Death by Hanging (1968)
Nagisa Ōshima's audacious political satire dismantles capital punishment, national identity, and Japanese racism with ferocious wit and formal daring.
Death by Hanging - Movie Information
- Original Title: 絞死刑
- Release Year: 1968
- Directed by: Nagisa Ōshima
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Comedy, Drama
- Runtime: 1h 58m
- Original Language: Japanese
- Spoken Languages: Japanese
- Release Date (Theatrical): February 2, 1968 (Japan)
- Alternative Titles: L'impiccagione (IT), 교사형 (KR), Kōshikei (JP), Døden ved hengning (NO)
- Production Companies: Art Theatre Guild, Sozosha
- Production Countries: Japan
Death by Hanging - Plot
A Korean man is sentenced to death in Japan but somehow survives his execution, sending the authorities into a panic about what to do next.
Death by Hanging - Trailer
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Death by Hanging - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Nagisa Ōshima
Main Cast
- Yun Yun-Do
- Kei Satō
- Fumio Watanabe
- Toshirō Ishidō
- Masao Adachi
- Rokkō Toura
- Hōsei Komatsu
- Masao Matsuda
- Akiko Koyama
- Nagisa Ōshima
Writers
- Tsutomu Tamura
- Michinori Fukao
- Mamoru Sasaki
- Nagisa Ōshima
Producers
- Takuji Yamaguchi
- Masayuki Nakajima
- Nagisa Ōshima
Death by Hanging - FAQs
What is Death by Hanging about?
Death by Hanging follows a young Korean man in Japan who miraculously survives his scheduled execution. The bewildered authorities, unsure whether they can legally hang him again, attempt to restore his memory and identity in a darkly comic, politically charged spiral of absurdist theater and moral reckoning.
Is Death by Hanging based on a true story?
Yes. The film draws inspiration from the real case of Ri Chin'u, a young Zainichi Korean man executed in Japan in 1962 for the murders of two women. Ōshima uses this case as a springboard for a broader indictment of Japanese racism, capital punishment, and national identity.
Where can you stream Death by Hanging?
Death by Hanging is available to stream on the Criterion Channel. It can also be rented or purchased digitally on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. Check JustWatch for current regional availability and pricing.
Why does the film directly address the audience?
Ōshima deliberately breaks the fourth wall throughout Death by Hanging, with characters speaking directly to viewers and on-screen text challenging assumptions. This Brechtian distancing technique implicates the audience in the systemic racism and legal contradictions the film exposes, refusing passive spectatorship.
Who directed Death by Hanging?
Death by Hanging was directed by Nagisa Ōshima, one of the leading figures of the Japanese New Wave. Known for confrontational, politically engaged filmmaking, Ōshima also co-wrote the screenplay and appears in the film himself as the narrator.
What genre is Death by Hanging?
Death by Hanging is classified as a Comedy and Drama, though those labels barely contain it. The film operates as a pitch-black political satire, blending absurdist dark humor with searing social critique, documentary-style sequences, and theatrical provocation rooted in the Japanese New Wave tradition.
How long is Death by Hanging?
Death by Hanging has a runtime of 1 hour and 58 minutes (118 minutes). The film was released in Japan on February 2, 1968, and was produced by Art Theatre Guild and Sozosha.
How was Death by Hanging received by critics?
Death by Hanging is widely regarded as one of Nagisa Ōshima's masterworks and a landmark of world cinema. Critics praise its audacious formal invention, political courage, and darkly comic intelligence. It holds a strong reputation on Criterion and is frequently cited in discussions of radical political filmmaking.
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