Among Japan Comedy productions specifically: #515 of 1,411 (top 36%).
Production Details
| Primary Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Original Language | Japanese |
| Production Companies | Nikkatsu Corporation, Imamura Productions |
| Runtime | 2h 8m |
| Release Date | March 12, 1966 |
| IMDb | tt0060560 |