Covering most all genres, we were able to get a copy of Blind Beast, a Japanese film that features a freakish love story from the late 1960’s. Not for everyone, the film is labeled as a horror flick, but it’s more of a sadomasochism drama that develops into a passionate death wish. The acting is brilliant and the directing extremely daring. Now for the first time remastered and on Blu-ray.
Not doing to well as a fashion model, Aki Shima (Mako Midori) has turned to an art photographer Mr. Yamana for a career change. Nude, sexual and bondage shots were not a problem for Aki as the exhibition gave her an outlet for her beauty. At an early morning opening at the gallery with no visitors yet arriving, she notices a person she’s not familiar with fondling a full size sculpture of herself. Not taking much interest in her photographs on the wall, instead he is enamored by the one stature of her in the room. Uneasy by the man’s tracing of every part of her naked body, Aki becomes troubled as she leaves the room.
The next project by Mr. Yamana takes place several days after the incident. Arriving at the studio at 4 am and leaving late for her apartment, she’s exhausted as she arrives home. Unable to sleep she calls her regular massage parlor to get an outcall massage. When a blind man, Michio (Eiji Funakoshi), arrives at her apartment instead of her regular, shes concerned that it may be the man at the gallery.
Aki gets kidnapped by Michio and his mother (Noriko Sengoku) ending up in their secluded warehouse. Director Yasuzô Masumura does a great job of setting up the scenes of the abduction and then moving on to the meat of the drama. Masumura holds back nothing slowly delivering the reasons behind the abduction, then the convincing of Aki, and her reluctance to cooperate. The cast’s performances go beyond the bounds of normality and later leads to a disturbing aura of sadomasochism.
While the film is not for every adult, it shows the sexual liberation, although extremely carnal here, that had become a part of the cinema world of the 1960’s both foreign and domestic. You don’t have to go far in the list of filmmaker to find Masumura’s equals that include other foreign film directors like Fauzi Mansur and USA’s Stanley Kubrick.
The acting by the three cast members is exceptional and bold for bringing the ensemble of sensational characters to life. Topping the cast and the focus of the film, the gorgeous Mako Midori breathes life into the struggling model Aki Shima. A well-known figure in the modeling world, Aki’s aspirations are to someday be known throughout the world. Midori pushes the envelope as she transitions into a captive that has to figure her way out of the “prison” for which she finds herself. While Michio treats her with respect, his purpose turns Aki into a manipulator that takes risks boarding on death.
Bonus Materials:
“High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation.”
“Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio”
“Optional English subtitles”
“Brand new audio commentary” by Asian cinema scholar Earl Jackson
“Newly filmed introduction” by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns
“Blind Beast: Masumura the Supersensualist” a brand new visual essay by Japanese literature and visual studies scholar Seth Jacobowitz
“The Original Trailer”
“A Choice Image Gallery”
“The box has a reversible sleeve featuring the original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella”
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: “Illustrated booklet featuring new writing by Virginie Sélavy”
Blind Beast (Moju) has not been rated and may probably wasn’t back in the day. Released in Art Houses like most NC-17 and X. The films had limited theatricak distribution in both Japan and the USA. If it would have been released today in theaters, the rating would have been considered MA-17 or Hard R for the extreme violence, sexuality, sadism and rape.
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Eiji Funakoshi, Noriko Sengoku, Mako Midori
Directed by: Yasuzô Masumura
Genre: Horror, Drama
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 1 hr, 24 min.
Video Release Date: August 24, 2021
Original Theatrical Release Date: 1969
Language: Japanese
Reviewed Format: Blu-ray
Audio: Stereo
Video: Aspect Ratio 2.35:1
Subtitles: English
Distributed by: ARROW Video
Released on: Blu-ray
