Jigoku (1960) Today

The first two-thirds of Jigoku play out like a Hitchcockian noir or a grim morality play. We follow (Shigeru Amachi), a mild-mannered theology student whose life unravels after a single fateful night. While driving with his sinister, Mephistopheles-like friend Tamura (Yôichi Numata), they hit and kill a drunk Yakuza member.

What follows is a "nonsensical chain of events" that sees every person in Shiro’s life—his family, his fiancée, and even his corrupt peers—dragged into a vortex of tragedy. By the time the film reaches its final act, the "road to Hell" is complete, and the movie takes a literal plunge into the underworld. The Visuals: Painting with Blood and Pus Jigoku (1960)

Released by the nearly bankrupt , Jigoku was Nakagawa’s final horror effort for the company, and he clearly decided to go out with a bang—literally dragging his characters through every circle of Buddhist torment he could envision. The Story: A Slow-Motion Train Wreck of Guilt The first two-thirds of Jigoku play out like