Pearl in Hades (1988)

• 68%
• 1988
• Misuzu Nishimura

Light reflecting on a dark water surface, a drop of light with blurred outline, the sea at night, illumination in the distance, a close-up of a lying female – these are basically all the objects that appear in this piece. Nevertheless, the scale of the story this simple composition weaves out is awesome. The first piece made after moving into Tokyo, this work sieves out Nishimura's negative feelings such as anxiety and solitude and the scent of death from the dark water face. So who is this lying woman, her blank gaze that at some moments gleam with light? The mystery deepens and interpretations expand. Nishimura's true masterpiece, aiming to make "film that the audience can conceive without strain".