Cruel Story of Youth 1960
Directed by
Nagisa Ôshima
Made by
Shochiku
Cruel Story of Youth Plot Summary
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Makoto Shinjo [Miyuki Kuwano] hitches a ride, only to endure an attempted molestation by the driver. The ordeal is interrupted by Kiyoshi [Yūsuke Kawazu], who steps in and soon accompanies her on a date. Their first stop is a glimpse at the Anpo Protests against the US-Japan Security Treaty, setting a charged backdrop for a relationship that will bend rules and ethics. Later, on a riverboat ride, the tension erupts again and Makoto is raped, a betrayal that will haunt their bond.
One day, after waiting for him at a bar he frequents, Makoto finds herself targeted by gangsters who traffic women. Kiyoshi [Yūsuke Kawazu] fights them off, and they retreat in exchange for payment. Yet the cycle continues, and Makoto endures another assault by Kiyoshi, leading her to confront him. She declares her love and insists she does not want their relationship to carry on this way.
Over time, the two drift into a fragile romance, and Makoto Shinjo [Miyuki Kuwano] spends more time with him, a shift that earns stern rebukes from her older sister Yuki [Yoshiko Kuga] and pushes Makoto to choose a new path, even if it means living with Kiyoshi. To sustain themselves, the pair engages in further criminal schemes: Makoto seduces male car drivers, and when they come on to her, Kiyoshi [Yūsuke Kawazu] steps in to extort them.
In one encounter, a middle-aged, wealthy businessman named Horio [Hiroshi Nihon’yanagi] picks up Makoto and, for a moment, makes her feel valued, leading her not to pursue him further. When Makoto learns she is pregnant, Kiyoshi urges abortion, and he also tries to press her into exploiting another driver, a demand she rejects. The abortion is performed illegally at the clinic of Akimoto, Yuki’s former lover [Fumio Watanabe].
Money changes hands as Horio lends support, and Makoto admits to having slept with him. Enraged, Kiyoshi confronts Horio and takes back money, reminding Horio that he was just another mark in Makoto’s web. After the abortion, the two are arrested for extortion; they confess, and with help from Kiyoshi’s older lover, they are released while Akimoto [Fumio Watanabe] is arrested.
Kiyoshi ultimately breaks off the relationship to spare Makoto and himself further pain. The gangsters close in on Kiyoshi after a borrowed motorbike used for extortion is found and two of them are arrested; they demand Makoto, but Kiyoshi refuses, paying the ultimate price with his life. In a parallel moment, Makoto is offered a ride by a passerby, and when she is denied an exit, she jumps from the car to her death.
Cruel Story of Youth Timeline
Follow the complete movie timeline of Cruel Story of Youth (1960) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.
Hitchhiking rescue and the start of trouble
Makoto Shinjo hitches a ride, but the driver makes a wrongful move to molest her. Kiyoshi Fuji intervenes and stops the assault, saving her from immediate danger. He then escorts her away, setting the stage for the complex relationship that follows.
First date and the Anpo Protests
On their first encounter as a couple, Kiyoshi takes Makoto on a date that begins with watching the Anpo Protests against the US-Japan Security Treaty. The tense political atmosphere foreshadows the volatile path ahead. They navigate a mix of danger, attraction, and uncertainty.
Riverboat ride and assault
Later in the same outing, they ride a motorboat along a river. During the trip, Kiyoshi rapes Makoto, marking a brutal turn in their relationship. The violence reveals the coercive power dynamic at the heart of their bond.
Gangsters target Makoto; Kiyoshi intervenes
After a night out, Makoto becomes the target of gangsters who traffic women. Kiyoshi confronts them and drives them away, with Makoto paying a price to keep them at bay. The encounter underscores the criminal world surrounding them.
A second abusive act
Kiyoshi rapes Makoto again, continuing the pattern of coercive control. The violence deepens as their relationship remains entangled in crime. Makoto's tolerance is stretched to its limit.
Love grows; living together
Makoto confronts Kiyoshi, telling him she loves him and does not want their relationship to continue this way. Over time, they fall in love and she chooses to live with him, despite her older sister Yuki's rebuke. The bond deepens even as the crime around them continues.
Criminal scheme escalates: seduction and extortion
To make money, Makoto seduces male drivers while Kiyoshi extorts them. The duo shifts from personal abuse to a financial scheme that profits from vulnerability. Their criminal enterprise grows more brazen as they ride the wave of fear and greed.
Encounter with Horio
A middle-aged businessman named Horio picks up Makoto and makes her feel happy, so she does not target him. The arrangement adds complexity to their dynamic and foreshadows further complications. Makoto's choices become increasingly interwoven with Horio's presence.
Pregnancy and abortion pressure
Makoto discovers she is pregnant, and Kiyoshi urges her to have an abortion. She resists the pressure to exploit another driver, trying to preserve some autonomy within their toxic relationship. The pregnancy raises the stakes for both.
Illegal abortion and arrest
An abortion is performed illegally at Akimoto's clinic, and soon after the couple is arrested for extortion. They confess to their crimes as the net tightens around them. The legal troubles expose the fragility of their criminal world.
Release and Akimoto's arrest
With the help of Kiyoshi's older lover, the couple is released from custody and Akimoto is arrested. They escape a harsher punishment, but the damage to their relationship has already been done. The legal victory is overshadowed by their ongoing crimes.
