Continuing his penchant for directing films in the characteristically Japanese genre he virtually created, director Takashi Ishii here presents yet another stylish rape/thriller. Nami is an attractive woman, and she loves her husband, who runs the real estate agency she works at. One day, during a rainstorm, a mysterious drifter stumbles into her and, following her on her way back to the office, asks for (and gets) a job from her husband, over her protests. Not long after that, Nami and the newcomer are trading amorous glances. When the drifter gets her alone in a model house, he rapes her on the floor. For some reason, this doesn’t offend Nami, and she encourages the socially backward man to take her to bed often. Eventually, the two of them decide to do away with her husband, despite the fact that Nami still loves him.
We meet Makota Hirano as he ambles into sleepy, small-town Japan with no apparent aim or aspiration. A fleeting encounter with a young lady, called Nami, at a train station leads him to follow her to the Estate Agents, where she works. The shy, young asthmatic asks for a job from her husband, who owns the business, his motivation obviously not being that he wants to get closer to the world of real estate; no it is something else he is desperate to get nearer to. Before long we realise that Makota is not as shy as he may at first appear and Nami is caught between the pull of the unpredictable younger drifter and the security of her older and richer husband. Original Sin, and I have no idea why it is called that, is a beautifully crafted film from the point of view of the editing and camera work. There are several scenes where the camera placement gives us an excellent and unusual view on proceedings. Takashi Ishii is also not afraid just to let it roll and the scenes often unfurl uncut at their own leisurely pace. The soundtrack is understated but supportive and the acting is of a high standard all round. The unusualness and intensity of some of the characters actions did baffle my Western mind at times, but a general feeling of top-quality film-making pervades throughout and it is well worth a watch if you appreciate the finer-points of Japanese Cinema.
IMDB
DVDRip | AVI | 720 x 400 | XviD @ 1473 Kbps | 117 min | 1,44 Gb
Audio: Japanese AC3 2.0 @ 192 Kbps | Subs: English (srt)
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Romance
