Unlike the others, which are based on novels by Abe, Pitfall was originally a television play called Purgatory (Rengoku).

The film's focus on the exploitation of coal miners was likely influenced by Teshigahara and Abe's political leanings, and their sympathy with the Tokyo demonstrations in 1960 against Anpo.

[3] Many of the visual devices and themes are similar to the contemporaneous work of Shōhei Imamura, whose 1959 film My Second Brother also featured Kyūshū coal miners.

[3] Teshigahara often disagreed with his film crew, and fired two assistant directors who did not wish to include the scene in which the policeman rapes the shopkeeper.

[3] Pitfall was first distributed by the Art Theatre Guild (ATG) company of Japan on a limited release on July 1, 1962.