While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

I was expecting something a little more succinct and assured than this over ambitious and rambling piece. Mr Sone contributed two great films in the Angel Guts series, plus the earlier, much liked, Hellish Love but it seems the director is not consistent and over the years has preferred to vary his style. Fair enough but, for me, this was a hard to follow tale, involving war and politics and particularly large splodges of fog over the flesh in the many sex scenes. Eventually the tale makes sense and there are some powerful scenes including a violent stabbing and a harsh whipping, but it is a struggle at times to figure who is who with the time differences and large cast. Hitome Kozue is excellent in the duel role as mother and daughter, even if this does add to the confusion at first, and overall this is probably worth another look sometime.