I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

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