Grotesque (2009 film)
Encyclopedia
is a 2009 Japanese
splatter
horror film
written and directed by Kōji Shiraishi
.
has refused to issue an 18 certificate to the unrated version of the film, banning its release in the United Kingdom
. BBFC director David Cook explained "Unlike other recent 'torture' themed horror works, such as the Saw and Hostel series, Grotesque features minimal narrative or character development and presents the audience with little more than an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism. In spite of a vestigial attempt to 'explain' the killer's motivations at the very end of the film, the chief pleasure on offer is not related to understanding the motivations of any of the central characters. Rather, the chief pleasure on offer seems to be wallowing in the spectacle of sadism (including sexual sadism) for its own sake".
The film's director and screenwriter, Koji Shiraishi
, responded that he was "delighted and flattered by this most expected reaction from the faraway country, since the film is an honest conscientious work, made sure to upset the so-called moralists."
decided to remove the DVD of Grotesque from its website. Incidentally, CDJapan, the international version of the Japanese retailer Neowing, does not sell the DVD since the controversy; although it is still readily available to Japanese residents via Neowing.
The film was released on DVD in Austria and the Netherlands on July 31. The DVD is a special edition limited to 1,000 copies. The DVD only contains German and Japanese language tracks and is only available in online stores related to the genre.
4Digital Asia released the film on DVD in the United Kingdom despite the distributor's refusal to classify the film with a rating.
The film was released on a DVD
/Blu-ray
in the United States by Media Blasters
on October 12, 2010.
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...
splatter
Splatter film
A splatter film or gore film is a subgenre of horror film that deliberately focuses on graphic portrayals of gore and graphic violence. These films, through the use of special effects and excessive blood and guts, tend to display an overt interest in the vulnerability of the human body and the...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
written and directed by Kōji Shiraishi
Kōji Shiraishi
is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, and occasional actor. He is primarily known for directing Japanese horror films, most notably The Curse.-Background:Kōji Shiraishi was born and raised in Fukuoka, Japan...
.
Plot
The doctor (Shigeo Ōsako) is one who's always gotten what he wanted; this has only created more depraved and extreme needs, so he kidnaps a random couple, Aki (Tsugumi Nagasawa) and Kazuo (Hiroaki Kawatsure), two young people who, after a few years working in the same office, go on a date once realizing feelings for one another. While on that first date, the couple is snatched off the street and wake up shackled in a basement. With little explanation, the doctor degrades, tortures, and mutilates them. As time and torture progresses, the doctor reveals that he is simply doing it for sexual stimulation and he wants them to survive.Release
The British Board of Film ClassificationBritish Board of Film Classification
The British Board of Film Classification , originally British Board of Film Censors, is a non-governmental organisation, funded by the film industry and responsible for the national classification of films within the United Kingdom...
has refused to issue an 18 certificate to the unrated version of the film, banning its release in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. BBFC director David Cook explained "Unlike other recent 'torture' themed horror works, such as the Saw and Hostel series, Grotesque features minimal narrative or character development and presents the audience with little more than an unrelenting and escalating scenario of humiliation, brutality and sadism. In spite of a vestigial attempt to 'explain' the killer's motivations at the very end of the film, the chief pleasure on offer is not related to understanding the motivations of any of the central characters. Rather, the chief pleasure on offer seems to be wallowing in the spectacle of sadism (including sexual sadism) for its own sake".
The film's director and screenwriter, Koji Shiraishi
Kōji Shiraishi
is a Japanese film director, screenwriter, and occasional actor. He is primarily known for directing Japanese horror films, most notably The Curse.-Background:Kōji Shiraishi was born and raised in Fukuoka, Japan...
, responded that he was "delighted and flattered by this most expected reaction from the faraway country, since the film is an honest conscientious work, made sure to upset the so-called moralists."
Home media
The reception in Japan was initially less controversial, but after the notoriety of the UK ban, Amazon JapanAmazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
decided to remove the DVD of Grotesque from its website. Incidentally, CDJapan, the international version of the Japanese retailer Neowing, does not sell the DVD since the controversy; although it is still readily available to Japanese residents via Neowing.
The film was released on DVD in Austria and the Netherlands on July 31. The DVD is a special edition limited to 1,000 copies. The DVD only contains German and Japanese language tracks and is only available in online stores related to the genre.
4Digital Asia released the film on DVD in the United Kingdom despite the distributor's refusal to classify the film with a rating.
The film was released on a DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
/Blu-ray
Blu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
in the United States by Media Blasters
Media Blasters
Media Blasters is an entertainment corporation founded by John Sirabella and Sam Liebowitz, based in New York City. They are in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American market manga compilations and anime and live-action movies and television series to home-video...
on October 12, 2010.