Money, Love, and Betrayal in the Film Cruel Story of Love

Money, Love, and Betrayal in the Film Cruel Story of Love

The military expansion was evident in the 1930s and 1940s, followed by home renovations and autarky abroad led to the development of a new structure and establishment of new order overseas (Gordon 3). The original structure was followed by the powerful trying to accumulate wealth with the less fortunate getting oppressed in the process. Cases of violence and crime resulted in the oppressed trying to fight for their rights with movements being formed after world war II. Movements such as the citizen movement were established to allow the nonpolitical class to fight for their rights. Families came together to protect their loved ones by ensuring their day to day lives did not get disrupted. This kind of love is also seen in the film Cruel Story of Youth, where Kiyoshi goes to the extent of sacrificing his own life to the prostituting gang to protect Makoto. Betrayal of people by the government was also rampant as promises were not kept. Similarly, the Japanese government is betrayed by its international counterparts, whereby the soviet union refuses to sign the peace treaty. Kiyoshi and Makoto betray their love by having relations with other people. Kiyoshi has a relationship with a sugar mama, while Makoto has a romantic relationship with Horio. Money is also an aspect that affects the Japanese people and is well indicated in the film, whereby Kiyoshi and Makoto engage in criminal activities of stealing wallets and conning drivers as a way of making a living. They develop a prostitute pimp kind of relationship to find money, which is also a form of betrayal to their love. The issues faced by the Japanese people are well illustrated in the movie Cruel Story of Youth after World War II, where people engage in criminal activities to create wealth. Citizen movements are established to protect families and livelihoods.

The aspect of money is well illustrated in the movie Cruel Story of Youth, whereby Makoto and Kiyoshi are involved in several criminal activities such as conning drivers and stealing wallets so they can earn a living (Kuzu). Kiyoshi uses Makoto to extort money from people. The room they live shows how poor they are, and they are willing to do anything for them to survive through the day. They engage in criminal activities to get money. Their struggles to get money can be related to the hard times experienced in Japan after the second world war. Japan tried to maintain a low posture diplomatically after world war II, but there existed an intimate relationship between domestic and international politics (GORDON 5). The presence of global influence in Japan played a significant role in the lives of many youths in the country who engaged in criminal activities for them to get money as the western people did. Japan adopted the san Francisco system, which brought about the issue of political conflicts over issues of democracy and peace and led to the emergence of a powerful capitalistic state and a rich consumer society (Koschmann 191). It is illustrated in the film where Kiyoshi and Makoto participate in morally wrong activities, such as trying to seduce drivers and a politician for them to get money. In one instance, Kiyoshi tries to extort money from Horio, and he tells him that he was just another target of Makoto (Kuzu).  The capitalistic state meant that people were more focused on accumulating their wealth hence the increase in crime and violence among the youth as they tried to make money.

