Gate of Flesh (1964) User Reviews

Arty Japanese exploitation

[The_Void · 7/10 · 16 March 2008]

Having discovered the Female Prisoner Scorpion series recently, I've been looking out for more Japanese exploitation films and Gates of Flesh is an early example. The film is a bit artier than the other examples I've seen, and despite focuses on a nest of prostitutes; there isn't a lot of sex/nudity in it either. However, director Seijun Suzuki gets round this by giving the film a tremendously dark and unpleasant atmosphere that bodes well with the plot line as well as the time in which the film is set. The film is set shortly after World War II and we focus on a group of prostitutes who have come together to work for themselves. As a result, they have no pimp to answer to and so have to protect themselves also. They get a strict set of rules in place, which are enforced again by the girls themselves and the main rule states that none of them may give out what they sell for free. The group gets a new member in the form of a girl named Maya and shortly afterwards a thief seeks sanctuary with the prostitutes, and causes disruption within the group.

The plot is very ambiguous and it's never made clear exactly what the 'point' of any of the characters is, which on the one hand makes the film interesting as it means we have to work things out for ourselves; but on the other, the characters lack humanity and so the film can be a bit dry as a result. The director is apparently quite respected for making films like this; Gate of Flesh is the first one of his that I've seen so I cant comment on the body of his work, but clearly he is a director that values of the importance of making his films interesting and Gate of Flesh also looks very nice and the director gets the best out of his performers. I think that the director was hoping more to get a point across than anything else, but he also values style and that comes across well in the film also. The plot does flow fairly well, although at times it seems like there's not a lot happening so the film is not constantly entertaining. Overall, I won't name this film as a favourite of mine and I do prefer the more wild Japanese exploitation flicks; but this certainly isn't a bad film and I can recommend it.

Welcome to hell

[goldgreen · 8/10 · 3 October 2012]

An exploitation film with a brain. We see nude women tastefully lit, kinky violence - women beating other women and the low life of Tokyo outdoing each other in even more dastardly acts of treachery and heartless thuggery. The intelligence comes with the strong impact of the women dressing in vibrant red, purple, yellow and green to reflect their characters. Having the prostitutes live in a building that is an analogy for post-war Japan is even smarter. The building is bombed out, its occupants desperate, many have lost family in the war and for some the sight of people burned to death has made them individually heartless, desperate and mad. The fact that most of them live in the basement indicates that they have plummeted into the depths of hell. For cinema goers in Japan in 1964, just enjoying the fruits of the boom years for their rebuilt economy and also a new found pride and respectability, this must have been a sobering but also satisfying reminder of where they had been and how far they had come.

Not for the Squeamish

[Uriah43 · 7/10 · 5 March 2013]

This film proves that good directors are able to make first-rate films in spite of very modest budgets if they have the desire and creativity necessary to succeed. Essentially, this movie concerns the plight of a small number of prostitutes who are trying to survive in post-World War II Tokyo during the American occupation. With food, medicine, shelter and employment in scarce supply those without any resources became like animals just trying to stay alive. So 5 or 6 young prostitutes take refuge in a bombed out basement and agree to live by a very strict code which forbids, among other things, sex without payment. Those who fail to comply are tortured and then thrown back onto the cold streets without any means of protection or support. At any rate, things are going well for this small group until a war-weary Japanese soldier arrives suffering from a gunshot wound. Now, rather than giving away the entire plot I will just say that the director, Seijun Suzuki, uses various techniques (like different colors to differentiate the women) to create something quite impressive out of almost nothing. Just be advised that there is some nudity and violence that wasn't usual for this period in time. But even here he uses symbolism in many cases so that it doesn't seem crass or vulgar. In short, this is a picture that I recommend to those who can appreciate artistry and ingenuity and don't depend on special effects and CGI for their film entertainment. But it's not for the squeamish.

