sinful-2 I would say acting is fine and camera work is fine and everything but....I just do not really feel that the situation that is set up in the start is fully used. There could have been so many situations that could have been set up to make it more interesting.After the set up of the plot in the movie I found it very easy to see how the movie would end and I did not not really find the travel to the end emotional interesting or exploring in any way.I would say there are lots of great Japanese movies out there. You can find better than this one.

Cosmoeticadotcom There are too many flaws, and Dumbest Possible Action tropes, for Pleasures Of The Flesh to broach greatness, but there are superb moments right next to bad. As example, while the forthrightness of the admission by Hayami is not believable, character-wise, it is one of the bleakest and most searing indictments of the human character ever put on film; and part of that burn comes from the fact that its ascription of human flaws is dead on. And in this it has a far more realistic take on human evil than Crime And Punishment. While a good portion of the film has dated, in terms of conventions of dress and sexual mores, at the gut, human level, the film is till searingly accurate, much like the best episodes of The Twilight Zone. That, plus its many positive qualities, makes this an important film, if not a great one. And that's more than enough to recommend its being watched and, hopefully, understood.

Falconeer Nagisa Oshima's "Pleasures of the Flesh" is the sad, utterly depressing tale of an average man, driven to moral corruption, by unrequited love of an unattainable woman. Atsushi Wakizaka is obsessed with the delicate beauty, Shoko. She doesn't return the sentiment, for good reason, as Atsushi is somewhat of a loser with no ambition and a weak character. Driven to murder a particularly vile man who raped, and then attempted to blackmail Shoko, Atsushi finds himself the victim of blackmail, by a yet another vile, reprehensible character that witnessed the crime. A chain of events is set into motion when he is asked to hold onto 30 million Yen while his blackmailer serves his 5 year prison term. The self-destructive Atsushi decides that he will waste the money on a succession of whores that resemble the girl who rejected him to marry a wealthy cosmetics magnate. Of course things don't turn out as planned, leading up to a shocking climax, that doesn't hold a happy ending for anybody..Wow, what an exhaustive parade of lowlifes, losers, pimps, thugs, bums, and murderers inhabit Oshima's beautifully framed vision. Of course this controversial Japan director is known for his exploration of the seedy, dark underbelly of Japanese society. Shot in lurid, film noir style, I cannot say this is an 'enjoyable' film, but it is undeniably so well made, that it deserves it's praise. Best viewed as a cautionary tale about how money can corrupt a weak soul, and even distort reality. Despite it's sexy title, don't expect a sexually charged film, as you will be disappointed. Expect instead to witness the complete and utter destruction of a man's soul. And be prepared to spend 90 minutes with some truly slimy, despicable characters. Recommended for those viewers that enjoy wallowing in a world of crime and corruption..

zetes A school teacher is blackmailed by a corrupt politician after he is seen committing a murder. The corrupt politician demands that the teacher watch his suitcase stuffed with 30 million yen while he spends a year in prison. Probably not a good idea on the politician's part. You see, the teacher committed the murder to protect a former student with whom he was deeply smitten. But afterward, she got married and vanished from his life. Now he has nothing to live for and decides that he'll spend every penny of that suitcase money on sex and debauchery, and then kill himself afterward. While the DVD box and insert claim this to be a pinku film, it's not at all. It's not in the least bit erotic. It may be sleazy, but not in any fun way. It's a depressing art-house drama, really. I thought the set-up of the plot was kind of ridiculous (the teacher and politician are complete strangers; the teacher could have easily used the money to run away and start a new life. And even if the politician could convince the cops that the teacher committed the murder, it'd be pretty much impossible to prove one year later, wouldn't it? It's just not a good set up for blackmail), but the main plot is definitely interesting. The film is well made and looks gorgeous. The colors on the Eclipse DVD are really beautiful.