Three Resurrected Drunkards

Oshima took to the spirit of '68 like a needle to a vein. This riotous comedy (in colour and Scope) is a cocktail of dumb cops, desperate Koreans, and Japanese students who don't know what's hit them. It starts with the students taking a swim, and finding their clothes stolen from the beach; the thieves are illegal immigrants from Korea, who soon want the identities that went with the clothes. It proceeds through a series of chases, misunderstandings, and riddles, which in turn evolve into conceptual games with the structure of the film itself. If anyone imagines that Oshima broke new ground when he cast Bowie and Sakamoto in Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence, they should note that the lead here is Kazuhiko Kato, founder/leader of the Sadistic Mika Band, who also contributes an impeccable pop theme song.