In 1936, a group of Army officers attempted a coup d'état directed at the oppressive military regime. Gosho uses the failed coup as a backdrop for a story of thwarted love between a desperate officer and a married woman (Shima Iwashita in a remarkable performance). In this, one of Gosho's last films, the director's penchant for close character studies, derived largely from revelatory editing within a scenario overflowing with place and person, was unchanged. Arthur Nolletti, Jr. wrote for last year's Japan Society Gosho retrospective, "Here, as in his best films, Gosho examined male-female relationships with unusual subtlety and perception, showing a special feeling for the plight of his women characters. He also remained a consummate director of actors."