A Night in Nude: Salvation; or, Living in Disgrace Ren… you’re an angel! It took me a while but, as promised, I return to the exploitation-charged world of neo-noir crafted by the late director Takashi Ishii. A Night in Nude: Salvation is a continuation of the original film from 1993, in which we see the return of the main protagonist played by Naoto Takenaka.
Language: JapaneseOriginal Title: ヌードの夜／愛は惜しみなく奪う Runtime: 127 min
Synopsis Jiro (Naoto Takenaka) continues his work as a handyman for hire, 17 years after the Nami Tsuchiya case. While working, he is caught by the police. They initially consider him to be a burglar, but after clearing the matter, Jiro is released. Guilt-ridden police officer Chichiro Anzai (Machiko Kochi) apologises to Jiro and frequently visits him at his homestead. In the meantime, Jiro is hired by a mysterious woman (Harumi Inoue) to help her find a precious watch in the woods. When Jiro finds the watch, it turns out there are remains of human flesh on it.
Angels and Demons Well, perhaps my expectations were too high, but I was not as shocked as I thought I would be by this modern-day sequel. Indeed, A Night in Nude: Salvation is a NSFW picture that takes the exploitation factor to another level, but the engaging storyline takes centerstage.
Whereas the original film provided a broad commentary on the post-Bubble state of Japanese society, the sequel chooses to focus on people from the social margin. Naoto Takenaka’s character feels even more like a private detective (similar to Nic Cage from 8mm) who goes through many levels of human depravity to uncover family abuse, prostitution, and even worse practices.
The sequel indeed has the similar feel like the original 1993 film, but it is not a rehash. The only major similarity that stood out for me were the neon scenes. Personally, I think they symbolise in both films the peaceful emotional state the protagonist aspires to achieve when interacting with femme fatales, but inevitably he is unable to do so because femme fatales being femme fatales lead to their own damnation.
The subtitle “Salvation” is also interesting. Takashi Ishii woves into the story the motif of an angel; that is, the main heroine perceives herself to be such and desires to be saved, but the movie is in fact about Jiro’s salvation, about his return from the gutters to human life thanks to the sacrifice of an unlikely ally.
With regard to performances, Naoto Takenaka is absolutely amazing in the lead and has even more opportunities to show his acting range than in the original film. Machiko Kochi is equally outstanding and it is a real shame that she is not very recognizable in the movie industry. Harumi Inoue really overplays her part of a femme fatale, but I think there was no better way to portray such a complex character.
Recommendations All in all, if you like neo-noir vibes and you do not mind the exploitation aspect, I recommend A Night in Nude: Salvation. In fact, this movie motivated me to check out more unusual roles done by Naoto Takenaka. As for the late director Takashi Ishii, I respect his courage to explore the dark depths of the human psyche.
Overall score: 7/10
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Suffering of Ninko; or, Carnal Visions Sexual indulgence is sinful for monk. The decade of the 2010s has undeniably shown to us that the future of Japanese Cinema belongs to young, extremely skilled, and experimental filmmakers. Apart from One Cut of the Dead (2017), Violence Voyager (2018), and Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes (2021), Norihiro Niwatsukino’s debut feature, Suffering of Ninko (2016), is yet another example of how fresh approach and low budget can result in a decent motion picture.
Language: JapaneseOriginal Title: 仁光の受難 Runtime: 110 min
Synopsis Ninko (Masato Tsujioka) is a Buddhist monk who diligently follows all the principles and practises asceticism. However, there is one problem. Ninko is incredibly handsome which, in consequence, draws the attention of women and men around him. Ninko desperately tries not to succumb to bodily desires, but horrible visions of demonic lust continue to haunt him. Ninko leaves his temple and embarks on a journey. In the mountains, he arrives at a village that is plagued by a demon spirit who kills men…
At World’s End On the basis of the synopsis, one could think that Suffering of Ninko is nothing more than an adult feature filled with NSFW content. This is not true at all. Norihiro Niwatsukino provides a great addition to the genre of Japanese ghost stories by telling the audience a tale about a virtuous monk trying to preserve his purity.
Indeed, there are scenes of nakedness but these are thoughtfully framed within the folk tale convention. Namely, the live-action adventures of Ninko are cross-cut with parchment drawings and animations which, combined with the narrator’s voice, create an atmosphere of intimacy, as if we are reading an old, forgotten myth.