Kiyoshi's death
Kiyoshi breaks up with Makoto to spare her from further harm, but the gangsters track him down after the motorbike used in extortion is stolen. He refuses to surrender Makoto, and is killed in the confrontation.
Makoto's death
At the same time, Makoto accepts a ride from a passerby; when the driver refuses to let her out, she jumps from the car to her death. The film ends with the two lovers' fates converging in tragedy.
Cruel Story of Youth Characters
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Makoto Shinjo (Miyuki Kuwano)
A young hitchhiker whose initial infatuation with Kiyoshi evolves into a dangerous, coercive relationship. She is drawn into criminal schemes to sustain the romance, leading to pregnancy and illegal abortion. Makoto’s vulnerability and resilience are tested as she navigates love, exploitation, and survival in a harsh urban world.
Kiyoshi (Yūsuke Kawazu)
A controlling and predatory figure who alternates tenderness with brutality. He manipulates Makoto to profit from extortion and sexual encounters, blurring lines between affection and domination. His actions drive the couple’s criminal arc, and his fate culminates in a violent confrontation with the gangsters.
Yuki (Yoshiko Kuga)
Makoto’s older sister, who rebukes her sister’s choices and serves as a moral counterpoint. Yuki’s perspective reveals family tensions and the social pressures surrounding young women. Her involvement with Akimoto further ties personal loyalties to the era’s entangled relationships.
Keizo Horio (Hiroshi Nihon'yanagi)
A middle-aged, wealthy business owner who briefly accompanies Makoto, offering a semblance of happiness before becoming another target in the couple’s extortion racket. His encounters underscore the commodification of affection and money in the film’s moral landscape.
Akimoto (Fumio Watanabe)
Akimoto runs the illegal abortion clinic referenced in the story, linking personal relationships to illicit medical practice. He is connected to Yuki’s past and is ultimately arrested as part of the criminal network. His presence highlights the legal and ethical ambiguities surrounding reproduction in the era.
Masahiro (Jun Hamamura)
Kiyoshi’s older lover who lends support (and loan money) to assist Makoto and Kiyoshi during their troubles. He becomes part of the network enabling their extortion scheme and helps facilitate their eventual release after confession. His role demonstrates the complicity and shifting loyalties within the relationships depicted.
Cruel Story of Youth Settings
Learn where and when Cruel Story of Youth (1960) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.
Time period
early 1960s
The events are set in the early 1960s Japan, amid student demonstrations against the US-Japan Security Treaty. This period’s unrest provides a tense backdrop for the characters’ actions and choices. The timeline anchors the film in a moment of social upheaval and youthful defiance.
Location
Japan, Tokyo
The story unfolds across urban Japan with scenes in bars, on crowded streets, and along a riverfront. Urban nightlife and dimly lit rooms frame the volatile relationship at the center of the film. The backdrop of the Anpo Protests and street-level social tension highlights the era’s precarious moral climate.
Cruel Story of Youth Themes
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Toxic Love
Makoto and Kiyoshi's relationship begins with attraction but quickly becomes coercive and volatile. He rapes her, extorts others, and uses her to fund their crimes. The dynamic traps Makoto in a cycle of desire and fear, illustrating how power can corrupt affection. The romance becomes a vehicle for violence and moral decay.
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Violence & Exploitation
Rape, extortion, and prostitution are interwoven into the couple’s crimes, framing violence as both personal trauma and systemic exploitation. The film does not sensationalize brutality but locates it in intimate relationships and urban poverty. Makoto’s illegal abortion underscores the severe consequences of a world that enables abuse. The narrative exposes the cost of predation and moral compromise.
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Youth Rebellion
Amid private turmoil, the film juxtaposes public protest with personal danger, capturing a restless youth culture. The Anpo Protests provide a charged backdrop to the characters’ reckless choices. The tension between collective action and individual moral ambiguity highlights the era’s contradictions. The story uses this conflict to critique societal expectations placed on young people.
Cruel Story of Youth Spoiler-Free Summary
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In the restless streets of late‑1960s Japan, a city caught between political turbulence and the lure of quick‑turn fortunes provides a gritty backdrop for a tale of uneasy partnership. Protest chants echo through the air, underscoring a society that feels both arrested and in motion, while neon‑lit alleys and crowded bus stops pulse with the restless energy of youth searching for purpose.
Makoto Shinjo drifts through this world with a carefree habit for hitch‑hiking, a skill that makes her both visible and vulnerable to strangers passing by. Her wandering spirit draws the attention of Kiyoshi, a charismatic yet morally ambiguous figure who is just beginning to taste the power that comes with small‑time gangster life. Their encounter sparks a fragile connection, built on a mixture of fascination, need, and the promise of an alternative path away from the conventional expectations placed upon them.
As their relationship deepens, the pair discovers a rhythm in which Makoto’s effortless ability to attract rides becomes an unwitting tool for Kiyoshi’s emerging schemes. The dynamic between the street‑smart drifter and the budding hustler is charged with a blend of affection, manipulation, and mutual dependence, each feeding the other’s restless ambitions. Their interactions are framed by the era’s shifting cultural currents, reflecting the tension between rebellion and conformity that defines their generation.
The film moves with a cool, observational style, allowing moments of quiet intimacy to sit beside the harsher edges of the city’s underbelly. Through muted colors and lingering shots, the story invites viewers to linger on the fragile chemistry of two young people navigating a world where survival often means blurring the lines between love and exploitation, and where every ride could be the start of something both exhilarating and unnerving.
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