Funeral Parade is proud to present An Actor’s Revenge, Kon Ichikawa’s melodrama about kabuki and vengeance.

Taking place during Japan’s Edo period, the story follows Yukitaro, a kabuki theatre performer, as he seeks revenge on the three criminals who drove his parents to suicide twenty years earlier. A renowned onnagata — a male actor who portrays female characters — Yukitaro is as bewitchingly androgynous as he is deadly with a sword. However, his plan to mete out retribution is complicated when he develops feelings for Namiji, the daughter of one of his foes. A stunningly beautiful tragedy with lush widescreen compositions, An Actor’s Revenge is both a classic of 1960s Japanese cinema and landmark example of on-screen gender fluidity.

With intro from curator Sarah Cleary.