The production design is spot on. We get to see numerous naturalistic settings which seem as if taken straight from the world of Zatoichi. With regard to performances, Masato Tsujioka does a great job as the main lead, especially in the scenes where Ninko is shocked and terrified. Hideta Iwahashi is also interesting as a bloodthirsty samurai, but he does not have a lot of screen time. Miho Wakabayashi is just chilling as the demoness Yama-onna.Qyoko Kudo really elevates the film with her narration.
Recommendations If you want to see something niche, bizarre, yet visually-intriguing, then I recommend Suffering of Ninko. Third Window Films released the film in dual format on DVD and Blu-Ray. Their edition contains a trailer, interview with director Norihiro Niwatsukino and a short film called Strawberry Jam.
Overall score: 7/10
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The Handmaiden; or, The Game of Deception My
aunt said when you hear that guests will come, drop everything and go
bathe the children. The guests like the smell of a clean baby. Miss, you
are my baby. My aunt also said, give the babies candy when they bathe,
to teach them that bath time is sweet. I have been aware of Park Chan
Wook’s erotic thriller The Handmaiden, inspired by Sarah Waters’
Fingersmith novel, since the moment when it hit the Cannes Film Festival
in 2016. I was eagerly waiting for the premiere in my country, but work
obligations and health problems prevented me from going to the cinema.
Later on, having heard a great deal about the plot, I was reluctant to
check it out due to evidently dark tone of the picture and NSFW
sequences, which are not my cup of tea. However, after grabbing the DVD
version for peanuts, I finally caved in. Similarly to Park Chan Wook’s
other popular motion pictures, The Handmaiden is undeniably a
masterpiece in terms of cinematography and storytelling.
Release Info
Directed by: Park Chan WookStarring: Kim Tae Ri, Kim Min Hee, Ha Jung Woo, Jo Jing Woong
Language: KoreanOriginal Title: 아가씨 Runtime: 145 min
Synopsis Korean
peninsula when it was occupied by the Japanese. Nam Sook Hee (Kim Tae
Ri) is a young girl raised in the environment of scoundrels and
smugglers. She is recruited by a certain “Count Fujiwara” (Ha Jung Woo)
who wants her to assist him in his con. That is to say, the Count wants
to seduce Japanese noblewoman Lady Hideko (Kim Min Hee), then marry her,
and commit her to an asylum so as to steal her inheritance. Nam Sook
Hee’s job is to act as Lady Hideko’s maid and persuade her to marry
Count Fujiwara. While initially things go as planned, Nam Sook Hee
suddenly realises that other participants of the con have ulterior
motives.
What We Do in the Shadows As Park Chan Wook stated in an
interview, he was presented with Sarah Waters’ novel in the early 2000s
and immediately wanted to adapt the book to film, transplanting the
storyline from Victorian England to Korea in colonial times. The
Handmaiden is divided into three separate parts, each focusing on the
perspective of one character; and in order to reinforce this uncanny
feeling of witnessing the events from different angles, the director
really wanted to shoot the film in 3D, but he was prevented from doing
so due to limited budget.
Nevertheless, technological limitations
enforced advancements in scenography and cinematography. The Handmaiden
is a tragic tale about personal traumas, unfulfilled desires, and
deception. The characters roam through the house of Uncle Kouzuki which
is divided into two halves: the Japanese-style wing and the Western
section. In this artificial homeland within a homeland, the protagonists
engage in a play of false identities and false intentions while
withholding true feelings for each other.
Without giving away any
spoilers, the safest way to describe The Handmaiden is to call it a
reflective drama about forbidden love with lots of plot twists in the
course of which the villains are repeatedly outwitted. The beginning may
be a bit confusing and slow-paced (I actually had to rewatch a few
scenes repeatedly to understand the exposition), but the viewers’
patience is rewarded half-way through the film when Part I transitions
to Part II.
With regard to performances, I absolutely love all of the
main leads. Kim Tae Ri and Kim Min Hee had amazing onscreen chemistry
and the presence of Ha Jung Woo was a class-act. In addition, I liked Jo
Jin Woong as a creepy uncle. His role may not be as pronounced as the
others, but the actor steals the finale!
The DVD version I have does
not come with any special features, apart from a stylish booklet which
has photos from the set, cast and crew biographies, and an extensive
interview with Park Chan Wook, from which I shared some pieces of
trivia.
Recommendations All things considered, if you like period
pieces sprinkled with suspense and eroticism, then The Handmaiden is the
choice for you. However, please be aware that the movie has a few NSFW
moments which are not suitable for family viewings. Apart from this, The
Handmaiden is yet another great motion picture crafted by Park Chan
Wook.
Overall score: 7/10
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