Good concept, poorly executed.

Film Perfection

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Viewed on DVD. Restoration = ten (10) stars; cinematography/lighting = two (2) stars. Director Nagisa Oshima's test bed for experimenting/playing with film techniques at the expense of a credible story line, a plot with potholes, and unbridled free-ranging actresses/actors. This is a tale filled with many twists and turns most of which are telegraphed ahead (and far from surprising) or simply unbelievably dumb. On the surface, the plot appears almost Hitchcockian, but immediately disintegrates with even the most rudimentary analysis. The Director tries valiantly to use a wide- screen cinematic format for close-ups, but only ends up with chopped-off faces/heads. He also often fails to take full advantage of the format by not fully filling the screen from side to side. Lab-processed effects are interesting when first used, but quickly become seen-that-before boring as they ramble on and on. Cinematography (wide screen, color) comes across as little better than a home movie, and scene lighting is simply terrible (the major plot point of a killing on a train is impossible for the viewer to see--as are all dark/night scenes in the film--although one character claims to have witnessed it (using night-vision goggles, perhaps?)). Acting appears to be mostly ad lib, the score is fine and adds impact to scenes, and the subtitle are okay. Overall a fascinating experience if you park your brain on the coffee table and just enjoy the ride. WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.

Nagisa Oshima's Pleasures of the Flesh is the first film produced by his first studio, Sozosha, after he parted ways with Shochiku in order to make provocative films, even though there's nothing in this movie that's more radical than his earlier works, which were equally as aggressive. Similarly, this film is often classified as a pinku movie, but it really isn't (for starters, there is no nudity), so I think that classification comes strictly based on its title. Also, for some reason it's listed as a comedy on several sites, despite being anything but.The movie presents a line-up of low-lives, immoral characters and all- around unpleasant people typical for Oshima's social realist dramas. It's a dark tale of lost love, obsession, cruel ironic twists, aimless lives and a shallow, materialistic society whose members are doomed from the start. The main character is a major douche-bag, but it's not like the people around him are any better. There's a jazzy undertone reminiscent of the films of Seijun Suzuki and Kiju Yoshida, and Mariko Kaga, one of the best '60s Japanese actresses, appears as the female lead. All in all, pretty good, but the story's potential is greater than its realization. Also, the colors are really washed up, which particularly ruins the night scenes.

Despite the misleading title, unless it is meant to be ironic, this is still an excellent and most eventful movie. Our hero rescues his love object from the almost unbelievable audacity of a rapist returning to blackmail her parents as she prepares to marry another, and longs for her ever more. We get a mysterious bag of money, an appearance by the yakuza, a deaf girl who prefers life on the street to life with him and much nocturnal activities. Unfortunately the 60s colour seems to have faded over the years and, particularly in the night scenes, makes for strained viewing. Even so well worth a view because this is a very well told tale that could only be set in Japan.

The lead character, Wakizaka, a teacher, murders a man who has raped his young female student, Shoko, at the request of her wealthy family. Wakizaka is in love with and covets Shoko (as expressed early in the film by his highly sexualized and possessive gaze over her) but cannot have her because of his poor social and economic standing. A public official who has just embezzled 30 million yen witnesses this murder, and on knowing that he is on his way to prison, makes a deal with Wakizaka that the latter will protect the money until the public official's sentence is up or else be turned into the police for the murder. Shoko having married someone else (the wedding is the opening scene of the film), Wakizaka decides to experience "the pleasures of the flesh" for one year: he will spend the entirety of the 30 million and then take his own life before the embezzler is released. He spends the money mostly on insufficient but living substitutes for his original love Shoko (long-term prostitutes who look like her), as he slowly deteriorates further and further into guilt and obsession. Because of the stern, bold-faced warning on this form about spoilers, I won't say anymore about the plot.A highly stylized, highly subjective film -- the narration never strays far from the main character's point of view. Complex temporal and spatial structure. Wonderful, intense, thrilling, apocalyptic and, as always with Oshima, beautifully edited and shot.Since it is a rare film and I had the chance to see it, I'd be happy to answer any other questions via e-mail.