Fresh out of prison for homicide, hardened yakuza Muraki discovers that nothing has changed in the outside world. To shake off the monotony of life, he returns to his old gambling dens and is immediately captivated by a daring, enigmatic young woman of exceptional beauty named Saeko. The two grow closer over their shared disdain for mundanity, yet as Saeko’s appetite for pleasure becomes increasingly destructive, Muraki is pushed further down the dark abyss of the criminal underworld.

A seductive yakuza noir imbued with nihilism, Masahiro Shinoda’s Pale Flower is gorgeously shot with striking chiaroscuro and punctuated with an ominous theme song by Toru Takemitsu. Regarded by writer Shintaro Ishihara as the best film adaptation of his works, Pale Flower is among the most stylistically accomplished of 1960s Japanese cinema, showcasing Mariko Kaga’s performance as arguably the most memorable femme fatale of the Japanese New Wave.

This film will be presented in its latest 4K restoration, which premiered at the Berlinale in 2022.

Supported by CHANEL, complimentary tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. To redeem the offer, please select the ticket type ‘Complimentary Ticket supported by CHANEL’ when you purchase tickets. Each person can redeem up to two tickets.

Masahiro Shinoda (b. 1931, Japan) is a director and a key figure of the Japanese New Wave. He began his career as an assistant director at the Shochiku Studio in 1953 and went on to direct some of the most artistically innovative works of 1960s and 1970s Japanese cinema, subverting the conventions of period pieces and gangster films. He is also known for his frequent collaborations with his wife and actress, Shima Iwashita, in highly experimental films like Double Suicide (1969) and Himiko (1974).