Renegade Filmmaking

[elihu-2 · 3 January 2000]

Born on May 24, 1923, Seijun Suzuki was a trade school drop-out and a soldier before studying film at Kamakura academy. After graduating in 1948, he was employed at Ofuna Studio as an assistant director. He began his full-fledged directing career at Nikkatsu in 1954, where he subsequently made 40 films. Most of these were quickie crime thrillers which were akin to Hollywood B-movies. Within the constricting confines of the mercenary studio system, Suzuki was nonetheless able to find his own unique creative sensibility.

His earliest films bear a renegade, sensual flair and a vibrant visual style unsurpassed by more recent work in both the West and Asia. Working in Cinemascope, he used the widescreen frame to full effect, composing intricate shots which seem almost three dimensional, due to somewhat elaborate staging and the novel device of using dissolves to show characters and action on the opposite side of the room or space to which the main camera is pointing.

GATE OF FLESH (1964) exemplifies this. One of Suzuki's most atypical films, it tells the tale of a pimp-less group of hellcat prostitutes trying to survive in the chaotic, crime-ridden arena of post-war Tokyo. Living by a strict code, any of their number can be severely physically punished for sleeping with a man for free. Puffy-cheeked Suzuki regular Jo Shishido plays Shintaro Ibuki, a macho renegade former soldier who deals on the black market and comes to lord it over the band of women. Captivating each of them, he causes a rift among them in which the young novice hooker Maya suffers the most, as she is totally enamored of him. The film is intensely visceral, outrageous, and risque, even today. It must have been positively explosive in 1964, with its sweating, erotically-driven characters, fairly explicit depictions of sex, and savage scenes in which naked women are tied up and whipped by other women. The aggressive sensuality is further enhanced by the Fujicolor processing, which accentuates the reds and greens.

Due to his interpid nonconformism, Suzuki was fired from Nikkatsu in 1968. Amid shake-ups and financial problems at the studio, the suits decided to jettison him for making "incomprehensible" films. This prompted a massive movement on his behalf organized by his fans of time, who were mostly college students. With their support, as well as that of the Director's Guild of Japan, Suzuki filed a court case for wrongful dismissal. He won the case, but the resulting furor got him blacklisted out of the studio system, and Suzuki was only able to resume making feature films in 1977, albeit independently.

Interesting Pre-Pinku Historical Exploiter..

[EVOL666 · 7/10 · 18 March 2010]

I had no idea what to expect going into GATE OF FLESH. It's yet another in a long line of discs that I've had lying around for ages that I acquired several years back in my film- trading days.  From the title I was expecting some sort of Euro art-house porn-what I got was something entirely different...

The storyline revolves around a group of hookers in post WWII Japan-where thieving, prostitution, black-markets, and overall abject poverty are the order of the day. The film is basically a snapshot of the women's lives and life in their little shantytown in general. Once the audience is brought up to speed on the women and their daily routines-a monkey-wrench is thrown into the mix, in the way of Shin-an ex-Japanese military man who invades their domain and becomes an object of admiration (and lust) to the hookers. The actual story of the film hits it's stride when Shin's involvement with the women begins to cause derision amongst them...

Although there doesn't seem to be many such films-I've always enjoyed the few that i've seen that mix true historical subject-matter with an exploitation-film style. Excluding more campy films that might fall into this genre (like pretty much the entire Nazisploit sub- genre...) the only others that readily come to mind were from Chinese director T. F. Mou with his films LOST SOULS, MEN BEHIND THE SUN, and THE NANKING MASSACRE. Though not nearly as blatantly exploitative as the aforementioned-GATE OF FLESH has a similar 'vibe'. There's obviously an air of authenticity that is felt throughout the film (the cramped, sweaty environments and layer of grime that literally seemed to coat the film), but the material is also handled in a somewhat off-hand way that was sure to also come off as 'shocking' to audiences at the time. I also found GATE OF FLESH to be an interesting, precursory look at what was soon to come of the actual pinku genre, once it hit in Japan a few years later. Although definitely not a pink-film by definition-most of the trappings were there-just not as blatantly and full-on exploitative as they would become in later films. I also am a sucker for a down-beat ending-and this one delivers on that front as well. The cinematography, sets, and acting are all very solid for what is obviously a low-budget film, even for it's time. Overall, I would say that this film may not necessarily be 'enjoyable' so to speak-but it's definitely an interesting and well-made look into both the subject-matter that it portrays, and the early roots of Japanese exploitation cinema in general. I will warn the sleaze-heads out there though-if you're looking for the typical nudity and rape-fueled  type of film that we all know and love-you'll definitely be disappointed. Although the way it's shot is cleverly done-there is no actual female nudity in this one. In fact-the only nudity we do get is a bit of man-ass. A shame- I would've rated it a little higher had we seen some goods-but I'll forgive that as much as I can given the 1964 time-stamp. Regardless-a solid film that I'd recommend for fans of this era of Japanese film-making. 7.5/10

