If you think modern cinema is "edgy," you really need to sit down with Funeral Parade of Roses 1969. Honestly, it makes most contemporary subversive films look like Sunday morning cartoons. Toshio Matsumoto’s masterpiece isn't just a movie; it’s a chaotic, beautiful, and deeply jarring collision of documentary realism and avant-garde fever dreams. It’s the kind of film that feels like it’s vibrating while you watch it.
The late 1960s in Tokyo were a pressure cooker. Students were rioting. Jazz was everywhere. The "Geki-Gekiga" movement was transforming manga. In the middle of this, Matsumoto decided to film the underground "gay boy" (a contemporary term for drag queens and trans women in Shinjuku) subculture. He didn't just document it. He blew it up.
What Funeral Parade of Roses 1969 Actually Is
People often call this a "New Wave" film, but that label feels a bit too polite. It’s a retelling of Oedipus Rex set in the drag bars of Shinjuku. Our protagonist is Eddie, played by the magnetic Piter (Shinnosuke Ikehata). Piter was actually a teenager found in a club, and his performance is so raw it basically redefined queer visibility in Japan overnight.
Eddie is caught in a bitter, high-stakes rivalry with Leda, the "mama-san" of the bar Genet. They aren't just fighting over customers; they’re fighting for the affection of Gonda, the bar owner who deals drugs on the side. It sounds like a soap opera, but the execution is pure anarchy. Matsumoto breaks the fourth wall constantly. One minute you’re watching a tragic scene of domestic abuse, and the next, the actors stop, look at the camera, and discuss their characters. It’s jarring. It’s supposed to be.
The film is famous for its "mask" motif. Everyone is wearing one. Whether it’s heavy eyelashes or a literal performance of gender, Matsumoto argues that the "real" self is a myth. Or maybe it’s the only thing that matters? It’s hard to tell because the movie refuses to stay still long enough for you to pin it down.
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Stanley Kubrick and the Clockwork Orange Connection
You might have heard a rumor that Stanley Kubrick "borrowed" from Funeral Parade of Roses 1969 for A Clockwork Orange. It’s not just a rumor; it’s widely accepted by film historians. Specifically, that hyper-fast, sped-up orgy/fight sequence in Kubrick’s 1971 film? It’s a direct stylistic lift from Matsumoto’s work.
Kubrick was a known cinephile who tracked down obscure international prints. When he saw how Matsumoto used "fast motion" to create a sense of manic, cartoonish violence and sexuality, he saw the future. Seeing the two films side-by-side is a trip. Matsumoto did it first, and he did it with a fraction of the budget. It’s a reminder that the "underground" has always been the R&D department for Hollywood’s biggest names.
The Shinjuku Underground as a Living Character
The setting isn't just a backdrop. Shinjuku in 1969 was the epicenter of Japanese counterculture. Matsumoto captures it using "cinéma vérité" techniques. He literally stops the plot to interview the actors—who were real-life members of the queer community—about their lives, their surgeries, and their families.
These interviews are heartbreakingly honest. One performer talks about how their father reacted to their transition. Another laughs off the idea of "normalcy." By mixing these real-life testimonials with the fictionalized Oedipal tragedy, Matsumoto forces the audience to acknowledge the humanity of a group that was largely invisible or mocked in Japanese society at the time.
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It wasn't easy to film. The production was shoestring. They used 35mm film but treated it like an experimental short. You’ll see sudden bursts of animation, comic book speech bubbles, and literal scratches on the film negative. It feels alive.
The Ending Everyone Still Argues About
We won't spoil the absolute gut-punch of the finale, but it stays true to the Sophoclean tragedy it’s based on. The gore is stylized, almost theatrical, yet it feels more visceral than modern CGI because of the emotional weight behind it.
The "Funeral Parade" of the title refers to a symbolic death. The roses? They represent the beauty and the thorns of the Shinjuku queens. When the credits roll, you don't feel "satisfied" in a traditional sense. You feel like you’ve been through a psychological car wash. It’s a film about the trauma of the past catching up to the present, a theme that resonated deeply in a post-WWII Japan that was trying to scrub its history clean through rapid economic growth.
Why You Should Care Now
Why watch a black-and-white Japanese art film from 55 years ago? Because it’s surprisingly modern. The conversations about gender identity, the performance of the self, and the rejection of societal norms are the exact same conversations we’re having on social media today.
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Matsumoto was decades ahead of his time. He didn't treat his queer subjects as victims or as punchlines. He treated them as gods and monsters in their own epic tragedy. That kind of dignity is still rare in cinema.
How to Watch It Right
- Find the Restoration: Don't watch a grainy YouTube rip. Cinematheque and the British Film Institute (BFI) have done incredible 4K restorations. The high contrast of the black-and-white photography is half the experience.
- Context is King: Read up on the 1960s Japanese Student Movement. Understanding the political anger of the era makes the film's "chaos" feel much more intentional.
- Watch it Twice: The first time, you’ll be confused by the editing. The second time, you’ll see the clockwork precision of the narrative.
- Listen to the Sound: The score is a mix of traditional Japanese music, avant-garde noise, and period-appropriate pop. It’s incredible.
Funeral Parade of Roses 1969 is a sensory assault that proves movies don't have to follow rules to be powerful. It’s a piece of history that still feels like it was filmed yesterday. If you want to understand where modern "indie" film language came from, this is the blueprint.
Go find the Blu-ray. Turn off your phone. Let the Shinjuku night swallow you whole. It’s a trip worth taking, even if it leaves you a little bit broken by the end.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check Availability: Search for the 4K restoration by Cinematheque on boutique streaming services like MUBI or The Criterion Channel.
- Deepen the Context: Look up "Toshio Matsumoto's experimental shorts" to see how he refined the visual techniques used in the film.
- Compare and Contrast: Watch A Clockwork Orange immediately after to see the direct influence on Kubrick's editing style.
- Explore the Era: Research the "Japanese New Wave" (Nuberu Bagu) to find related works by directors like Nagisa Oshima or Shohei Imamura.