| Dir: Ichikawa Kon |
| Japan | 1956 | B&W | 96min | English Subtitles |
| Cast: Kawaguchi Hiroshi, Wakao Ayako, Kawasaki Keizo |

Hollywood established the teen rebellion genre in 1955 with Rebel Without a Cause, but the taiyozoku (“sun tribe”) culture of mid-50s Japan upped the ante. Based on a novel by youth-in-revolt pioneer (and current Tokyo governor) Ishihara Shintaro, Punishment Room follows the exploits of Katsumi, a moody college student lashing out at society. From extortion to gang warfare to date rape, Katsumi transgresses every boundary and pays the ultimate price. With stark photography and an anxious, jazzy score, Punishment Room was a compelling precursor to the Shochiku New Wave, and is just as shocking today as it was then.