Prostitution in vivid Seijun CinemaScope !!

[CelluloidRehab · 10/10 · 15 December 2005]

The story revolves around a female prostitution clan (Komasa of Kanto) and their newest arrivals, Maya and Shintaro (Jo "Cheek Implants" Shishido). It takes places in a shantytown located outside of a US military base, immediately after the end of WW2. They survive by selling their bodies and protecting each other, in other words : pimp-less. This is based on a novel by Taijiro Tamura.

We see the story from mostly Maya's perspective. When the story starts out she is a street urchin stealing food to survive. When she is caught by a local pimp and almost peddled to a couple of US servicemen, she inadvertently falls into the hands of the leader of the Komasa (the tattooed, Sen). From there the story revolves about the daily occurrences of street walking, finding food, laying about, singing and various methods of getting money, food and "johns" (lots of petty pickpocketing mostly).

The Komasa of Kanto are identified mostly by the color of their dresses than their names. It is funny to know that the color of the dresses in correspondence with the characters did not have any significant meaning (according to Seijun). The dressed adopted those colors because initially all the dresses and styles looked nearly identical. The colors were used (in typical anime fashion) to differentiate the characters. Mino - purple ; Roku - yellow ; Sen - red ; Maya - green ; Ofuku - white and Machiko - traditional kimono. The group have a few rules, but the most important is not to give up sex for free. We are subjected to the first incident of this with Ofuku. She is tied up, her hair is cut off and she is tied naked to a row boat and left in the harbor for all to see.

After Maya's arrival and adaptation, in comes Jo Shishido. He plays and ex Japanese soldier who goes around committing petty crimes and basically just trying to survive. His introduction is as the sole survivor of a failed raid on the military base supplies. He lives by a simple theory : eat, drink and have as much sex as you can. All the rest are pointless without these basic needs, so forget the higher ideals. He becomes part of Komasa when he stumbles into their "home" after he gets shot because he stabbed a US serviceman (who was involved in the theft at the base and "had it coming"). There is a brief power struggle between him and Sen, but his strength and power make for a natural leader. From then on, everyone defers to him. There also is an attraction for Shishido by both Sen and Maya and the entire groups tries to appease him.

There are elements of the baser and basic survival instincts of man. Those few things that try to elevate above it are crushed and extinguished. Seijun has some personal prejudices when it comes to this movie. He actually served in the Japanese army, stationed in the Phillipines. His military career started and ending with the Japanese retreating. At the time he still felt a bit angry at the US. This is represented in many fashions throughout the movie : the US GI rape of Maya, the MP's not caring, soup/ramen with a condom in it (merchant calls it healthy and nutritious food) and the appearance of the American flag. The flag is used every time something bad happens. It only has negative connotations, especially at the end where it is the last thing we see as the camera pans over the town. There also seems to be some mild capitalist vs communist debate going. At one instant one can hear the song of the international communist brotherhood being sung over all the dealings.