The value of love in the Cruel Story of Youth can be related to the way Kiyoshi and Makoto valued each other and wanted to spend time together as well as how the love for the country led to students rioting and protest against oppressive government policies with the hope that things might change. Kiyoshi is willing to fight the gang that prostitutes’ women to protect Makoto while Makoto is ready to leave her family and stay with Kiyoshi after her sister rebukes her (Kuzu). The love in this movie is complicated as although the two love each other, their love affair is more of a pimp and prostitute as Kiyoshi asks Makoto to seduce men so they would get money to sustain themselves (Kuzu). Care and love in the Japanese population are illustrated in the film “Cruel Story of Youth.” A driver is molesting Makoto, but Kiyoshi manages to rescue her. Their love affair begins at this point as Kiyoshi asks her to go on a date with him, which she agrees. Their first date involves watching the protests against the Anpo treaty, and then he takes her out to ride a motorboat where he later rapes her (Kuzu). Similarly, the challenging economic times that came with the second world war created the formation of diverging groups with each group trying to fight for its rights (Koschmann 191). A mother’s movement was formed, focusing on the issues affecting their beloved families (Koschmann 191). A citizen movement was developed by people whose regular day activity was nonpolitical (Koschmann 193). It was for people with jobs, families, and communities to take care of themselves and their loved ones. All this was because of the love that members of the citizen movement had. The film can be related to the sacrifice that Japanese people made to ensure their loved ones had a more promising life despite the hardships experienced after the war (Koschmann 192). Passion makes Makoto’s sister rebuke her, and she moves out to live with Kiyoshi (Kuzu). There is a lot of lovemaking, and their relationship turns soar when Makoto gets pregnant, and Kiyoshi asks her to abort. Kiyoshi’s love affair with his sugar mama and Makoto sleeping with Horio makes their love hectic (Kuzu). They eventually decide to break up so they won’t hurt each other again. The two die with Kiyoshi killed trying to protect Makoto from the gang after he lost their bike. Makoto dies after jumping from a moving vehicle after the driver refuses to let her out. The actions taken by youths, as illustrated in the film, were to facilitate the society to fight the victimization and suffering that came with the war. They felt that the political class was violating their rights. The communities wanted to protect their loved ones and would do anything just as Kiyoshi broke up with Makoto so they could not hurt each other. Kiyoshi also died protecting Makoto from the gang just as the citizen movement was ready to sacrifice their lives to ensure their livelihood was not affected.

Betrayal is illustrated in the film Cruel Story of Youth, whereby despite the riots and the anti-ANPO protests as the government does not listen to their issues. There is also a betrayal of love between Kiyoshi and Makoto. First, Kiyoshi betrays Makoto when he rapes her during their motorboat ride (Kuzu). He also betrays her when she asks her to seduce men for them to make a living (Kuzu). They were both in love and asking Makoto to attract men for money was a form of betrayal to their passion. Deception is also seen when Kiyoshi asks Makoto to abort, which was against her will. Makoto betrays Kiyoshi when she fails to inform him about Horio in their first meeting as they did when extorting other drivers (Kuzu).  There is a betrayal of love as Kiyoshi is engaged to a sugar mama, and also Makoto makes love with Horio. Kiyoshi also betrays his sugar mama by being in love with Makoto. Akimoto, who helps carry out the abortion, gets betrayed after Makoto and Kiyoshi agree to confess after their arrest (Kuzu). Likewise, the Japanese government revealed its citizens in various ways, such as by neglecting their rights, victimization, and oppression (Gordon 9). Its international allies also betrayed the Japanese government. Japan made a dedication to make peace with other countries after the second world war, including the Soviet Union and China (Gordon 10). They also made a bilateral agreement with the United States under which the main islands in japan were protected by US forces (Gordon 10).

In conclusion, the establishment of political movements is one way that the Japanese managed to live through the tough times that followed the second world war. Through the development of participatory systems such as freedom of assembly and speech. Minority representation and guaranteed diversity in citizen movements decentralized society, which strengthened the pursue of self-governance. It is represented in the film cruel story of youth as Kiyoshi and Makoto are ready to do anything to make it in life. Love is well illustrated in the society in Japan, where citizen movement is created to protect livelihood and families. Global influence in Japan played a significant role in the lives of many youths throughout the country who engaged in criminal activities for them to get money. The emergence of capitalism makes people value wealth and money over people’s lives leading to a lot of illegal activities and violence in society. The Japanese government betrays its citizens by not listening to them despite the protests and riots. Regardless of all, people still hope that things will eventually turn out well as they continue to push for their rights.

Works Cited

GORDON, ANDREW. Postwar Japan As History. 4th ed., UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS, Accessed 7 Mar 2020.

Koschmann, Victor. Authority ‘ Iand The Individual I Iinjapan. UNIVERSITY OF TOKYO PRESS, pp. 188-199, Accessed 7 Mar 2020.

Kuzu. “Review: Cruel Story Of Youth (1960)”. Gaijinzoku.Blogspot.Com, 2008, http://gaijinzoku.blogspot.com/2008/02/reprinted-from-kuzu.html.