Imamura always showed an awareness of Kawashima's work, establishing his own style based on the Tohoku region's 'underlying psychology' (which in Imamura's own words was "heavy comedy").
今村は常に川島を意識して、東北土着の「基層心理」をベースにした作風（本人の言葉で言えば重喜劇）をこのとき確立させた。