The movie is quite visually stunning. Takeo Kimura (the production designer) designed the sets. He was quite limited with funds. The movie need good sets but they were working with a B-movie budget. He used his theater background to create non-realistic surreal sets (theatre-like). They bring the movie (along with the costumes) to life. It gives the entire movie a theatrical feel. The bridge was even built with stolen used plywood from the props department. To make the paint go a long way, they would dilute the paint with water and add saw dust for thickening. This isn't a documentary. It is not suppose to emulate real life. It is an extreme look at life. Extreme characters in extreme circumstances. The movie also contains numerous scenes of nudity, female on female beatings, numerous sex scenes, plenty of violence and the butchering of a cow (which looks way too life-like). What more can one expect from the grandfather of the exploitation genre ?? I've seen numerous of Seijun's movies prior to this (the most recent being the Beast of Youth), but I was not expecting such a great movie. The Japanese cast and main actors do an excellent job. By the end you really care what happens to them. Seijun also included many American's in the cast as well, so expect to hear some English in the movie. I can't say enough about this movie. What are you still doing reading this, go out and see it for yourself.

-Celluloid Rehab

Rely on your own instincts

[lreynaert · 7/10 · 6 June 2013]

After WW II, a gang of prostitutes has their home base in the slums of Tokyo. They live in a world where the old generation of 'big shots still talk big.' For them, 'democracy means (having sexual intercourse with) foreigners.' These foreigners are GIs, members of the occupying forces in Japan. The main principle of the gang is 'no sex for free'. If a member of the gang transgresses this rule, she will be harshly punished. The movie contains some very sadistic lashing scenes.

Vision on mankind Seijun Suzuki unveils in an interview published on this DVD his view on mankind: 'physiology is the strongest force and only acts through human will. We can depend on nothing but the physicality of the flesh.' The gate to the world is the gate of flesh, where you have to 'rely on your own instincts'. Morality and religion, here represented by a black catholic priest, are hopeless pipe dreams.

Highly recommended, like other films by Seijun Suzuki's: his 'manga' movie 'Pistol Opera', his 'ghost' movie 'Princess Raccoon' (with Ziyi Zhang) and his gangster movie 'Underworld Beauty'.

40 yen for beef

[Meganeguard · 8/10 · 25 August 2005]

After World War II came to an end, a great number of Japan's major cities were left in shambles. However, the Japanese began to rebuild almost immediately after the war came to the end. The earliest post-war settlements were shantytowns and the remains of scorched buildings. Because of the chronic lack of food, most individuals were forced to purchase food at the black market. Although illegal, the black market was the only source of essential foodstuffs. Also, during this time period, a number of women, whose fathers, brothers, and sons were killed during the war, were forced into prostitution to support themselves. With tens of thousands former Japanese soldiers and American soldiers swarming into the country, there were definitely enough men to garner money from.

Seijun Suzuki's 1964 film takes place in one of these shantytowns and it follows the lives of five such prostitutes: The refined Machiko; the tattooed Sen; the chubby Roku; the boisterous Mino; and the youngest of the group Maya. The film begins with Maya fleeing from a man who had tried to pimp her to an American soldier, however, luckily for her Sen intervenes. Struggling to survive, Maya follows Sen back to the latter's home and soon joins Sen and her fellow prostitutes in peddling flesh. However, unlike other prostitutes, the women are able to keep their money because they do not work for a pimp. Although they seem to be close, the women can be quite vicious. Their sole rule is that no member may sleep with a man without receiving payment. If one breaks the rule, one is stripped naked, tied up, and beaten. Although far from ideal, the women seem to get along decently well until a man Ibuki Shintaro, Shishido Joe, comes into their ranks. Heavily muscled and of a demanding nature, each one of the prostitutes fall for the ex-soldier and this of course endangers this little circle of "friends." Like many of his other films, Suzuki's Gate of Flesh is quite violent. While not nearly as vicious as Miike films, Gate of Flesh caused quite a stir when it was released in 1964. While the beating scenes are moderately tame, there is a graphic scene in which a cow is slaughtered.

