is a 1967 Japanese '' Pink film'' directed by

Mamoru Watanabe was a Japanese film director, screenwriter and actor, known for his work in the '' pink film'' genre. Along with directors Genji Nakamura and Banmei Takahashi, Watanabe was known as one of the "Three Pillars of Pink". Life and career Early l ...

and starring

Noriko Tatsumi is a Japanese actress known primarily for her appearances in ''pink films'' of the 1960s. During the "First Wave" of ''pink film'', Tatsumi became known as the first "Queen" of Japanese softcore sex movies, a title which she held from 1967 throug ...

. Along with the first "Queen" of Japanese soft-core pornography, the film's cast includes Mari Imai and an early appearance by

Naomi Tani is a Japanese pink film actress who is best known for her appearances in Nikkatsu's '' Roman Porno'' films with an S&M theme during the 1970s. Life and career Early Born October 20, 1948, in the Hakata ward of Fukuoka, Naomi Tani moved to Tokyo ...

, two other major stars of ''pink film''.

Synopsis

When Mitsuko's husband dies leaving her with a large debt, she becomes the sexual slave of his largest creditor, Kitō. Kitō's son Kazuhiko, who is expected to marry the daughter of a wealthy businessman, falls in love with Mitsuko. To escape the situation, Mitsuko drowns herself in the lake near her husband's country villa.

Cast

... Mitsuko Fuji * Masayoshi/Seigi Nogami... Kazuhiko, son of Kitō * Mari Iwai... Maya, the maid * Tadashi Oizumi... Kitō *

... Mariko

Style and themes

In his book ''Behind the Pink Curtain'' (2008), Jasper Sharp writes that Mamoru Watanabe's ''pink film''s are usually "lyrical... ndfull of poetic symbolism and striking pictorial compositions..." Watanabe opens ''Slave Widow'' with close-ups of Noriko Tatsumi's body rising and falling to the sound of heavy breathing, juxtaposed with images of the lake near her country villa. Watanabe's skillful use of sound is also evident in the contrast between Mitsuko and Kazuhiko's two love scenes. In the first, a lyrical scene which takes place near the lake in which Mitsuko will drown herself, the visuals are accompanied by natural sounds such as crickets, birds and water. In the second, which takes place in Tokyo, the desperation of Mitsuko's situation is emphasized with harsh city noises such as non-stop traffic. Thematically, the film criticizes the ''

nouveau riche ''Nouveau riche'' (; ) is a term used, usually in a derogatory way, to describe those whose wealth has been acquired within their own generation, rather than by familial inheritance. The equivalent English term is the "new rich" or "new money" ( ...

'' of Japan's post-war era in the person of Kitō. The conflict between romantic life and

filial piety In Confucianism, Chinese Buddhism, and Daoist ethics, filial piety (, ''xiào'') (Latin: pietas) is a virtue of respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors. The Confucian ''Classic of Filial Piety'', thought to be written around the late W ...

is also explored in the storyline involving Kitō's son Kazuhiko's affection for Mitsuko. This puts the son in conflict with his father both because Kitō desires to make Mitsuko his own mistress, and because Kazuhiko is expected to marry the daughter of Kitō's business partner. It is Mitsuko who pays for the breach of social protocol through her suicide.

Availability

Harry Novak released ''Slave Widow'' theatrically in the United States through his Boxoffice International Pictures distribution company. Jasper Sharp notes that had it not been for Novak's release of the film, and subsequent preservation, ''Slave Widow'' would likely not be available today, as many early ''pink films'' were not saved in Japan. The film was again available to U.S. audiences in the late 1990s in a videotape release by Something Weird Video. The film was released on region-1

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...

Gregory Hatanaka Gregory Hatanaka is an American independent filmmaker and film distributor based in Los Angeles, California. Career Hatanaka is the founder of film distribution and production company Cinema Epoch and Cineridge Entertainment. He first became i ...

Cinema Epoch Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking * ...

label on April 1, 2008. Though the DVD release contains no extras significant to the film, the trailer to ''Slave Widow'' is available on Something Weird Video's release of

Kōji Wakamatsu was a Japanese film director who directed such ''pinku eiga'' films as and . He also produced Nagisa Ōshima's controversial film ''In the Realm of the Senses'' (1976). He has been called "the most important director to emerge in the pink film ...

's ''

The Notorious Concubines ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1969). Following the DVD release, on May 9 and May 11, 2008,

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

's Clinton Street Theater played ''Slave Widow'' on a double-bill with Hiroshi Mukai's '' The Bite'' (1966), previously considered a

lost film A lost film is a feature or short film that no longer exists in any studio archive, private collection, public archive or the U.S. Library of Congress. Conditions During most of the 20th century, U.S. copyright law required at least one copy o ...

.JAPANESE SEXPLOITATION DOUBLE FEATURE - May 9 & 11
(English)
The Clinton Street Theater
Retrieved on March 8, 2009.

Notes

Sources

* Barrett, Michael
"Slave Widow"
(English)
PopMatters
May 8, 2008. Retrieved on May 24, 2008. * Buchanan, Jason.
Slave Widow
'.

Allmovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was founded by popular-cult ...

. * Cowie, Peter (editor). "Dorei Mibôjin" in "Japan" in ''World Filmography 1967'' (1977). Tantivy Press, London. . p. 351.
''Dorei Mibojin'' / ''Slave Widow''
(English)
Complete Index to World Film
Retrieved on May 24, 2008.

(''Dorei mibojin'') at

Japanese Movie Database The , more commonly known as simply JMDb, is an online database of information about Japanese movies, actors, and production crew personnel. It is similar to the Internet Movie Database but lists only those films initially released in Japan. Y. ...

. Retrieved on May 24, 2008. * Loomis, Daryl
"Slave Widow"
(English)
DVD Verdict
, April 10, 2008. Retrieved on May 24, 2008. * Wallis, John
"Slave Widow"
(English)
DVD Talk
March 28, 2008. Retrieved on May 24, 2008. * Weisser, Thomas and Yuko Mihara Weisser. (1998). ''Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films''. Vital Books : Asian Cult Cinema Publications,

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...

. . pp. 394–395.

External links

* * {{Amg movie, 429458, Slave Widow 1967 films Pink films 1960s Japanese films