Fighting Elegy (1966) DVD

In Okayama in the mid 1930s, Kiroku (Takahashi) attends high school and boards with a Catholic family whose daughter, Michiko, captures his heart. He must, however, hide his ardor and other aspects of his emerging sexuality, focusing his energy on a gang he joins, breaking school rules, and getting into scuffles. He comes under the influence of a young tough nicknamed Terrapin, and together they lead fights against rival gangs. Gradually, Kiroku and Terrapin align themselves with the right-wing Kita Ikki, and Kiroku becomes a stand-in for the attitudes of Japanese youth who embraced the imperialism leading to World War II...

Screenplay adapted from Takashi Suzuki's novel by Kaneto Shindo (Onibaba, Kuroneko).