Twitch readers in the United Kingdom should be pleased (hopefully) about the following news. Jasper Sharp, author of Behind the Pink Curtain and co-founder of Midnight Eye web site, will present a special lecture entitled The History and Development of Japanese Pink Film at the Japan Foundation in London. The lecture will occur on December 3, 2008 at 6:30 pm. The event is a part of the British Film Institute's Wild Japan film series, which commences on December 1st. The program of 35mm ultra-rare screenings includes such titles as In the Realm of the Senses, Blue Film Woman, Gushing Prayer (represented by the still image at the left), Watcher in the Attic and Woods are Wet. Interested viewers should note that Blue Film Woman and Gushing Prayer are being screened from newly struck 35mm English-subtitled prints. Until the September 2008 screenings at Fantastic Fest, neither film had screened outside of Japan since they were released in the late 60s-early 70s.
I really wouldn't consider In the Realm of the Senses a Pinku film by any means. Sexually explicit? Yeah. But it has none of the trappings of Pink films. And as far I know, it was an independent film largely financed and then distributed by a french company since it was intially banned in Japan. Oddly, most of the Pinku films were low budget, but backed by the major studios.
I'm curious of Mr. Sharp. I've already pre-ordered Behind the Pink Curtain because it certainly is an interesting topic. I've seen more pink/roman pinku films than I care to admit, and it's always interesting to read about them as an anthropological study I hope.
Because ultimately, 98% of Pink films are violent, disgusting rape fantasies that are often praised for utilizing avant garde, art house film techniques. But it's still vile material for the most part. I foget the name of the film, "something virgin" that started the whole trend in the mid sixties. It was based on a true story of college student who raped and murdered a bunch of young girls. And that's all the film was, rape and torture, and eventually death.
Any true Japan-o-phile knows that there's an alarmingly large amount of rape in Japanese cinema and particulary erotica. I've read many arguments that the obscene amounts of violence that's mixed in with the rape is metaphorical, alleghorical, cathartic etc etc etc. But any true Japan-o-phile should also know that rape is major "real" issue within Japanese society. Just read any paper on any given day. So, I'm desperately curious to read Jasper's book but also suspicous of such intense interest in the subject.
What benefit is there from watching this material?
Nothing in this post states that In the Realm of the Senses is a pink film. The title explicitly says "pinku and beyond" so there seems to be little room for such an interpretation. Furthermore, both the title of the post and the list of films indicates that many different types of films are being shown, which is reflected in BFI's program materials. Nothing in those materials suggests In the Realm of the Senses is a pink film, either. As for the rest of your opinions, you are certainly welcome to them.