In my opinion, the most striking aspect of this film is the use of color. Each prostitute wears a specific color and this makes for some quite striking scenes. Sen, Kasai Satoko, is quite striking in red. This is an interesting film that might interest those who would like to see a cinematic version of Japan's early postwar years.

in the rubble of civilization

[mjneu59 · 7/10 · 22 November 2010]

Seijun Suzuki's wide screen portrait of post-war Tokyo shows a ruined city reverted back to a primitive state of barbarity, where the only law among the society of pimps, thieves and prostitutes is Survival of the Fittest. Be forewarned: although it may be tame by today's permissive standards the film is still overtly violent, in both content and style. The garish color scheme alone is often more shocking than the animal philosophy of the gang of hookers, whose punishment for compassion among their ranks is an enthusiastic whipping. Suzuki never was the most subtle filmmaker, and the crass, uncensored vitality displayed here approaches low exploitation even while it probes with subtle insight the psychology of a vanquished nation.

have some colors

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 10 April 2021]

Post-war Japan was an unstable environment, making it the perfect setting for Seijun Suzuki's "Nikutai no mon" ("Gate of Flesh" in English). This study of a group of independent prostitutes who take an ex-soldier under their wing must have been one of the most shocking movies at the time. The nudity and torture scenes are not something that you usually saw on screen in 1964.

In one of the DVD's special features, Suzuki explains how he had the prostitutes wear certain colors to reflect their personalities, and there's a scene where they stand against certain colors to emphasize this. Like Kubrick, Suzuki knew how to make use of these things.

Suzuki also mentions his enmity towards the US. Of course, the scene at the end showing the Japanese and US flags comes across as a subtle admission of what had become of the war (specifically, what had become of Japan). All in all, the movie amounts to a fine piece of work. I now hope to see the rest of Suzuki's work.

Suzuki's "skin flick" for the studio

[gbill-74877 · 6/10 · 14 July 2023]

"Even after losing (the war), the bastards who did this to Japan are still talking big. I'll never again believe a word they say. I'm gonna live for sex and food."

Watching this made me think of parallels to American movies made about Vietnam in the late 70's and early 80's, and what that said about the country trying to process what had happened there, even if that case was different in fundamental ways. Here nearly a couple of decades after the fact, Seijun Suzuki presents a tale of the squalor of Japan following WWII and the American occupation. The overriding theme is the loss of morality in the face of impoverished, dog-eat-dog conditions in the city, with a helping of Anti-Americanism on the side. The story is simple: a group of women have turned to prostitution and welcome a new girl into their ranks (Yumiko Nogawa), while a returning soldier (Joe Shishido) commits crimes before being forced to hide out with them.

The film is very explicit for the period, not so much because of the nudity (though there is some), but just how frank it is in its depictions of sex. The springs of a truck go up and down because of the vigor of what's happening inside it, a woman strips and lays down in the grass to seduce an American priest into taking her, and there are various moments of sweaty, grimy sex out of desperation. Suzuki also seems to enjoy titillating the viewer with S&M, as more than once a woman is whipped by the others for having the nerve to have sex without charging the man. One of those times is to Nogawa's character, her body nude and hoisted aloft by a pulley. These scenes may have delivered the intended shock, but they were clearly more exploitative than authentic, and the sentiment expressed from one woman to another ("Selling your body is a business - do it for free and you're just a slut!") was kind of sickening.

Unfortunately, there are several other unpleasant images, including the brutal killing and butchering of a cow, which was just awful. Let's just say, a pun of that last sentence with 'offal' would be appropriate. There are others, including a condom in the American stew being ladled out to the hungry, and men beating up women to rob them. Perhaps those things wouldn't have been as bad had the story been more complex. I didn't like how it essentially devolved into these women all becoming enamored with this guy, even if it was Joe Shishido.

It's really quite a shame, because I think there are symbols here and an expression of a national sadness over the humiliating conditions following the war. Shishido's character representing returning soldiers, haunted and forced to live lives of corruption, and the women, those who were forced to lose their honor to eat could have been powerful stuff (and perhaps it was for Japanese people in 1964). There are brief moments where we see Shishido has PTSD, and imagined sequences presented as transparent overlays showing loved ones at war, and childhood. It's really too bad these things weren't more fully developed. That final shot of the women going back to work in the streets, followed by a pan back and the American flag waving proudly in the background, is devastating though.

