Irezumi

A superb and fascinating thriller, Irezumi (1966) is reminiscent of the classics from the golden age of Japanese cinema. A fine example of a highly cinematic work that doesn't sacrifice it's literary storytelling, rich in traditional atmosphere and masterfully photographed- in this case it's outstanding, vibrant color. The respectable source material, a talented cast and crew of veterans and experts from great Japanese cinema elevate this into a hauntingly stylish and sharp tragedy, easily more polished, smarter, and classier than it could have been. The disturbing tale of a woman and her dimwitted fiancé, deceived by their hosts, she is sold into slavery as a geisha, her back branded with a magnificently creepy spider-demon tattoo, and the psychological effect it has on her. As she takes on the on the dark symbolic qualities of the man-eating spider, the tattoo empowers her to perpetrate a manipulative, bloodthirsty revenge. Just shy of the supernatural, this is close in spirit to a Mizoguchi's classic, like Sansho the Bailiff, but with a bloodier, grittier touch of the later, Lady Snowblood and it's brutal contemporaries. Arrow's Blu Ray restoration looks truly fantastic, showcasing the film's vivid visual beauty. Extras include an insightful audio commentary by scholar David Desser, an introduction by Tony Rayns, a piece on master cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa, an essay, and always appreciated reversible cover art. Highly recommended to fans of Japanese film. Also recommended: the classics Ugetsu, and Rashomon, the horror films Onibaba, Kuroneko, and Kwaidan, and the under-rated, intoxicating The Taisho Trilogy.

This is, indeed, one of the very best Japanese movies I have bought and had the pleasure to see. The female actress is astounding in not only her beauty but also her acting. I have bought a lot of Samurai movies, but nothing can yet beat this movie for its acting quality .AYAKO WAKAO. This, of course, is not a Samurai movie, and, as such, draws your attention to some quality acting by all involved. I will no doubt, be buying more of her quality acting / movies. I can certainly recommend this movie to our readers.

Tattoos are still quite trendy; although expressing your style, taste or romantic devotion in permanent ink never seemed to be the wisest decision considering all three of those factors are likely to change…along with your saggy skin. But tattoos have a darker stigma as well, signifying ownership, property and dehumanization. In 1966’s Irezumi, directed by Yasuzo Masumura, the artwork forcibly inked on a geisha’s back takes on an almost supernatural quality, the darkness within awakening to match the evil without.Anxious to elope with her lover, Otsuya is duped by a family friend who sells her into slavery as a high-end geisha. To ensure her fidelity, the new owner instructs a tattoo artist to create a distinctive spider design on her back. Meanwhile her lover, Shinsuke, murders in self-defense and becomes a lovelorn outlaw, still plotting how to win his fiancé back. But Otsuya excels in the art of “consuming” men, using her natural skills to exact revenge on those who ruined her life…but also ruining her own in the process. Masumura, whose Giants and Toys and Black Test Car (also released by Arrow Films) were trend-setting examples of the Japanese salaryman genre, was never one to shy away from conflicted characters. And Otsuya, despite the circumstances, is never a victim. The film strongly suggests she was predisposed to a life of toying with men’s emotions; her imprisonment is merely a convenient excuse to do more of the same. Even Shinsuke, whose naïve loyalty and guilty conscience makes him the film’s most likely protagonist, is a character that engenders little sympathy.Inspired by the macabre work of Edgar Allen Poe and shot in a studio-bound environment, Irezumi feels haunted despite a lack of genuine ghosts or spirits. There’s something unsettling in nearly every frame, a feeling that’s amplified by Kazuo Miyagawa’s cinematography, made up of deep shadows and foggy blues. It’s a beautifully disturbing film that, like most of Masumura’s work, has gone underappreciated for far too long.Arrow Film’s Blu-ray is sumptuous to look at and includes an audio commentary, 10-minute introduction by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns, visual essay, trailer, image gallery and illustrated collector’s booklet.

Based on Junichiro Tanizaki’s story Shisei (The Tattooist), Yasuzô Masumura’s (Black Test Car) tells the story of Otsuya and Shinsuke. She’s the daughter of a rich merchant who is tempted by her father’s employee to elope before they’re caught by an inn keeper.Now sold into prostitution, she’s given a tattoo by Seikichi, a master artist, of a human-faced spider. Her pale skin has created the perfect canvas for him, but now she’s been marked as the property of another man. As she and Shinsuke seek to escape their lives, all manner of horror follows, with the face of the spider changing — and Otsuya herself — with each act and each man who comes her way must pay.Masumura and his muse Ayako Wakao, who plays Otsuya, made several films together, yet this film is the first of theirs I’ve seen. It’s a woman getting revenge feature. Yet while the film makes you wonder at first if it’s the tattoo or the woman doing all of the murder, by the end, the answer becomes clear.The new Arrow Video release of this film comes with a new 4K scan of the film, new audio commentary by Japanese cinema scholar David Desser, an introduction by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns, a visual essay by Asian cinema scholar Daisuke Miyao and a trailer. You can get it directly from Arrow Video.

It is a strange review (as below) which claims that this film has no bite. Perhaps they were looking for something closer to the exploitation films of Meiko Kaji. This is a different beast entirely. A dark tragic story and as quoted on the cover "A very special piece of art".Ayako Wakoa is outstanding as the spirited daughter of a trader who escapes the confines of her stuffy life to be entraped again, this time as a geisha. The forced tattooing of a vicious female spider on her back consumes her and the tattoo seems to become her. She now sucks the souls of men, entices them in and leaves them with nothing.Wakoa was so believable in this picture that I was shocked to see an entirely different character in Red Angel, another of her combined efforts with new wave director Yasuzo Masamura.This is a tragic tale in the Greek sense, someone who could have had it all, losing it all because of their own characteristics.The film is not brooding. It moves along well and holds your attention. The visuals are outstanding, especially the image of the beautiful geisha with the fearfull spider on her back, such a breathtaking juxtaposition.

bit disappointed

Well presented and packaged. Fans of Japanese cinema will love this.