Branded to Kill (Koroshi no rakuin). Seijun Suzuki, 1967.
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Edition screened: Criterion Blu-ray #38, released 2011. Japanese language with English subtitles. Runtime approximately 91 minutes.
Summary: Murdered birds and insects.
Details:
1) A conversation in a car between Hanada and Misako beginning at 20:20 shows a toy bird hanging from the rear-view mirror. A 2-second shot at 20:46 shows that a real bird impaled through the neck by a needle has replaced the toy.
2) A scene takes place in death-obsessed Misako’s apartment, filled and decorated with butterfly and insect specimens, 38:24-42:00. There are many views of insects pinned to walls and boards and hanging from the ceiling like garlands. A 5-second image of Hanada shredding one of the butterflies begins at 41:41.
3) A violent 5-second image in Misako’s apartment begins at 43:30, where we return to a birdcage that previously held two song birds. The birds now are dead, impaled through the necks with needles. At 47:21 Hanada has a 3-second flashback to an image of the dead birds and butterflies in a bowl.