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Flower & Snake
Flower Snake
Actors: Aya Sugimoto, Renji Ishibashi, Kenichi Endo, Misaki Mori, Yôzaburô Itô
Genres: Indie & Art House, Drama, Anime & Manga, Animation
UR     2005     1hr 55min

Wealthy business owner Mt. Toyama's wife Shizuko is an international tango dancer. Her relationship with her workaholic husband has become estranged, and her nights are plagued with sexual fantasies. Shizuko, beautiful and...  more »

     
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Movie Details

Actors: Aya Sugimoto, Renji Ishibashi, Kenichi Endo, Misaki Mori, Yôzaburô Itô
Genres: Indie & Art House, Drama, Anime & Manga, Animation
Sub-Genres: Indie & Art House, Love & Romance, Anime & Manga, Animation
Studio: Tokyo Shock
Format: DVD - Color - Subtitled
DVD Release Date: 05/31/2005
Release Year: 2005
Run Time: 1hr 55min
Screens: Color
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 4
MPAA Rating: Unrated
Languages: English, Japanese
Subtitles: English

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Director: Takashi Ishii
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   UR   2006   1hr 53min
 

Movie Reviews

The art of degradation
Zack Davisson | Seattle, WA, USA | 09/11/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

""Flower and Snake" ("Hana to Hebi") is something of a phenomena in Japan, not unlike "The Story of O" or "The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty." It was originally a series of cult novels by fetish-author Dan Oniroku, and there have been no less than ten versions filmed since the original 1974 version staring the bondage superstar Naomi Tani ("Wife to be Sacrificed"). This latest version, by horror auteur Takashi Ishii, famous as the writer of "Evil Dead Trap" and director of "Freeze Me" and "Angel Guts," is the first to tackle the story with a decent budget, and a cast of well-known actors.

Like most films of the genre, the story is just set up. A businessman finds himself owing an unpayable debt to a local ganglord, who demands the man's wife as payment. His wife, Shizuko, is a famous and beautiful tango dancer, with an immaculate dancer's body and a strong spirit. The man acquiesces, as the ganglord is over 90 years old, and he assumes he will be unable to do anything too terrible to his wife. Of course he is wrong, and the poor girl begins her trip to hell. In a carnival of fetishism, familiar to anyone who has seen "Eyes Wide Shut" or other films in this style, Shizuko is sexually tortured and exhibited to a club of like-minded individuals, while the old boss watches on TV. Eventually her strong spirit is broken.

Ishii has taken this familiar story, and attempted to make something akin to art from the degradation. The scenarios involving Shizuko are dreamlike, and she fades from one episode to another. The camera follows her hazy perceptions, while still taking a voyeurs approach, placing the viewer as one of the audiences enjoying Shizuko's descent.

Most of the success of this version of "Flower and Snake" comes from Ishii's unique vision as a director, and the power of the lead, Aya Sugimoto playing Shizuko. She is an incredibly strong lead, with a beautiful body and a powerful face. While not quite a household name, she is probably best known for playing Queen Beryl in "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon." The rest of the cast is equally strong. Renji Ishibashi ("One missed call") puts in a disturbing turn as the ganglord, and Takashi Miike regular Kenichi Endo ("Happiness of the Katakuris," "Visitor Q") is equally repulsive as the ganglord's lieutenant.

There is some concern that the Media Blaster's DVD release of "Flower and Snake" has been edited, but this isn't so. Both the Japanese release and the US release have a running time of 115 minutes, and I have seen both versions and can say that no obvious cuts have been made. The story is murky, and especially the last part of the film, where Shizuko begins to lose her perspective on time and space. For a DVD release of this genre, it is really well done, with a "Making of..." feature as well as cast interviews, with actress Sugimoto explaining why she decided to make this kind of film. If you like the genre, it is a masterpiece. If you don't, then you will probably won't like "Flower and Snake.""
Would have been 5 stars BUT...
dmentid | CA USA | 07/07/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)

"Media Blasters edited the movie badly. The first part of the story starts off quite well and flows smoothly. When it gets to the second part you can see obvious cuts with the visuals as well as the subtitling. One of the characters (Kyoko) disappears completely and is never heard of again. Where the first part is easily followed the second part is nothing but jumbled and confusing imagery more fitting a music video than a work by Takashi Ishii. If Media Blasters releases an UNCUT version I's gladly buy it to see Mr. Ishii's true work. This current version is a bad hack job and an insult to Mr. Ishii and his talent."
What do you want ?
Dieter Beyrle | Rellingen | 07/05/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is a classic japanese story of bdsm. If you are looking for erotic sex, you're mistaken. If you are looking for an hardcore yakuza movie, you're also wrong. This is a story of weird sex fantasy. I'm sure there ist something in this movie for everyone. There are many good pictures in it, there is bondage, there is many female nudity. But the Story ist nothing, if you like "story of o". But if you're ready for some bondage fantasy , you can give this movie a chance."