The Belladonna of Sadness
Hey everyone…here’s another CRAP FILTER movie review column. My girlfriend Michele and I have been checking out a lot of revival screenings and film festivals, and we’ll be co-reviewing some of these films right here in this column…HE SAID, SHE SAID “SHUT UP”
ALEX: I don’t think Michele and I really knew what to expect going into the “Belladonna of Sadness”, other than that Belladonna wasn’t in it. Last weekend we attended the Museum of Sex exhibition Peeping, Probing & Porn: Four Centuries of Graphic Sex in Japan. It had some anime, but it was all big-eye hentai stuff.
Belladonna of Sadness is over 30 years old. Thursday’s screening at KBG Bar was the first time it was screened in the US. You can tell its age because its production style was closer to The Adventures of David the Gnome than Neon Genesis Evangelion.
MICHELE: Anime was still in its infancy stage at this period and it shows. The film is primarily still shots, occasionally panning across, to give the feeling of fluidity. Only during “important” scenes, such as all of the sex scenes, was the anime we know of today used.
As far as plot, for a Japanese movie, the story was set in the French countryside, pre-revolution. Jeanne marries Jean & up on the ending of the ceremony, they go to the
king to pay their marriage tax. However, the king requires more than they can play. This takes us into a favorite Japanese story line- the rape of Jeanne. The entire noble court takes part.
While it is disturbing that this is a constant Japanese plot mechanism, Jeanne tries to overcome it. Unfortunately, it is the devil that is the source of that power.
ALEX: That’s actually one of my favorite parts of the story…she sells her soul to the devil and actually gets a pretty good deal. She becomes the most powerful person in the village, gets fucked so good that she hallucinates hockey players, and ultimately inspires
the French revolution.
MICHELE: She doesn’t actually sell her soul to the devil- that is what he ultimately wants from her. And as far as sex- while she has it, it doesn’t really make her happy, because she still loves Jean. The devil appears to Jeanne multiple times in a very phallic form. At first he is quite small, almost resembling a cigarette. But as Jeanne gains more power, he gets bigger. Every time he visits her, he forces sex upon her. While it is a semi- rape scene once again, Jeanne has come to understand the agreement & just goes with it. While she groans in pleasure, you still feel she gets cheated. There is very little penetration actually shown, as the devil becomes a liquid form as it enters Jeanne. She really couldn’t be enjoying it that much. These scenes are all done in a psychedelic art form, so it sort of just suggests what Jeanne is enjoying.
Jeanne uses her sex to convince the town to turn against the king while he is away at way. She gives them the Belladonna, a flower with a narcotic like effect and has the town in a big continuous orgy all night.
ALEX: The two “ecstasy” scenes are problematic. The first one occurs when she makes her union with the devil. A stream of anachronistic images flows across the screen like a Peter Max drug trip. Images of unicorns, wars, and even hockey players vividly spill from Jeanne’s mind. Later on, during the group orgy scene, the images are crudely drawn sexual taboos and impossible feats. Villagers have fish shoot from orifices, urinate places where they shouldn’t, and more. The first scene, despite the devil half-rape, seems like the more joyous one. The second is a cathartic release as the town rebels against the evil lord (who resembles Yoshimitsu from Tekken).
MICHELE: Of course this is the only character that even vaguely resembles a non-Caucasian character. Of course the Japanese can do a Caucasian anime, but why would you want to?
Anyway, aside from the disappointment in the sex scenes, I had other problems with the continuity of other issues. Like Jeanne’s hair color. She was a blonde, then throughout the movie, goes red, even purple. It sort of loses credibility in my eyes.
The MOS exhibit was quite graphic. For centuries the Japanese have enjoyed their porn, whether on scrolls or paper or painted on wood. At this point in history, even if it is a revolutionary technique, the sex, if it is going to be advertised as such, need to be more. Also, the choice of red as the color of liquid to flow as Jeanne is being penetrated is bad. Maybe red has a powerful meaning in Japanese culture, but to me it translated as the poor girl only had sex when she was on the rag!
ALEX: Lots of anime depict vaguely European worlds, from Miyazaki to The Little Koala, so Caucasian features and locales aren’t abnormal. The film is ultimately a political statement about revolution, which would never be allowed if the heroes and villains blatantly looked Japanese. The far-rightist Emperor worshipers would never allow that, especially 30 years ago.
I was disappointed with the MOS exhibit as well. It’s more of a boutique museum, with each exhibit taking up only one room. On the plus side, I did get to touch the boobs of a Real Doll. So not worth the $6000! I won’t need that loan from my parents anymore…
MICHELE: It’s nice to know you were looking for my replacement. Remembering that this was the foremost attempt animation, you can respect the effort that is made at early techniques. I just felt like the plotline left more to desire. Just like the exhibit. You know there has to be someone, somewhere who has the premier private collection of historical Japanese porn art.
ALEX: Odd and shocking images have always been a hallmark of anime, and Japanese cinema as a whole. It was interesting to see their use of color, for example green being the color of the devil. Most of the animation seems to be made out of sketches. Color is only used in certain places and it’s not out of place for whole frames to be 95% white, with just a few black strokes representing the action. It’s obviously an artistic choice, but it still seems to represent a lack of resources.
The film is beautiful at times, tedious at others, like a lot of Japanese cinema from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Imagine Seijun Suzuki creating a pornographic early Nick Jr. cartoon, and you’re somewhat close to “The Belladonna of Sadness”.
April 3rd, 2006 at 7:18 am
I enjoyed this feature, make it something regular!
April 3rd, 2006 at 9:33 am
thanks…we have a review for brick coming soon
April 3rd, 2006 at 10:54 am
PS. He Said, She Said is a category now. So people can specifically look for all the articles on our Back Issues page.
May 17th, 2006 at 2:10 am
What was the “Belladonna” exhibit like? We’re there products there you could buy? Was there more than just a free screening? Was it subtitled? If so, what was said? I own this movie on DVD, but I can’t understand what’s being said because it’s not subtitled, and I feel compelled to record the dialogue onto audio-cassette and mail it to a translator to type out a translation onto paper.