Gate of Flesh
Encyclopedia
is a 1964
Japanese film
directed by Seijun Suzuki
.
ghetto
of post-World War II
Japan, a band of prostitutes defend their territory, squatting in a bombed-out building. Somehow they eke out a living together. Forming a sort of family in an environment where everyone (American soldiers and Japanese yakuza
) is a potential antagonist, the girls cajole each other, and ruthlessly punish any of their group who violate the cardinal rule—no having sex for free. A new girl, Maya (Yumiko Nogawa
), joins their group and learns the trade. An ex-soldier, Shintaro Ibuki (Joe Shishido
), is shot nearby and holes up with the girls. Each of them starts to crave Ibuki, placing strains on the group. Maya feels it worse, seeing him as replacement for her brother (who died in Borneo
). She takes him after a night of drunken revelry, and both are ostracized. Agreeing to run away together, he is shot in a double-cross, and she is left as she was at the beginning of the film—alone and hopeless.
Planned as an "adult release" (Japanese films were classified by the country's film board as "general release" or "adult"), the usual pace of production at Nikkatsu (10 days pre-production, 25 days shooting, 3 days post-production) allowed Suzuki and his innovative production designer Takeo Mimura precious little time to construct sets to recreate post-war firebombed Tokyo. Sets were slapped together on the backlot using materials purloined from studio warehouses, and theatrical set design techniques which could compromise the film's "realism." The resulting production has been lauded for its resulting visual flair.
Most female actresses at Nikkatsu refused to work in the film due to the nudity and subject matter, so the cast's female roles were filled by actresses from outside the studio.
1964 in film
The year 1964 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* January 29 - The film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is released....
Japanese film
Cinema of Japan
The has a history that spans more than 100 years. Japan has one of the oldest and largest film industries in the world – as of 2009 the fourth largest by number of feature films produced. Movies have been produced in Japan since 1897, when the first foreign cameramen arrived...
directed by Seijun Suzuki
Seijun Suzuki
, born Seitaro Suzuki on May 24, 1923, is a Japanese filmmaker, actor, and screenwriter. His films are renowned by film enthusiasts worldwide for their jarring visual style, irreverent humour, nihilistic cool and entertainment-over-logic sensibility...
.
Synopsis
In an impoverished and burnt out TokyoTokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
ghetto
Ghetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
of post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Japan, a band of prostitutes defend their territory, squatting in a bombed-out building. Somehow they eke out a living together. Forming a sort of family in an environment where everyone (American soldiers and Japanese yakuza
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
) is a potential antagonist, the girls cajole each other, and ruthlessly punish any of their group who violate the cardinal rule—no having sex for free. A new girl, Maya (Yumiko Nogawa
Yumiko Nogawa
is a Japanese actress born in Kyoto, Japan. She has starred in several movies, notably Gate of Flesh , a Japanese erotic film, part of a trilogy of films she made with director Seijun Suzuki. Including Story of a Prostitute and Carmen from Kawachi , these films are known as Nogawa's "Flesh Trilogy"...
), joins their group and learns the trade. An ex-soldier, Shintaro Ibuki (Joe Shishido
Joe Shishido
is a Japanese actor most recognizable for his intense, eccentric yakuza film roles and his artificially enlarged cheekbones. He has appeared in some 300 films but is best known in the West for his performance in the cult film Branded to Kill...
), is shot nearby and holes up with the girls. Each of them starts to crave Ibuki, placing strains on the group. Maya feels it worse, seeing him as replacement for her brother (who died in Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
). She takes him after a night of drunken revelry, and both are ostracized. Agreeing to run away together, he is shot in a double-cross, and she is left as she was at the beginning of the film—alone and hopeless.
Production
Most female actresses at Nikkatsu refused to work in the film due to the nudity and subject matter, so the cast's female roles were filled by actresses from outside the studio.
Cast
- Joe ShishidoJoe Shishidois a Japanese actor most recognizable for his intense, eccentric yakuza film roles and his artificially enlarged cheekbones. He has appeared in some 300 films but is best known in the West for his performance in the cult film Branded to Kill...
as Shintaro Ibuki - Yumiko NogawaYumiko Nogawais a Japanese actress born in Kyoto, Japan. She has starred in several movies, notably Gate of Flesh , a Japanese erotic film, part of a trilogy of films she made with director Seijun Suzuki. Including Story of a Prostitute and Carmen from Kawachi , these films are known as Nogawa's "Flesh Trilogy"...
as Borneo Maya - Satoko Kasai as Komasa Sen
- Koji WadaKoji Wadais a Japanese rock singer. He first debuted in 1999 with his first single "Butter-Fly", the theme song of the anime Digimon Adventure. He's currently under the King Records recording label.- Life and career :...
as Abe - Tomiko Ishii as Roku
- Kayo MatsuoKayo Matsuois a Japanese actress. She retired from acting following the Kobe earthquake.-Partial filmography:# Endless Desire # My Second Brother # Hikaru umi...
as Mino - Misako Tominaga as Machiko
- Keisuke Noro as Ishii
- Chico Rolando as Catholic Priest
Other versions
There are 3 other film versions (1948), (1977), (1988 starring Katase Rino), and a recent 2008 TV drama series.External links
- Criterion Collection essay by Chuck Stephens
- Gate of Flesh at the Japanese Movie DatabaseJapanese Movie DatabaseThe , commonly referred to as JMDB, is an online database of information about Japanese movies, actors, and production crew personnel. It is similar to the Internet Movie Database, but lists only those films originally released in Japan. The site was started in 1997, and contains movies from Meiji...