What Are The Men In The Movie Double Suicide

In traditional Bunraku, the men in black are individuals who work as stage hands to control props and the like, drawing minimal attention to themselves. Within the film, Double Suicide, I believe that the men in black appear as homage to the original Bunraku performance and Chikamatsu’s idea, and popular quote, of art being something that lies between real life and fiction, but still be able draw out emotions from the viewers. This is done through the men in black manipulating the set, props and the actors throughout the film, showing the emotions of the men as the “puppets” act out the story and making the men in black a reflection of the audience.
In the opening of the movie, the men in black prepare the stage set as if they were conducting