I’ve always believed that suicide, despite being considered unacceptable within my Christian upbringing, can be viewed with understanding through different cultural lenses. I have considerable admiration for the Japanese practice of doing so to avoid dishonor, and also for the idealized portrayal in stories like 'Romeo and Juliet,' which I consider a fundamental piece of Western literature—representing the idea that existence is meaningless without one's beloved. Before this, my exposure to Masahiro Shinoda’s films was limited to just two titles released by The Criterion Collection: ‘Pale Flower’ and ‘Samurai Spy.’ It’s unclear if their selection of films was intentional, but I was struck by the impressive range displayed in his screenplays, all created within a relatively brief period (1964-69). Given my involvement with theater and my broad, culturally sensitive outlook on life, I hold Shinoda in high regard and am eager to explore more of his filmography.

Source on TMDB