Kurutta Kajitsu (aka Crazed Fruit) (1956)

During the summer, a group of bored and aimless young people drink, gamble, go boating and clubbing but the most innocent (Masahiko Tsugawa) of the group falls in love with a pretty young girl (Mie Kitahara), who's not quite who he thinks she is. Based on the novel by Shintaro Ishihara and directed by Ko Nakahira. This film was quite controversial in Japan when it opened because of its portrayal of the so called "Sun Tribe" youth culture. The young people in this film are of the post WWII generation who are unable to relate to the traditional Japanese culture of their parents. They justify their aimlessness by waiting for something to happen rather than actively participating in change. At its core, this is a coming of age story but Nakahira permeates the film with a sort of pessimism that reaches its apogee in the fatal finale. Kitahara's amoral femme fatale not only deceives her American husband (Harold Conway) but beds her innocent lover's older brother (Yujiro Ishihara) as well. Like Ray's REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE, Nakahira's film captures youth on the cusp of change. I will say the movie has one of the worst scores I've ever heard (attributed to Masaru Sato and Toru Takemitsu), it sounds like music they would play at a Hawaiian luau. With Masumi Okada.