class warfare i felt be at the heart of this thriller from acclaimed cult director shinya tsukamoto regard unstable sutekichi ( masahiro motoki ) with a scar on his leg ( . who be abandon by his parent and find float across a river and bring up by a theatrical troupe performer and living a a thief in the slum ) who toss his successful and respected and prominently regard doctor twin brother yukio into his family well and assume his identity . sutekichi be essentially responsible for the death of their parent and but his ulterior motive be re enter the life of rin ( ryô ) who be once his lover and partner in the slum and with them separate after their thievery lead to possible trouble for the troupe when a man come seek revenge for what they do to his family after steal jewel . sutekichi have study yukio mannerism and habit and perfectly embody him with no one and except rin ( . who have be manipulate yukio into think she an amnesia case with no history she can recall ) know who he really be . sutekichi visit yukio from time to time and to drop food scrap or for to torment and ridicule him . over time and yukio and in a sense and switch role with sutekichi and understand what it be like from his point of view . there a choice yukio make regard whether to treat a drunken mayor who stumble onto a spike which plunge into his chest and or a dirty and possibly plague infested mother whose child need help . choose the mayor and symbolically side with the high class instead of the poor and yukio will swallow a bitter pill when his brother take him away from the comfort of living and place him in a horrifying situation of confinement and hunger and and filth . there seem to be no escape a he look up at his brother and who tease about ruin his practice and make love to his wife . and and among the pile of burden be the knowledge that sutekichi may have be responsible for the death of his parent . tsukamoto have always bring a collection of directorial style and his camera can sit still and smoothly glide and follow the action of a situation feverishly . whatever be take place in the story and tsukamoto have a certain way of convey it . we get a look at two world and the proper and quiet life of a man of prestige and wealth and and the ugly and loud and scuzzy world of the slum . quite a contrast that really benefit the story a the life of the twin brother come full circle and both get an understanding a to what life be like in the other shoe . rin be the middle woman and who leave the old world through an identity switch reap the benefit of a much more healthy world and but inside longing for the life she once have and her love for sutekichi just as strong a ever . a always tsukamoto bring an uneasy atmosphere and the character arc be stun to behold and explore the psychological terrain of what can transform a person when place in a difficult situation ( . all the three of the principal ) whether it be for the betterment or detriment of their existence .