Mikio Naruse’s versatility as a director is apparent in his foray into film noir, with this adaptation of Edward Atiyah’s 1951 novel The Thin Line. Naruse’s return to 1.37:1 Academy aspect ratio after a series of TohoScope works, and shot in inky black and white, the film chronicles the aftermath of a killing. As a family man’s connection with the death weighs on his conscience, social and family pressures exacerbate his torment. While its genre stylings mark a departure from Naruse’s “women’s film,” the plot, as indicated by the title, hinges on the desires and motives of women.