Diary of a Shinjuku Thief (Shinjuku dorobo nikki)

GREENWICH MEAN TIME

3:00

NEW YORK

22:00

PARIS

4:00

MOSCOW

6:00

BRAZZAVILLE

4:00

BEIJING

11:00

SAIGON

11:00

JAPAN STANDARD TIME

Thief!

Hurry up! Take them off!

What are you accusing me of stealing?

Shut up, you son of a bitch!

You must have something in mind. Tell me what I took!

A plastic pipe.

Take your pants off too!

Fine, I'll take them off.

Pull 'em down further.

Wait a minute.

You think I've got something in here?

You wanna see what's inside?

How about it?

We're terribly sorry! Forgive us!

This is Ali Baba

Town of mystery

Someone asks you

Morning in the sea

Noon on a hill

Night in the river

Who is it?

Bero-bero, a little boy

This is Ali Baba, town of mystery

DIARY OF A SHINJUKU THIEF

Even if we'll fade away...

A SOZOSHA PRODUCTION

Produced by MASAYUKI NAKAJIMA

Screenplay by TAKESHI TAMURA, MAMORU SASAKI

Cinematography by YOSHIOKA and SEIZO SENGEN

Production Design by JUSHO TODA

In Cooperation with KINOKUNIYA BOOKSTORE

Starring

TADANORI YOKOO

RIE YOKOYAMA

MOICHI TANABE

TETSU TAKAHASHI

KEI SATO

ROKKO TOURA FUMIO WATANABE

JURO KARA and the JOKYO GEKIJO THEATER GROUP

Directed by NAGISA OSHIMA

SHINJUKU

SUMMER 1968

SATURDAY

5:30 P.M.

This is All Baba

Town of mystery

Someone asks you

Morning in the sea

Noon on a hill

Night in the river

Who is it?

Sir, he's the one.

And who might you be?

I'm your employee.

My employee?

Well, never mind.

- Jean Genet? - Yes.

Diary of a Thief.

Are we going to the police?

- You're a fool. - Let me go.

- Three times. - What?

Before they take you to the police.

See you tomorrow.

How may I help you?

Come on, let me do it.

Come on.

Come on. Why stay a virgin?

I'll rape you.

We can do it tomorrow.

Tomorrow?

Tomorrow, the day after, the day after that?

Why not today?

It's my first time.

Think you can make me feel "the ecstasy blues"?

- I know I can. - You sure?

THE NEXT DAY, SUNDAY

SHINJUKU

5:30 P.M.

UBU ROI HOMAGE TO CATALONIA

ARRABAL

THE SEXUAL LIVES OF SAVAGES

ART FANTASTIQUE ART ABSTRAIT

THE TEARS OF EROS

RUSSIAN WOMEN

ATLAS OF HUMAN SEX ANATOMY

Three times, right?

This is quite a selection.

He warned me yesterday he'd strike again today,

so I think it best to call the police.

So yesterday was the warning, and today was the real thing.

Are you a cinephile?

- What's your name? - Do I have to say?

I'm glad you like books so much,

but these are merchandise.

I'll give you mine, which isn't for sale.

CONVERSATIONS WITH A NUDE STATUE BY MOICHI TANABE

- My name is Okanoue (Hilltop). - That's an unusual name.

Is this how you write it?

That's right.

Torio Okanoue.

"Tori" as in "bird," "o" as in "man."

At school we had a song called "Hilltop."

The bird in the gingko tree

Sings and sings

I don't sing very well.

I apologize. That's not my real name.

- My real name is Gropey Shinagawa. - "Gropey"?

Stop kidding around. Was it Vickers Hall...?

He wants special treatment because you share an alma mater. I won't allow it.

"Around the entrance to Vickers Hall,

intertwined trumpet creepers.

They make me sentimental.

See how they still grow without withering.

Clear bright skies of autumn,

and the edge of the sea at Shinagawa Bay.

I lean against the wooden fence

and enjoy the view."

I'd know that much even if I weren't from the same school.

So that doesn't tell me whether you are or not.

"Winter exams are close at hand.

I can't understand a single line of French.

Ah, to be 20 years old.

I went to school for six years.

Sake, song, tobacco, and girls --

that's all I ever learned."

All I learned was shoplifting.

If you're going to use a false name,

you could at least use Haruo Sato,

which would be easier to write in the dedication.

But please take this.

You seem oddly fascinated with him.

Nobody else brings shoplifters to me like this.

I'm fond of this store and of you, sir.

You're embarrassing me. What's your name?

Suzuki.

Miss Suzuki...

you needn't bring every shoplifter up here.

I'm quite busy.

Didn't he give it to you?

I don't want to go to dinner with you.

He told us to be friends.

- There's no point. - I'll wait here until you're off.

30 A.M.

NEW URBAN CENTER SHINJUKU 30 P.M.

I have a date with a man at 8:00.

- To do what? - Sleep together.

Is sleeping together that great?

What are you doing?

Your touching me like this feels better than sex.

What does it feel like?

I almost ejaculated.

That only happens when I shoplift.

Good-bye.

What about the money?

I don't want it.

How about 2,500 yen each?

I said you can have it all. Use it for the hotel tonight.

Mr. Birdman Hilltop.

What?

You're wealthy.

You could buy any book you want.

I'm poor.

On a bookstore clerk's pay -- - You barely get by.

That's right.

Nonsense.

- Those books you're holding -- - You can have them.

The book the president dedicated to "Birdman Hilltop."

There's a textbook on sex. It'll help you tonight.

Take them.

I get what you're feeling. - Like hell you do.

"To Miss Whosit Suzuki."

Pick them up. They're expensive.

I feel humiliated!

Then steal something.

This is Ali Baba

Town of mystery

Someone asks you

Morning in the sea

Noon on a hill

Night in the river

Who is it?

Bero-bero, a little boy

This is Ali Baba

Town of mystery

An unsolvable solvable riddle