Shogun's Joy of Torture

Shogun’s Joy of Torture (1968)

Cinema De Bizarre

DVD-R

Shogun’s Joy of Torture (1968) aka Tokugawa onna keibatsu-shi directed by Teruo Ishii is a sequence of three short tales, all of which revel in sexual excess and lengthy torture. The film is set within the Edo period and opens with various women being despatched by creative methods including decapitation, torn in twain by animals and being burnt alive.

A title such as Shogun’s Joy of Torture will, of course, trigger immediate associations with exploitation cinema from the West which focus on Medieval and war atrocities yet in many ways this is a very different sort of film. While certainly packing in the eroticism, fetishism and violence, the presentation is stylized, even refined and has a level of sophistication which is unexpected but very welcome.

The tales are all individually contained but each offer a refinement of themes from the preceding ones developing both concept and character. The first tale is essentially a morality tale which involves rape, blackmail and incest leading to a murder, then torture and death. It is an intriguing story showing how a young woman is manipulated by men, first by a wealthy landowner and then by her brother. Even in death she restores her brother’s honour by taking responsibility for their illicit relationship which results in her upside crucifixion and drowning. The first tale concludes with a reflection on the limits of law and how torture does not seem to fit with the nature of justice. This is a key theme which is the backbone of the whole film.

The second tale reflects further on the nature authority with an exploration of monastic sexual suppression. We have a lesbian abbess whose jealousy leads to violence, madness and torture including brandings, mutilation and chillies applied to the vagina of a poor screeching nun, not to mention cutting of the head of a monk in passion driven insanity ! The second tale cumulates in a series of misogynist comments by one of the court’s torturers and this leads to the third tale. Here we have key themes tied together; torture even when used by legal figures distorting the psyche, the dangers of sexual suppression and the limits of justice.

Each of the stories is marked by superior cinematography, a careful use of erotic and violent content where “less is more” and great storytelling. It is amazing how much of a mood can be created by careful inference rather than explicit “torture gore”, while made many years ago this film stands well the test of time and hardly looks dated at all.

The third tale opens with a beautiful Geisha being tattooed, her back is being covered in an unusual design, that of a woman in bondage being tortured. While the tattoo artist is thrilled by his handiwork, the local torturer looks with disdain advising the artist has not captured the look of pain; a unique state of violent excess where ecstasy intervenes. Soon the tattoo artist is travelling with the torturer to explore the nature of suffering and torture. The action here moves into a new direction as Westerners who have entered Japan to spread the pernicious faith of Christianity are given a dose of Japanese justice with all manner of excessive violence. As the violence increase, it becomes clear that the torturer has become addicted to the sadism of his job and themes about torture, repression, violence and justice are explored.

This is quite a fascinating film which is vastly superior to what its title may suggest. It is exploitation certainly, filled with all manner of outré imagery and content. Yet at the same time it is filled with reflective themes, marvellous set-pieces and complex plots. There is much that is uniquely Japanese in the film in relation to themes relating to the fragility of life, honour and the relationship between justice and violence, this gives it a very special presentation. It is also marked by a seriousness of plot and acting, this is not pitched as a fun exploitation romp, but as a solid Edo historical piece.

Shogun’s Joy of Torture is certainly far more professional that films of a similar ilk attempted in the west around the same period and hence is a superb example of high calibre wild world cinema !

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This review will appear in Volume 3 No.1 of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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