Black Gravel, 1961 - ★★★★

Very reminiscent of Germany Year Zero in both theme and overwhelming sense of desolation.

Watching the special features on the Radiance dvd, gives strong understanding of his POV. As a filmmaker under the Nazi regime - you can see both the guilt and resentment that clearly fuels Black Gravel.

Such a different vantage point from Ozu’s Germany - where modernism is embraced as part of the native experience. Here it is clearly imposed.  

A fascinating film with strong performances- even if the script has a few too many moments of bad luck.