Better Off Being Bacteria: Adaptation and Allegory in Dr. Akagi

This chapter looks at how certain alterations and shifts in emphases to the short story by Ango Sakaguchi (1906-55) on which Dr Akagi is based shaped it into a film dealing with a number of issues that Imamura has made central to his ouevre. Looking at the production process and the main themes and motifs of this adaptation enables us to detect allusions both public and private, with the depiction of a war-torn rural community extending to Imamura’s own family and professional background. By presenting allegories of state-induced violence and perseverance of common people, Dr Akagi readily relates to a number of concerns that permeate his work while quite deliberately adding finishing touches to a long career in filmmaking.