We need to see more films of this type from Japan in the US

[zetes · 10/10 · 21 September 2001]

I was under the impression when I rented this film that it was

directed by Sezuki Seijun, but the credits gave a different name. It

still might be him (it was something else Sezuki), and I am

assuming it was as I write this review.

Having totally fallen in love with Branded to Kill and, to a slightly

lesser extant, but not too much lesser, with Tokyo Drifter, I was

overjoyed to find this at the video store (I remembered having

heard at one point of its being on video). And I was even more

overjoyed to watch it. It's an amazing film which I would place

slightly ahead of Tokyo Drifter and Branded to Kill, giving it a 9/10.

The film opens right after the end of WWII with a young woman

starving in the street (not something I would expect from the two

previous yakuza films I've seen of Seijun's). She meets up with a

group of four prostitutes who allow her to work with them. They are

self-sufficient and need no pimp. They keep themselves in line

with the threat of torture if any one of them ever sleeps with a man

without accepting money. Of course, you can see the possibility for

exploitation, and there is exploitation, believe me. After a while, a

robust thug (Jo Shishido of Branded to Kill, cheekbones and all)

shows up in their crumbling household. They respect him

because he resists the GIs who try to keep the law in their city

(never specified) and those Japanese people who cooperate with

them. They're also all attracted to him. After this is developed, there

isn't much more plot - only a couple of events happen afterwards.

More or less, it is a character study and also a sociological study.

The anti-Americanism is very interesting to see. Seijun was a

soldier in the Japanese army himself and, although I could easily

point out that, hey, you started it, it's easy to understand what he

must have felt after he and his comrades lost a war, what it would

have done to the male psyche as well as the female (this film was

made about twenty years afterwards).

Some people would naturally hate this film because it mixes its

styles, often very harshly. It's really nothing that Godard wouldn't

have done - in fact, it's actually something that Godard, despite my

great affection for him and his films, could never have achieved; he

was far too interested in subverting filmic conventions and too

unconcerned with making interesting films at times. It is filmed in

color, and its art design/cinematography/costuming, everything

technical, is color coordinated in a way akin to something like a

1950s musical. Four of the five prostitutes are color-coated and

there is, for instance, an amazing scene where these four color- specific hookers muse over Shishido alone against a set

designed only in their colors. Often the film is quite melodramatic,

almost like a Douglas Sirk film. At other times, it is something like

sado-masochistic porno, especially during the torture scenes.

There are scenes akin to the brutality in Tokyo Drifter and Branded

to Kill; there is some major brutality to women (sometimes

inflicted by women), so if you're particularly sensitive to that, you

might want to avoid this. Also, if that's a problem with you, take

special measures to avoid Branded to Kill. You might want to skip

over this next description tot he next paragraph if you very easily get

sick or if you're a militant animal rights activist, but there is a

stunning scene where Jo Shishido slaughters a live cow. I'm pretty

sure it's a real scene of slaughter. If not, then it's a damned good

facsimile. If you were horrified at the real scenes of sacrifice in

Apocalypse Now, you might just want to avoid this film altogether.

The bottom line for me is that this film is a masterpiece. An insane

one, to be sure, but this film, as well as Tokyo Drifter and Branded

to Kill, demonstrate just how gorgeous insanity can be

sometimes. Janus Films, whose logo you see on the videotapes

before just about 90% of all foreign films that were made before

1970, and Home Vision Cinema, who distributes about everything

made after 1970, collaborated on the videotape that I watched,

which recently went out of print. Those two companies should be

ringing tons of bells for anyone who collects videos. Yup, those are

the two companies who produce DVDs' (and Laserdiscs') Criterion Collection, the only DVDs, in the long run, which are really

worth owning. This company has already released both Branded

to Kill and Tokyo Drifter. I pray to God - I'd even sell my soul to the

devil - so that Criterion will release Gate of Flesh and - please,

please God! (or Satan!) - other Seijun films, or even other films

which generally resemble his, if such other artists do exist, that I

have not seen or even heard of. Think about it Criterion. I know that

Branded to Kill and Tokyo Drifter aren't your most popular DVDs,

but, having talked to so many people who are discovering them

and having never resisted an opportunity to spread his name and

reputation to any other film buff I have met (and others who are

familiar with him do the same), I know that he is becoming a huge

cult item. In my mind, judging only by the three films of his that I've

seen, I prefer him even to Akira Kurosawa (I cannot comment on

Ozu or Mizoguchi; unfortunately, I have only ever seen one Ozu and

no Mizoguchis, merely based on availability), whom I generally

prefer to nearly every filmmaker with whom I am very familiar.

