Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

When the number of bodies each adorned with a scarlet camellia start to mount, the authorities are keen to quickly find the murderer and solve the case. The deaths are obviously all related, each male victim has been slayed by the exact same method, as the investigation proceeds, suspicions begin to narrow... Director Yoshitarô Nomura's film is a spellbinding psychological thriller, a dark epic odyssey of revenge. Based on a novel of the same name by the distinguished Japanese author Shûgorô Yamamoto, the compelling drama/crime story is set in the 19th century. Typical of the great director his film is a multi faceted work, the subject of the investigation and the focus of story penetrate well beyond the common crime drama, Nomura weaves throughout insightful observations on the times, on the society and the social order in which the crime was committed. It is stylishly crafted with outstanding performances. Absorbed by the sumptuous detail the epic scope, The Scarlet Camellia, is an excellent film, captivating entertainment ... Highly Recommended