Think
of it as something like Bernard Christensen’s Häxan, but in color and with even more sex. While the notorious Danish
silent was based on the Fifteenth Century Malleus
Maleficarum, the third of Osamu Tezuka’s animated features for adults was
inspired by Jules Michelet’s Nineteenth Century study Satanism and Witchcraft. The practice of the dark arts is largely a
product of class and gender exploitation in the brand new 4K restoration of
Eiichi Yamamoto’s 1973 cult classic Belladonna
of Sadness (trailer
here),
which screens as part of the 2015 Japan Cuts Festival of New Japanese Film.
French
peasants Jean and Jeanne love each other deeply and truly, but unfortunately
their marriage requires a sacrifice to their lord. Tragically, he claims his
feudal deflowering right of jus primae noctis, at which point he turns the
ravaged Jeanne over to his lecherous court. Initially, Jean tries to comfort
her, but henceforth they can never truly be happy together. Sensing her pain
and anger, the imp-like Satan approaches Jeanne tempting her with power and
exciting her lust. She slowly yields to him, inch by metaphysical inch,
amassing influence in the village to become a serious rival to the lord,
especially while he is away fighting a fruitless war. Naturally, this does not
sit well with her ladyship or the parish priest.
Even
though it is animated, Belladonna is
absolutely, positively not for children—not even the particularly mature and
precocious. Yamamoto’s film is rife with images of sex and violence that often
bleed into each other. However, the animation is extraordinarily striking,
often looking like a cross between Alphonse Mucha and Gahan Wilson. For long
stretches, the pictures do not even move, per se. Rather, the camera pans over
the baroquely detailed paintings.
Frankly,
it is rather baffling that Belladonna never
caught on more widely in its day. The trippy visuals and open invitation to
identify with and even support Jeanne’s self-damnation seem pitch perfect for
the indulgent 1970s. As a bonus, legendary Kurosawa and Kobayashi regular Tatsuya
Nakadai memorably gives voice to the puckish Satan.