Well made but thoroughly unpleasant

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 31 July 2006]

I love Asian cinema and have seen quite a few Japanese films. And, in this case, I just can't agree with how others felt about this particular film. This is, I guess, a technically well-made film compared to all the others. The camera-work and sound and all that are just fine. But, even with decent production values, I just can't recommend this film because it's just so oppressively grim and unpleasant and I can't see much purpose to viewing it other than to learn how terrible life could be at that time. While this sort of grimness is not a problem with some films, such as SCHINDLER'S LIST, I just can't see any reason why anyone would want to see this mess. The story is about post-war Japan and a small part of Tokyo that has degenerated into a "dog eat dog" world of pimps, prostitutes and thieves. It shows their day to day lives and the awfulness of the human spirit, and while I am a bit of a pessimist myself at times, I can't see why I'd want to subject myself to this unpleasant mess. I know there are terrible people in the world, but can't see why this merits a film about them.

Lurid Pulp Covers come to life!

[shishido · 15 April 2000]

Yet another brilliant work from director Suzuki Seijun, who manages to create (in almost every frame) a world in which lurid pulp paperback cover paintings have come to life! This tale of the rampant desperation of mere existence in post-WWII Tokyo is simply stunning on all counts. "Nikutai no Mon" ("Gate of Flesh") is both bleakly realistic, and flamboyantly artistic. It is brutal, shocking, funny, and depressing--sometimes all at once! Excellent cinema--not to be missed by any Japanese film buffs.

A great japanese exploitation movie, 60's style

[freakus · 8/10 · 25 June 1999]

Suzuki is the master! He has made the greatest examples of 60's low budget exploitation cinema. The way he uses a different color to represent each of the prostitutes almost makes them appear like demons in that underground lair of theirs. But who is the real monster of the film? The occupying Americans who use the prostitutes? The prostitutes themselves? Or is it the hate filled ex-soldier (played by the great Joe Shishido!) who controls the women?

Human beings a true spoils of war!!!

[elo-equipamentos · 9/10 · 13 August 2019]

Tokyo post WW2, ravaged, crowed on the narrow streets, crumbled buildings, massive slums areas on absolute poverty and starvation, all this draining in a forced prostitution, what amazing picture that offers to us a nude look at those dreadful chapter of the mankind, Seijum Suzuki worked in a smallest budge painted a perfect photograph on strong colors and telling on a minor details a life of five prostitutes, despite the success it was misunderstood at release time as a simple nude exploitation, reckoned later as true cult movie, letting us think about how the war was so unnecessary and unconceivable, taking the human beings on the edge of the madness, insanity and worst for nothing, priceless gem warning us about the hazards from those whom ruled us!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 9

Far doors

[denwa · 16 April 1999]

A jump and you meeting like in a film of Oshima or Mizogouchi. Nikutai Mon (1964) can not be seen like a scandal or like a true masterpiece. The personage, nearly a samurai bankrupt, played by the hounded man is exemplar in order to understand like Japan same changing, in the forecasts of Mishima, worse. For being more clear I will say Japan in free fall. An example is the here impotent police while in group the young people kill and stole. Under this optical the worlds formed from this man and these three women is parallel, peculiar, sadist. Turned always holding the cinema camera to level of the human eye: Nikutai not Mon (1964) a little reassuring neorealism, the land rendered fertile from the tragedy of Seppuku, directed from Kobayashi time before. Now Japanese cinema has nothing more to say while collects the fragments of its tradition.