The Third Murder was Hirokazu’s first film in Cinemascope. When a high class attorney discovers that a murderer might not have murdered again, he has to bring honor to the man’s name. But, does it matter if he has already confessed to another crime? Questions are raised about when guilt is guilt and does time change matters. Naturally, I never expect a film like this to win over American audiences. Ambiguity in the justice system automatically alienates half of the populace.
Still, I would like to believe that we were all mature enough to understand what’s being laid down. Given that I watched this film after seeing the director’s recent Shoplifters, I was stunned. Such mastery of tone and character work is insane in this era.
The Third Murder is now available!
